When I was in Paris earlier in the year, I didn’t just eat macarons. I also ate a lot of cheese. And when I say I ate a lot of cheese, I don’t meant that I ate it every day, or had cheese courses at restaurants, or spent all my time in fromageries.
I mean that, every few days or so, I’d buy an entire round/block/geometrical-shape of one type of cheese and would eat the entire thing in one sitting. Because that’s how I roll. (“Roll” being the operative word.)
I’m pretty sure my bones were thanking me for all the calcium, even if my heart was simultaneously shaking its little heart-fist at me for the sodium assault.
Can’t win ‘em all, right?
(I shall test the cheese-reviewing waters today with just one cheese, and then you can let me know if you’re interested in hearing more on this rather savoury topic.)
Petit Valençay
I wonder if Egpytians or aliens built this pyramid of wonderment?
This little pyramid of goat’s cheese is Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée-certified and made from raw goat’s milk. It was the first cheese I bought in Paris, and it swept away my prior beliefs about goat’s cheese. To me, goat’s cheese has always been pungent, assertive, and in-your-face ”goaty”. This cheese, however, was the antithesis of being punched with a goat’s udder*; it was subtle, creamy, gooey at the edges yet firm (not chalky) inside, and in some ways reminded me more of a brie than a strong chevre.
See the gooeyness at the edges? Mmm-mmm.
I tasted butter, hazelnuts, cream and cream cheese, almonds, grass, and a deeply satisfying umaminess. The blue-grey rind had a slight flowery and hay-like flavour, which was unhindered by bitterness. This cheese was so rich, so creamy, and so mellow yet complex, that all of a sudden the packet was 110g lighter and I 110g heavier. And all I had left to savour was the pyramid base, marked deeply by the ridges of the packaging…
Cheese bottom!
Question Time: So, folks and friends, what say you? Are you at all interested in seeing some cheese-y-goodness (or badness) on this blog every now and again?
* What the?! I’m sorry.
Dear Miss W. Chocolate,
I have been a reader of your bloggatory column for some time. I thoroughly enjoyed your most recent contribution. Your examination – theoretical, not physical, I assume – of goat’s udders was most enlightening, in particular.
In light of my enjoyment of this latest read, I would much appreciate it if you could maximise your cheese content for my academic, gastronomic and literary pleasure.
I look forward to reading your thoughts in the future.
Kind regards,
Miss L. Izzle
Dear Miss L-Izzle,
I have received your comment with no small amount of pleasure, and find myself gratified to know that you enjoy the various topics and random asides I publish on this blog. I look forward to regaling you with more talk of udders in the future, and to our continued correspondence, both blog-related and otherwise.
Yours, etc, etc.
Oh, yes, cheese me! Udder Delights in the Adelaide Hills, aside from having an awesome name, makes AWESOME goat cheeses.
http://udderdelights.com.au/newsite/
Oooooh, that looks so yummy. BRILLIANT IDEA: why don’t you have a wedding cake made of Udder Delights goat’s cheese?
Simple answer: ‘Cause Andrew would kill me
We both love our cheese, but probably not more than cake.
Our solution on our Engagement Celebration dinner and last night in NZ: Two dessert courses, one cheese and one sweet.
And that’s why we’re friends
But you could do the whoel bride’s cake AND groom’s cake thing, and one could be cheese and one cake! Or one layer of the cake could be cheese, as a funny surprise…
Actually, I just realised that I’ve had this company’s goat’s brie/camembert before!
Madam, I need to take issue with you. This post is pure food porn, more correctly cheese porn. And I don’t have a wedge of that cheese so I am very upset!
Mmm, cheese porn…
Now you know how I feel when I see all those chestnut/peanut butter/salted caramel desserts on your blog 
Love cheese! My favorite in France is the aged comte.
Oh bother, I didn’t get to try that one! Next time…
Oh goats cheese is my absolute favourite. This one sounds fantastic. We ate goats cheese every day in Paris too. Sadly I didn’t get to this one. Would love to see some cheese posts from time to time. Along with “guess what I ate whilst I was out” posts. Or whatever else you feel like contributing.
Thank you, Louise
I really appreciate it! Sadly budget isn’t allowing for many “guess what I ate when I was out” posts, but there is a Fathers Day dinner coming up… can you remember which French goat’s cheeses you liked particularly?
ah, the combination of being in Paris and eating cheese sounds amazing right now!…
I know… wish it wasn’t just a memory!
As you know, I’m not a cheese person (though I did try French brie when I was over there and found it…tolerable!), but I’m not anti-cheese-posts :] If nothing else, it could give me ideas for exploring nut cheeze!
But brie and camembert are booooring! If only you’d tried a bleu d’auvergne or a washed rind or something…
I’d love to see you recreate a goat’s cheese flavour in a nut cheeze!!
I lerve goat’s cheese so any goat’s cheese posts would be most welcome. Sheep’s too perhaps… Oh, and I suppose cow’s if you must.
You know what else is welcome? Donations of cheese that you’d like to see reviewed in the future…
I’m not THAT desperate to have them reviewed. If I buy I’m going to eat not give away to read a review!! That doesn’t sound like fun.
You are such a bad mother.
P.S. Lift to the doctor’s at 9am tomorrow? 
I would love to see cheese!
Then more cheese you shall get (eventually)! Thank you
Oh yes, bring us cheese (okay, don’t literally bring me cheese ’cause I am allergic to it but yes, please write about it)!
Ahh, the torturous look-but-can’t-touch enjoyment principle!
I shall do my best to tantalise you with cheese you’ll never eat…
Bloody hell.
Yes, I’d love to see cheese. But I may have to add you to my list under “people who blog about foods I can’t eat” ie chocolate and cheese.
Meh.
Looks great. And I’m drooling. And I need help!
But I also blog about foods you can eat, right? Like lentil pilaf and vegan caraway cake? Is the no-chocolate thing because of your dairy-intolerance, or simply because you’ve decided not to eat it? Because if it’s the former, there are plenty of vegan chocolates out there…
Yes, please, educate me in the ways of cheese! All I know is I like it. But the names have little significance, besides the obvious bries, chevres, parmesans … or my personal (tacky Christmas party) favorite, a frozen roll of Pillsbury bread dough wrapped around brie, baked, and topped with jam and candied nuts. Mmm.
And there’s something from your Christmas dinner that I’ve never heard of! Particularly because Pillsbury doesn’t exist here (I have heard of a similar dish with puff pastry, though). Honestly, I don’t know a huge amount about cheese either, but I’m getting excited about “teaching” myself for the sake of this blog… ahem…
Lady, I take my little chefs hat off to you, ……not the big hat mind you (mostly because I have no idea where it is since leaving the hell hole kitchens of the Covent Garden Hotel in London…, but I digress)….., anyone who can combine said flowery cheesy prose with goats udders deserves a place in cheese reviewing history.. I see great things in your future & warmly welcome much, much more of the cheese topic.
Thank you so much for this lovely comment, Anna
It brightened my day! I feel like there’s a story behind that chef’s hat reference, and I want to know…
Aha! I just thought of your new chocolate flavour! Chestnut/peanut butter/salted caramel!
Ohhhhh….. Want. So badly….
Goats Cheese is an absolute weakness! I just started drooling on my keyboard
Teehee, it’s rather tasty, isn’t it? I’m sorry I made you mess up your keyboard though
Yes! Love the cheesy goodness! Those pyramids are some of my favorite goat cheeses, too.
I must admit, I recently made my way through all your archives and did get rather excited when I saw cheeses that I’d tried myself in Paris! Actually, I got excited by everything on your blog, even the posts I’d read before…
Goat cheese YES!
Although, really I am not sure if I can handle you branching out into cheeseland. I am trying to stop myself from branching out any more, if you know what I mean, and if you show more delicious cheeses I may never be fit for public viewing this summer.
I’d be happy to view your public any day of the week. (Why does that sound so much naughtier out loud than in my head?) Maybe I should blog about Bega Extra Light Cheddar Cheese! Then everybody wins!
Well, if you’re happy to view my public (even on a Monday!) then let’s make it a double brie pyramid with a goat’s cheese SPHINX on the side!
Dear heavens, you know how to make your not-so-secret admirers work for some Conor-lovin’, don’t you?
I shall create a double-brie pyramid with a goat’s cheese sphinx AND mini pharaohs made of gouda AND a baby moses made of roquefort.
SWISH.
I love your cheese description – already I need to get better acquainted with some high class goats cheese rather than then trailer park trash I usually hang out with – a fine lesson in goat’s cheese – all that was missing was a wallace and gromit reference – but if you keep on at the cheese and I hope you will – I am sure these cartoon folk will have to make an appearance
oops wallace and gromit are animation not cartoons – d’oh
I am a diehard Wallace and Gromit fan, so rest assured they will
Currently being pregnant and not able to eat that lovely gooey loveliness that I once adored…I would welcome the sweet torture of hearing about more of this wonderous stuff.
One question, have you ever eaten Stinking Bishop cheese? truley only for the stong of nose, but is total heaven!
Z
Hi Z! I haven’t had a Stinking Bishop, but it sounds utterly up my alley! The stinkier the better in my opinion
If you do want to read more of my ramblings on cheese, chocolate, and other yummy things, make sure to head over to where my blog is now housed, as I don’t update here anymore… head over to http://wayfaringchocolate.com Hope to see you there!