Mmm...cheese, runny, runny, cheese

I've been out of the loop when it comes to my virtual online blogging book club, but I just could not pass up a book about cheese.  This month's selection was "The Whole Fromage" - about a woman who travels though France in search of cheese. I really hated cheese as a kid, although I would eat melted mozzarella or jack cheese, but never cold, yuck. Could cheese get more mild than that?  I slowly expanded my palette, though, although I still am not a fan of the stinkiest cheese.  Give me some fresh blue cheese for my salad though, or a gooey triple-cream brie, or an sharp hard cheese with an apple and I am in heaven now. It's great that we can even get raw cheeses these days, which I think have some most excellent health benefits.  I really have no excuse not to eat good cheese, since what must be one of the world's best cheese shops (or this country's at least) is right down the street from me.


Cheese clearly lives in my genes, though, as one son practically lives on it.  He's more of a chedder/jack type (although he loved the french goat cheese I gave him), and is often the only protein he gets in a day.  My other son loves him some swiss, and they've both come to love brie.

So to motivate me to do my reading, I decided to have a little cheese (and wine of course) tasting, and headed over to the french fridge full of tasty dairy goodness.  I came home with a goat cheese, which France seems to be full of, with a pretty round fresh center.  A very ripe blue, a runny runny "brie-style" cheese (according to wikipedia description :) and a couple harder cheeses - even a local CA jack to round out the mix.

Of course one attendant was lactose intolerant, and did not believe my claim that raw cheese was ok.  She was a good sport and downed some sausages and vino.  If it was not for all the leftovers in my fridge, I'd be up for it again.

This post was inspired by The Whole Fromage by Kathe Lison, who traveled to France in search of its artisanal cheeses. Join From Left to Write on August 22 as we discuss The Whole Fromage.  As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.