Adventures in Cheese-buying

Cheese selection @ Market Cheese Store (Brooklyn, NY)

I got Halloumi, which is great to grill. Normally, I think of this cheese as a summer cheese, but I craved its saltiness.

We had it for breakfast on top of grips with a fried runny egg. We put slices of the cheese under the broiler and waited for it to get lightly crispy. The flavour of the cheese, egg and grits was amazing. Perfect to start a snow day with a long walk in Prospect Park and some vegan hot cocoa.

Cheese for the Soul

… the mind and the body.

By now we have all heard of the miracle cheese compresses that helped sky champion Lindsey Vonn to get gold in Vancouver.

Cottage cheese was credited with being the magical cure that Vonn used to heal her bruised chin. The whey, which is full of nutrients, is often credited in helping people get better from bruises, undernourishment and headaches. In Ireland, it is feed to pregnant women to help them recover nutrients passed-on to the unborned babies. Along with a pint of Guinness a week, the cheese diet is credited for healthy Irish babies.

Tomorrow, I will be taking my first PhD exam, a four-day marathon that will test my knowledge of American politics. So, I been preparing for over five months and yesterday I went out to buy the cheeses that will nourish me over this weekend.

In thinking what cheeses will be able to help, I imagined the different moods that I will go through. I guess, I will be anxious, bored, tired and finally excited to be done.

The cheeses that I chose, I hope, will help me in each stage. For the anxiety before I get the exam, I got Cherry Glen – Monacacy Ash. This goaty drum will be great for snacking with crusty bread and pass the time. Once, I get the exam and after a couple of hours of intense writing I will be bored of the questions and the exam. For this stage I got a piece of Quesillo from Oaxaca to shred in thin pieces and think of the responses for the difficult questions. I also hope the chewiness of it, will distract me and give me the badly needed break from writing.

By day three of the marathon, I will be tired, so I’m guessing I will need something sharp to bring me back to life. This time I went for a Mahon Curado, which is super salty right now and I hope will do the trick. Finally, I will be done and with a little bit of luck I would have turn in a good exam. I will need nourishment and a celebration, so I got Winnimere. This beauty from Jasper Hill Farms is perfectly ripped right now. It is oozy and creamy at the center, the rind melts in your mouth and you get a feeling of completeness when eating it. I hope to pair this with bubble wine, maybe a light Lambrusco and toast to the rest of my academic career.

For now, back to the books and the studying. Wish me luck.

Did you know?

Cheese is a source of vitamin B12, which helps you produce red blood cells.

I found this "Cheese Fondue Blend" at Murray's Cheese the other day, it has Gruyere and Emmentaler, and ask to "just add wine." (make sure is white wine)

I'm not an advocate of prepackage foods, but this is a good alternative to make a quick foundue. Just remember that a lot of moisture is lost when cheese is precut, making it dry and stale. The same applies to Parmeggiano Romano. If you can, buy a freshly cut piece from your local cheesemonger and consider about 200gms (7 ounces) per person.

Enjoy.