for the love of cheese

Cheese, one of my favorite foods,

may be more like a life style!

I know, it is a French thing,

with bread and wine,

we will talk about those some other day!

They are required to enjoy cheese perfectly!

No crackers here!

So on my olive wood cheese tray,

I have Camembert, Roquefort and Comte.

They are all French cheese, purchased at Costco.

(also available at Whole Foods, and some Krogers)

All of them have strong personality,

not mild but not so overpowering that

you cannot enjoy them.

All of the names of the cheese come from their location,

usually their town, or region.

Camembert is from Normandie,

the one in the picture is more specifically from Isigny.

It is made of raw milk and is strong.

If you are interested in purchasing such a cheese,

check the date as it is alive,

and will get stronger with time.

I would recommend to eat it 2-3 weeks

before the date on the back.

I personally do not eat the skin ( the white crust) of camembert

or brie (the Costco Brie is also quite good).

It is best to let it warm up to room temperature,

it will have a tendency to escape....

it will reach full flavor!

Roquefort is from Roquefort,

on the Causse du Larzac in Aveyron (south of France)

It is a sheep milk cheese with "noble" mold.

There are many different "brands".

with Papillon being one of the most expensive one.

This one is a simple Roquefort.

Because of the cost of Roquefort,

a good alternative is the Bleu d'Auvergne.

It is also milder and creamier.

But nothing can replace Roquefort.

It is wonderful with pear.

Comte is from Franche-Comte, eastern region of France.

It is also called Gruyere de Comte.

Gruyere is what we call here Swiss cheese.

It is stronger and has a fruit flavor.

It is easy to eat and very enjoyable.

With such cheeses, it is important to know how strong each cheese is,

so that an order can be established:

starting from the mildest to the strongest,

making it possible to enjoy all of them!

After all, it would be a shame to not try them all!

So I would say first Comte, then Camambert, then Roquefort.

But it always depends on the cheese.

So only one way: pass the baguette,

and let's try and try some more,

more wine please!

all together: a perfect plate!

Bon appetit!

Happy day!