why cheese is great - or 'just one cheese'

Jigna's post about supper clubs has inspired me to do another 'why *** is great' post.  CHEESE is brilliant.  NO really stop and imagine a life without cheese.  There are so many different kinds of cheese, unique and different and yummy, can be eaten by themselves, with bread, biscuits, crackers, as part of a main meal, starter or dessert, paired with fruit nuts chocolate and booze. its brilliant.

Now ask yourself this question:

If you could only eat one kind of cheese for the rest of your life, which cheese would you pick and why?

I ask this as it is something I have often discussed with many of my friends, and everyone has a different answer....

some say Mature Cheddar - cos its so versatile, melt it, sandwiches, etc

someone said Hallumi / Helim - because its salty goodness is unrivalled

another person said Stilton - just cos its a fave

someone I know said they couldn't live without feta

I think I'd go with Camembert - gooey ripe and perfect.  But it would be an incredibly difficult decision really cos I LOVE all cheese.

I have been surprised by some people saying they'd pick Parmesan (parmigiana), smoked cheese, Boursin, Edam, Gorgonzola, mozzarella - but there is of course so much choice and people all have different favourites!  

It is getting wintery and cold here in London and perfect cheese and biscuits weather  - my favourite right now is some Stilton, Brie and Port Salut with a yummy glass of red wine or port. Delicious, I am so glad I don't have to pick just one cheese!   This year I am going to get cheese from neal's yard  at  Christmas - I am really looking forward to it!!

Books 2010 - Five books in Two weeks

in the last fortnight i have read five books - that's what being at home and not able to do much does to you!

Amitav Ghosh - The Hungry Tide
A book I kept hoping would get better as I read on - alas it did not. A shame really as I have enjoyed other books by this author.

Christopher Brookmyre - A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil
Funny in a dark kind of way - I have never read any Brookmyre, I probably will look out his books again in the future but it wasn't a 'wow' book, just an intriguing, funny book that kept you guessing till the end.

Kate Morten - The Forgotten Garden
This was a book Jigna mentioned that she had read at a book club and I might like - she described it as ' a bit like A Suitable Boy so of course I had to give it a go.  It is like A suitable boy, but only in the sense it is written form the points of view of 3 women from different generations of the same family.  I liked it, it was a real page turner, but I am not sure I'd read it again.

Sarah Waters - The Night Watch
I have heard people mention this book before, so was pleased a friend brought it round and lent it to me. It was good - bleak and sad and heartbreaking, brilliantly written. Gives the reader a feeling for how so many different women were effected by the second world war.

Neil Gaiman - The Graveyard
This was a gift from a friend who went into a shop and said 'what books can you recommend for someone who likes Terry Pratchett' - how lovely!  Its a childrens book and its fantastic - this video shows some of the lovely illustrations in the book and gives an outline of it the story.

Supper clubs

Picture credit: 

http://dublinbusdisco.blogspot.com/2009/06/

neal-schtumm-guestmixes-for-dancing.html

-stay-healthy/

Traditionally Supper Clubs have different meanings according to where and when in the world you are, at least according to Wikipedia . We went to a “Supper Club” last month, hosted by the fabulous: Light Bulb Oven. The modern take on a “Supper Club” where a professional chef cooks and entertains guests at a private residence or space, there is a “donation” but it is not a restaurant and it is not permanent, the menu, location and times vary, chefs get to experiment and show off their skills without having to make a long term investment in a restaurant and the guests get to chow down on a yummy feast hopefully amidst great company too. The concept has become hugely popular in major cities, across the US. When I mentioned to Dhara that we were planning on attending a Supper Club, she was excited, apparently it is becoming popular in London too, and so a promise was made that we would try to go to one next time we are home. It is a strange concept, part private dinner party, with people you do not necessarily know, and part restaurant, a strange hybrid. We have to admit we were a little nervous going to spend a precious Saturday evening with strangers. We have experienced pretentious foodies in the past and so we were a little wary. But we had committed so we went along and we are so glad we did. The feast was indeed fabulous and we did indeed luck out on the seating as we ended up sat with the host and her friends, who were lovely and we look forward to seeing much more of them all! The chef was brilliant and she taught us how to present a cheese plate. Your cheese plate is set out like a clock face and you start with the mildest at 6pm and then onwards around clockwise ending with your strongest, which is usually the blue, in between the cheese you have the pair-ings, grapes etc. The chef had paired a blue cheese with dark chocolate which sounds weird, but is really good. Love cheese! Our first Supper Club was a very satisfactory culinary experience.

Picture credit: http://www.wdexpo.org/2010/05/28/eat-cheese-stay-healthy/