Cheese is something you either like or you don’t. When I was a little girl my knowledge of cheese was limited to that waxy yellowish orange stuff that came wrapped in individual slices. Then I discovered cheddar cheese but it too was that same color. Time marched on and there were things like Velveeta (I just heard some of you cheese connoisseurs cringe; calm yourselves) pimento cheese, cream cheese, and that funny stuff in a spray can which was more fun than truly edible.
But once I was out of college and began to travel more I discovered there was a lot of cheese making going on out there in the world. Some of it was fantastic (Gouda, Brie, Manchego) and some of it was just why in the world would anyone make this let alone eat it – I’m looking at you Limburger and that really bad chunk of Stilton I had once. Actually, that Stilton was just one bad slice from a shop that I never went back to. I’ve since had some that while it is still not my favorite it wasn’t too bad.
This photo was taken in 2012 in the Grand Central Station market in New York. I’ve been meaning to go back and photograph the market again but there is just so much to see and do in NYC that it hasn’t happened – yet! Looking at the prices then I was shocked and I don’t even want to imagine what they are now. Why are these cheeses so expensive? Any ideas? Some nice crusty bread and a chunk of that Drunken Goat and some fruit along with a bottle of what got the goat tipsy sounds like a great luncheon plan for the weekend.
(Back to PT today…sigh)
Images by T.Dashfield Photography 
Great post! I hope PT is getting better for you!
Now, I’m no cheese connoisseur, mind you, but I will have to say that when I was in the military, Mac-n-Cheese saved my life! Hey! At 25 cents a box, you had to survive some how. I was only making like $400 a month! :^)
Hey! That and ramen packages have saved many a struggling student/ military person. PT seems to be causing more pain than alleviating it but that could be the way it has to go…I dunno.
We were in queso heaven in Spain, had fits of ecstasy over the formaggio in Italy, and we experienced formage paradise in France. We can get a few of the cheeses we got in Spain, Italy and France out here in the wild west, but not the really strong, aged cheeses from all three countires or wicked, spicy breis like we found in France (I never liked brie until I had some of the local varieties in France). We do get nice, old and very sharp white cheddars, and some wonderful local goat cheeses, but for the most part the variety of cheeses I’m really interested in are not available. Although I discovered recently that
BTW only a few balloons flew today, and the only ones that came near the house were to ones that launched from the property next door. The cats were rioting all morning — I’m wondering if it may be because we didn’t have hundreds of balloons floating over the house for them to watch.
I think it’s because over there they use raw milk and that is a no no here. DH swears it makes all the difference in the world. Sounds like you had a gourmets tour of yumminess!
Raw milk probably does make a difference, but there’s also age old traditions for making cheeses in Europe that we don’t have out here, in NM anyway. The Spanish came to New Mexico in the 1500’s, but they apparently were not able to make the same cheeses that they did in Spain. We don’t have any local cheeses that are even close to Manchego or other Spanish cheeses. So tt’s not just the raw milk in our part of the country.
Although, Southwest Cheese in Clovis, NM is the world’s largest producer of cheese and milk products. It produces 30 tons of cheese a day.
The raw milk definitely makes a difference but that’s a lotta cheese in Clovis.! But yes, they’ve been making cheeses in the old country far longer than we have here.
We can get raw milk here, but the producers have to be really careful. The feds go ballistic if the sell across county lines, and if they sell across state lines they might as well step in front of a firing squad.
When I was a kid my mom would pile us into the car and drive to the dairy where we bought raw milk and fresh eggs. My grandma would skim the fat off the top and we would make butter. It was fun.
I still have a scar from when I fell on a milk crate and got cut by one of the metal corners that stuck up about an inch to keep the crates together when they stacked them.
My mom swore by fresh raw milk and well water. The eggs from farms then were just so richer looking and made the best cakes.
We still have well water.
Now I have to view the M Python cheese shop sketch…
OMG! I had forgotten about that one 🙂
I hope you get a hardy laugh from it 🙂
Loved it and of course the dead parrot, fish slapping dance, argument…and on and on.
I am not a cheese snob but I love a good cheese with wine.
And fruit and some crackers…oh yeah!
definitely and hot sauce!
I love a good cheese, I wish I knew more about the different types though! Love the photo!
http://roadesque.com
http://ourruins.com
There should be something on the web that should guide you. I had a chart once but lost it.
I’ve no idea why cheese is so expensive, Teri. I do know that last year, seeing those wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano in the shops in Italy, made me consider taking up smuggling.
You have not been the only one to feel like that 😉
Drunken Goat… That’s my kind of cheese.
Works for me too!