The Spanish say queso.
The French say fromage.
I say cheese and more of it, please!
This special feature follows a cheese-driven girl on her journey to try all of the sweet, creamy, sharp, stinky and spicy cheeses the world is lucky to devour. I’m the friend who is constantly tagged in those cheese memes on Facebook about drowning in grated cheese when the waiter/waitress asks you to “say when.” In queso emergency, just say cheese!
So, this month I lucked out and received a shipment of five different cheeses from Cheeselandia. I know what you’re thinking … this is Nicole’s heaven – and you’re totally right. It all came to be when Facebook tailored its ads to my cheese-filled obsession and very creepily read my thoughts. An ad popped up on my newsfeed to apply to be a host of a cheese party, and I used this infamous column to help my application move along.
I’d be lying if I said I remained calm when I found out I was selected to be a host for my favorite kind of party. I’m pretty sure I screamed with joy when the email came through. Now, I had to find anywhere between seven to 10 people to enjoy the cheese Cheeselandia would send me. I selected my party date and quickly realized that none of my friends could match their schedules with mine, so next thing I knew, I was supplying cheese to the staff at Nonahood News, whether they liked it or not. [Editor’s note: We loved it, Nicole!!] My cheese obsession is extremely well-known in the office, usually resulting in some sort of *cheesy* joke or a, “Hey Nicole, look! They have a cheese board!” kind of thing, but they couldn’t escape this party … I wouldn’t allow it.
And when I say Cheeselandia pulled out all of the stops for this cheese party, I feel like it’s an understatement. I was sent a GIANT box containing a beautiful wood cheese board, crackers, cheese paper, and napkins to help set up for my sponsored party. A few days before the day of the party arrived, my shipment of cheese came in and I was blown away.
I had no idea I’d be receiving five BLOCKS of cheese! My heaven was beginning to look better and better. Read about the five different types of cheese below.
Uplands Cheese Pleasant Ridge Reserve: Out of the five cheeses, this was my least favorite. I’m a tad bit upset to say I think I’ve finally discovered a cheese I did not like. My streak is over … this cheese is described to have a rich and fruity finish. It pairs well with Chardonnay, Belgian Ales, pickled fruits, caramelized and roasted onions, a bit of honey, and veggies. “Pleasant Ridge is the most-awarded cheese in American history, having won Best of Show in the American Cheese Society annual competition three times (2001, 2005 and 2010), and having also won the U.S. Cheese Championships in 2003,” according to the Uplands Cheese website (uplandscheese.com).
Marieke Gouda Foenegreek: This gouda was delicious! With the nutty and slightly sweet flavors, it reminded me of maple syrup. It’s a bit difficult to rank the cheeses because I LOVED four out of five of them, but I’d say this was a second or third place cheese at the party. It pairs well with an Old Fashioned, toasted almonds, and a dark rum or amber beer, as well as milk or dark chocolate. Marieke Gouda is also an award-winning cheese, including winning the 2012 and 2015 American Cheese Society, the 2007 and 2013 U.S Cheese Championship, among a handful of others. Since it’s on the sweeter side, you can classify eating this gouda as satisfying your sweet tooth (to an extent)!
Widmer’s Four Year Aged Cheddar: This cheddar was a crowd pleaser with its crystalized salt throughout, taking the flavor that much further. The rich and nutty flavor in this sharp cheddar pairs well with brown ales, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, candied orange peels and fruit pastes (like cherry, pear or plum). This cheddar was a blue-ribbon winner at the American Cheese Society Awards.
Sartori Black Pepper BellaVitano: This cheese was BY FAR the crowd favorite and my favorite, too! This BellaVitano was creamy, but also rich and nutty, and the touch of pepper added some spunk to what some might categorize as a plain cheese. This cheese pairs well with dried nuts, roast beef, and artisan bread. For drinks, pair with a Chianti or Chardonnay, or if beer is more your style, a Pale Ale. This is also an award-winning cheese, with too many to list, but here are only a few: Gold Medal at the 2009, 2016, 2017, and 2018 World Cheese Awards, second place at the 2018 World Championship Cheese Contest, the Grand Champion at the 2017 World Dairy Expo and also at the 2017 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.
Roth Buttermilk Blue: This blue cheese is crafted with raw milk from Holstein and Jersey cows. To achieve the creamiest taste and texture as possible, it’s cellar-aged for two-plus months. The flavor is tangy but mellow, bold, yet restrained, and pairs well with figs, pears, dates and dark chocolate. As most blues, drizzling honey on it will be an explosion of flavor for your taste buds. This cheese also pairs well with dark beer, Riesling and gin. This, too, is an award-winning cheese: second place at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in both 2013 and 2017, Bronze in the 2016 World Cheese Awards, Best of Class in 2014’s World Championship Cheese Contest, and second place at the 2013 Wisconsin State Fair. If you’re a fan of blue cheese, this is a must!
All in all, I’m still craving more cheese and I can’t wait to host another cheese party, hopefully with wine this time! If anyone has plans to host a cheese party of their own anytime soon, feel free to invite your favorite “amateur” cheese connoisseur. Here’s to 2019 and all of the varieties of cheese to try!
New year, new cheese (aka new and happier me)!
Is this article too cheesy? DEFINITELY. Send me your favorite cheese meme or joke to nicole@nonahoodnews.com and let me know your thoughts on your favorite cheese-filled meals! Is anybody else hungry all of a sudden?
