Ahoy, mateys! Greetings from my couch! Some of you may have heard about our overseas travels earlier this month. Well, the rumors are true, it happened. It was LEGIT. While pondering the last week or so about how to ‘blog about it,’ we were truly having a difficult time. As entertaining as it would have been to type out all of our journal entries from our trip, that would be personal, time consuming, and downright annoying. SO, being the cheese-minded person I am, I decided to compare each stop on our trip with a different type of cheese. Can you believe it? I can. We do plan on posting about each site with tips later (STAY TUNED!), but for now… let’s get cheesy…

Iceland Airport = Prairie Tomme

Brought to you by Weston’s own Green Dirt Farm, the Prairie Tomme is a great representation of the Iceland Airport. Never would I have thought to make Iceland a travel destination, but it is on my list now. Never would I want to take a chance on an ‘earthy sheep cheese,’ but bring it on. Iceland, like Prairie Tomme, is full of nature’s beauties. Mother nature does her craft, and we humans need to respect that craft and not interfere too much.

Munich, Germany = Parmigiano-Reggiano

Munich, Germany is FULL of history, people of all kinds, and beautiful sights. I chose to compare the beautiful city of München with Parmigiano-Reggiano because it is a tough city, and very important to the world we see today. In 1936, just outside of the Marienplatz, where a toy museum now stands, Kristallnacht took place. The beginning of the Nazi party, which eventually led to World War II, started 10 minutes from our AirBnB. SAY WHAT. We walked where that asshole HITLER WALKED?! Completely surreal. What a sicko. Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Parmesan, is a classic taste. It is an important cheese. Can you imagine pizza without parm? Pasta without parm? PARM WITHOUT PARM!? (Full disclosure, I have been known just to MUNCH ON SOME PARM. Even the fake stuff at a pizza joint.)

During World War II, 8 out of every 10 buildings in Munich were flattened. The people of München decided to rebuild exactly how it was, restoring the history and their roots. Parmesan is a tough cheese. Parmesan is a hard cheese, yet made with skim milk. Munich is tough, but its beautiful buildings make you feel as if you are in a fairytale.

Day trips from Munich are as easy as drinking beer in Munich (WAY TOO EASY). We took a trip out to Garmisch-Partenkirchen to see Germany’s highest point, the Zugspitze. From the top of Zugspitze, you can see the Alps of Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. We took another day trip to Salzburg, Austria. The homeland to Mozart and the Sound of Music. The trains are easy to use and a great way to see more of the land, so long as you can ignore the French couple FRENCHING THE ENTIRE RIDE TO GARMISCH (eye roll). Parmesan is like Munich in the fact that it goes with (to) everything (everywhere). Now don’t be one of those buttheads that’s all, “Yeah, it doesn’t go with, like, chocolate cookies, CATE.” My response, “Don’t knock it til you try it, yo.”

Copenhagen Airport = Squeeze Cheese

Energetic, quick, simple, and home of my first French Dog.

 

Milan, Italy = Feta

We were only in Milan for about 15 hours, but what we saw was beautiful! After spending far too long to find bus tickets (hint: anywhere you see a T outside, you can get a bus ticket), we reached Mila from Milan at our AirBnB. We grabbed a quick pizza dinner (duh) and headed back to shower and sleep!

Milan is like Feta because if it is your jam, IT IS YOUR JAM. Feta looks good, just like the fashion capitol of the world, and is a pretty straightforward cheese. You get what you get with Milan, and with Feta.

Cinque Terre, Italy = Mozzarella di Bufala

Cinque Terre. Where can I even begin? It. Was. Enchanted. Cinque Terre has the perfect combination of history, food, ocean, and hiking. Why did I pair it with Mozzarella di Bufala? BECAUSE THEY ARE BOTH MAGICAL AND I WONDER IF THEY ARE BOTH EVEN A REAL THING BECAUSE FEELING/TASTING/SEEING SOMETHING THAT GOOD CAN’T BE HEALTHY. Here is a lil’ background on Cinque Terre…

Cinque Terre (“Five Lands”) is a collection of five towns off the northwestern coast of Italy. From north to south, there is Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia (our homebase), Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Like I mentioned earlier, we will go into more depth of all of the locations we visited, but all you need to know about Cinque Terre is that it is known for their white wine, lemons, anchovies, and DOPE VIEWS. Each of the five towns has its own ‘thang’ whether it be a beach, a castle, or a “feel”. There are trails and trains that connect the five towns, with ma and pa restaurants, wine bars, and shops.

The first time I had a true fresh ball of Mozzarella di Bufala was actually in Pompeii, but the moment it hit my lips, I knew it was the most beautiful cheese I had ever eaten. Made from the milk of a water buffalo, this cheese is not only sweet and soft, it is nutritious with only 21% fat. Easily digestible AND delicious? SERIOUSLY, HOW DO YOU EVEN EXIST?!

Pompeii, Italy = Bleu de Chévre

When you hear the word ‘Pompeii,’ you probably think of the ruins from the infamous Mt. Vesuvius. We did too. The ruins were absurdly amazing, and yet very chilling. I didn’t realize the SIZE of the town. It was a legit small town with streets, gutters, and community baths. Mount Vesuvius was phenomenal and ALSO fairly chilling. The steam vents were still steaming and it took me a while to realize I WAS ON THE TOP OF A FREAKING VOLCANO. I still can’t really believe I was there.

I chose to compare the city of Pompeii with the Bleu de Chévre because… it isn’t for everyone. Bleu de Chévre is made from goat’s milk, while most bleus are made of cow’s milk. The goat’s milk is then mixed with the starter penicillin culture. The magic happens, and you’ve got Bleu de Chévre. Goat cheese is hit or miss with some people, as is bleu cheese. Pompei was beautiful, seeing the sights, but the city itself was not for us. It was busy, dirty, and naggy (referring to the tourist companies and restaurateurs pestering for our attention). Once we saw it, we got our fill. Once you try Bleu de Chévre, you’ll get your fill and, chances are, you won’t need to go back to get more.

Rome, Italy = Cheddar Cheese

Rome was fantastic. While touristy, there were so many things to do, you never felt overwhelmed by the magnitude of the city’s sights. We stayed down the street from the Colosseum, right in the heart of the history. There is ALWAYS something to do in Rome, something to see, something to eat, you name it. Rome is the birth of so many present day ideas such as concrete, water systems, and SPORTING ARENAS. One other little possible unknown fact is that cheddar cheese MAY have started in ROMA, ITALIA?! SAY WHAT!? 

Cheddar cheese has been traced back to the Romans, but it was not yet named ‘cheddar’ until the 16th century in Somerset, England. Cheddar cheese is the real deal. It is the basic. If you ain’t lactose intolerant, you most likely enjoy cheddar cheese. Everyone loves cheddar cheese, It is a STAPLE ITEM IN EVERY FRIDGE. Think of all of the renditions of cheddar cheese.. Just think about them. Sharp Cheddar, Blueberry Cheddar, Bacon Cheddar, Garlic Cheddar, SRIRACHA CHEDDAR (WHAT). They all stem from the beautiful masterpiece that is cheddar cheese. Without cheddar, without Rome, we wouldn’t have a lot of the things we have today.

So that’s that. Stay tuned for more details about each locations, our do’s and don’ts, and our eats and don’t eats.

-C

 

So today was a regular old Monday. My week’s end was packed with old friends, new friends, a cold morning cheering to those admirable fools on Ward Parkway, and a Royals game. Needless to say, I got absolutely zero things checked off my actual ‘to-do’ list. Monday came without a warning saying, “Wake up biznatch, I’m bringing my A game.” That it did. Woke up with a sore-ish throat, Olive Garden pasta party for my students (shout out to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Student Series), recess duty– the works. I call my kärlek named Derek and say, “Ya know what, let’s meet at Ikea after work. I’ve got a few things to grab.” I knew he was hooked. The man cannot say no to Ikea. Nor can I.

By some grace of a monetary-conscious higher power, we checked out with only the items on my list. Say what? Let me break down our love for Ikea for you beautiful readers. Ikea opened in Merriam in September 2013. We moved out of an apartment into our house Halloween 2013.

“OMG LET’S FURNISH EVERYTHING. MODERN. CLEAN. WALLS. STORAGE. LIGHTING. EUROPEAN. CHEAP. MEATBALLS. STOCKHOLM LINE. SO SIMPLE. $.99 BREAKFAST. HOLY. YAS. IKEUH HUH!”

I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been to Ikea since. I honestly can’t. If I had to guess, I’d say probably in the 20s. We know the ins and outs. The shortcuts, the new items, new locations of old items, everything. You will never, however, find us there on the weekend. And you will never see just one of us there. It is a team effort. It is like Netflix cheating, but probably worse.

So anyway. I mentioned earlier how we checked out with only the items of our list…but that’s not…entirely..accurate. As I’m finalizing my purchases, I suggest something along the lines of grabbing some cheese to review. I meet him at the cheese fridge and we talk it over. The selection wasn’t much, but it was doable. This was happening– I walked back to the cashier with a grin on my face- poor thing didn’t know what the hail was going on, but that’s okay. It was cheesin’ time. We choose the Herrgårdost, Prästost, and the Knäckebröd Flerkorn (AKA multigrain crispbread).

When you go to Ikea, you are probably looking for some housewares, something for storage, a cute vase to put those weird decorative balls inside of– crap like that, right? I have a new challenge for you: food. If nothing else, at least go in for their $.99 breakfast in the morning. Their food really isn’t that bad- in fact…it’s fantastiskt! So I had high hopes for our cheesy snack.

We’ll start off with ‘setting the mood.’ Now, get your mind of the gutter. I believe that all eating settings, especially those that involve cheese, need to be well thought out. Mondays at our house are “Hip Hop Mondays.” We listen to hip hop of all kinds, it is as simple as that. It is a great way to finish Day 1 of the work grind. I recommend it, and you can listen to the playlist here. The candle from Central Candle Co. is lit, the dog has a bone to play with. My cheese book is open with a pen and paper for notes. There, the mood has been set. First up, Herrgårdost.

This cheese is a buttery Swiss-like cheese. It is the drier cheese of the two and tastes like a combination of Swiss and a mild cheddar. The package gave it 4/5 strength dots, but I’d disagree. The flavor wasn’t POW like other white semi-soft cheese. I’d give it 2/5 strength dots. This cheese has smaller and fewer holes than Swiss. I took the cheese without bread first, then tried it with the crispbread. I didn’t mind this cheese, but is isn’t one that I would hang out around on a Saturday night unless I’m a few glasses of cab deep. I’m also not the wild about Swiss either, so that is something to consider. According to my trusty World Cheese Book by Juliet Harbutt, Herrgårdost cheese was created in the 20th century as an alternative to Gruyére cheese. It is recommended to be paired with a fruity white wine and tangy fruit.

Before I move forward with the second cheese, I’d like to make a shout out to the Knäckebröd Flerkorn crispbread. Although the crisps come in large circles, they are easy to break apart and are just the right amount of crisp. Not too crispy that you bite into it and it falls all over your plate. This bread provides the perfect balance for these two semi-soft cheeses.

And now for Prästost!

This cheese is GOOD. Without the crispbread, I got a MAJOR Havarti vibe from this cheese. Which in Cate world, that’s the good stuff. It even as the same creamy white look with little tiny holes throughout. This is a much sharper cheese than the Herrgårdost, but I don’t feel it deserves the 4/5 strength dots. I feel it is more of a 3/5. This is a stronger smelling, creamy and moist semi-soft cheese. After I slapped it onto the crispbread, DAMN. This Monday was turning around. The next date for me and Prästost involves two slices of sourdough bread and my stove top… YA FEEL ME? I have a strong inkling that this cheese will melt like my heart when I see puppies playing with newborn babies.

According to my World Cheese Book, Prästost means “priest cheese.” This cheese was created in the 16th century when farmers needed to pay a tithe to the church in the form of goods, often milk. HISTORY + CHEESE = Seriously some of my all time favorite things. This cheese pairs well with soups, and fruity red wines. I try my best to NOT drink during the week (unless its Wednesday and I’m with my frands, of course), but we shared a small class of Pinot Noir (that was all our Bota Box had to offer) and it was a match made in heaven. I feel this cheese would go superbly with red sangria on a patio on a beautiful spring dusk.

So, readers, friends, martians. Ikea has done it again. Next time you are in buying a laundry basket and/or some legit lamp, head on over to the Swedish market. It’s amazing how some cheese, good company, and hip hop can turn a very Mondayish Monday around. Until next time, keep cheesin’ y’all.

-C

So I know you’re thinking, Gouda Life, the big day of love and romance is coming up and I need your help! What do I get my lover of cheese and holder of my heart? 

Well, you are in luck. Because I’m about to tell fill you in on a secret. For starters, I am a cheese lover, so I know what (most) cheese lovers want. I look at loving cheese on a spectrum. I, for instance, am on the far end of the spectrum. Not completely obsessed-on-the-verge-of-consuming-my entire-life, but I’m towards that end. Take this list and really think about the person you’re looking to swoon. Tweak some things if you see fit. These are just my recommendations to get you started.

I ask that you just keep in mind that this is a list focused around the whole day. To perfect the cheesy Valentine’s Day, it needs to be a complete experience. From the smells, the sounds, the feels, and the tastes. Alright, are you ready? Hold on to ya’ butts…

1. Hand Held Cheese Slicer. I am always a fan of the fanciest cheese knives a girl can use (see number 4 on this list), but sometimes, I just want the perfect width of cheese of my choosing. As much as I’d like to say I’m a fan of the marble slicers with the handle and the wire attached, I’m not. From my personal experience, the wire only lasts about 3/4 of a brick of cheese before it needs to be replaced. Do they look cool? Absolutely. Do they work on the majority of cheese? No way. Is replacing the wire a pain in the butt? You bet your bottom dollar it is. I recommend a slicer similar to the Norpro Adjustable Cheese Slicer ($9.20 at Jet.com). This cheese slicer allows YOU to make the decision on how thick of a slice you’re looking far. Handheld, high quality, hard-cheese approved.
   

   Check yo’self before you wreck yo’self.

2. Wine Wipes. This is one of those things that I wonder, why the hell didn’t I think of this?! My answer to myself would be, Well, Cate. You didn’t truly enjoy a glass of red wine until about a year ago when you decided to become a semi-grown up. ANYWAY, I honestly haven’t used these yet myself, but how could they go wrong? No one likes wine teeth. If anyone tells you it’s sexy, they are lying to you. You can order all sorts of these bad boys online from WineWipes.com or at your local winery. (KC peeps, Cellar Rat has ’em!)
   

   Crack is not an actual ingredient in these crackers.

3. Snacks to Accompany Your Cheese. Of course the cheese is the Beyoncé of the evening, but why not step up the background dancer game? Nuts are always a good choice. Almonds are my personal favorite, but walnuts are a good go-to as well. Crackers or thin bread will add a unique texture to your platter. I’m mildly obsessed with what I always use to call Crack Crackers, but actually they are Crunchmaster Multi-Seed Crackers. They add the perfect crunch to your cheese arrangement. My only warning is to NOT go overboard with flavors. Don’t overpower your Beyoncé, the queen doesn’t appreciate it. Other suggestions are of course, fruit. I’m not a fig girl, personally, but people say figs are where it’s at. I’m a simple cheese woman. Crisp red apples and BIG green grapes are my favorites.
   

   Aren’t they beautiful?

4. Cheese Knives With a Story. Anyone who is anyone can waltz on down to Bed Bath and Beyond, use their 20% coupon, and get you a lovely set of cheese knives. I get it, I’ve done it. It’s a useful gift. But if you really want to woo your partner, take it to the next level. My husband found some pretty LEGIT cheese accessories from our (hopefully future) friends at Brooklyn Slate Co. They are a pretty sweet duo with a cool story and they make some LEGIT things. I would do some questionable things to get my hands on the Cheese Knife Essential Kit. (Just kidding, Mom, no I wouldn’t… I’ll just put them on my Christmas list…)
   

   Your nose won’t know what to do.

5. WoodWick Candle. You need to SPECIFICALLY get a WoodWick. They look good, sound good, and by golly do they smell good. I recommend the Sand and Driftwood or the Bonefire. DAYUM.
   

   Our set up.

6. Record Player. Girl! You must be outside yo’ mind! At times, but I think it is essential in the perfect Valentine’s evening. We have recently become record player snobs and I think I ‘get it’ now. We’ve got ourselves an Audio-Technica AT-LP60 and it makes for some smooooothhh jammmmsss. Not too expensive, and does a damn good job. We’ve just started our record collection, but whatever you two love birds are in to, DO IT. We’ve been between Ray Charles and Minus the Bear.
   

   Treat yo’self.

7. Cheese. Of course! How ever much or little you want. Try out a new cheese together. Get recommendations from your local cheese shop. Whatever cheese you get, enjoy it with the one you love.

That’s all I’ve got. May you and yours grow ‘mold’ together and enjoy this Valentine’s Day!

-C