SC - herb cheese

[Mike C. Baker]

- ---"Yeldham, Caroline S" <csy20688 at GlaxoWellcome.co.uk> wrote:
> BTW I had a look in Stefan's Floregium in the cheese sections,
> and noticed there was no mention of the 'crumbly' cheeses which
> are common here in the UK, such as Wensleydale, Lancashire and
> Cheshire cheeses.  As 'cheddared' cheeses are OOP for me, these
> are the type I use commonly as replacements. They are keeping
> cheeses, but have a soft, crumbly texture closer to curd
> texture, usually white in colour.  Double Gloucester is much
> closer to cheddar in texture than these cheese (and I speak
> as someone from Gloucester!).  I'm puzzled about this, don't
> you have them in the States?

 Caroline,
While we might have the "crumblies" that you note, they are usually
available only as highly-priced imports, home-made reproductions, or
possibly via health-food stores (and similarly higher in cost).

I will admit to having far to go in improving my cheese education,
but as of a few years ago was considered daring if not questionable
in taste & mental capacity for trying bleu & some of the "exootic"
cheeses.  Things have in general gotten better with both SCA and
"general" audiences, but not enough to move prices down by much. 

Availability of new-old cheeses has improved in north-central Texas
with the increasing popularity of deli sections in supermarkets.
Before that, for Oklahoma and Texas a trip to Hickory Farms, a few
gourmet specialty stores, and some of the ethnic groceries were the
best bets for anything beyond "processed cheese food slices",
cheddar of various types, "swiss", monterrey jack, provolone, gouda,
and pre-grated parmesan / blends. 

I try to encourage the move toward wider variety by buying "unusual"
offerings when I find them, but price is still a major factor for
even the discretionary budget shopping that I reserve for SCA
occasions.

Only recently I found an Italian grocery in eastern Oklahoma that
carries purportedly traditional cheeses I'd not even heard of
before. I *think* the one I particularly enjoyed (whose name escapes
my brain at this moment) was NOT "cheddared", based upon the
distinctive shape and texture introduced by hanging. At more than
8USD per pound (approx 18USD per kilo), and with block mild cheddar
/ colby / longhorn available around 2.39USD per pound, still not
something I can get often. (Even without a hundred mile one-way
drive to Krebs, OK -- I'm told they've opened a branch store in
North Dallas, gonna have to check it out!)

===
Adios -- Amra / Pax ... Kihe / TTFN -- Mike
(al-Sayyid) Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri al-Amra  /
Kihe Blackeagle (the Dreamsinger Bard) / 
Mike C. Baker: My opinions are my own -- no one else would want them!
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/8661
Alt. e-mail: KiheBard at aol.com, MikeCBaker at aol.com

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