Anyone else dream about wheels of cheese - or is that just me?
Today I've been reading and enjoying, "The Complete Book of Cheese" by Bob Brown. I am particularly enamored by "Sixty-five Sizzling Rabbits" and a list of cheese sandwiches that would intimidate all but the most cheese-obsessed. Perhaps most amusing is the language. For example, the "He-man Sandwich" recipe directs readers to, "Butter a thick slice of dark rye bread, cover with a layer of mashed cold baked beans and a slice of ham, then one of Swiss cheese and a wheel of Bermuda onion topped with mustard and a sowing of capers." Sowing is a much better word for sprinkling, don't you think?
My bed-time reading for the last few days has been, "The Cheeses & Wines of England & France with Notes on Irish Whiskey" by John Ehle. It's been most pleasurable. It is, "a genial guide to making cheeses and wines at home, plus history, anecdotes and other interesting lore about two of man's oldest crafts." In the introduction the author writes, "Our best - the local and individual and traditional - is being battered down and strewn about by mass production and mass merchandising ... Isn't it a pity that out of our potentially rich diversity comes such protected sameness?"
Word.
What I find stunning, is that the book was first published in 1972, completely predating the current Artisanal resurgence in cheese and wine craft (and baking, my other love).
Yesterday a friend asked me what food I would select if I lived in Hypothetical Land (a magical land with no scurvy or other vitamin deficiencies) and could only eat one food for the rest of my life. Without pause I replied, "cheese." Of course, if I lived in Even Better Hypothetical Land, I'd be able to add bread, fruit and relishes to that list.
Seriously, is there anything in this world better than a cheese toastie with some sort of chutney or relish on it and a scalding hot cup of tea? I don't think so. However, if you disagree with me, feel free to present your argument.
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