Cheese, oh, cheese, where have you been?

[emilycat]

Self-professed bleu cheese lovers must check out this page -- really concise and informative. Yum. More cheeses to try :D
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/bluecheese.html

[SandyM]

Okay off to Whole Foods I go. Got lots of learning to do. I'm such a rookie.

Thanks Emily.

[This message has been edited by SandyM (edited 05-30-2001).]

[emilycat]

Sorry for the silly title, but I'm still reveling in the ecstasy of the German Champignon Montagnola I bought at Whole Foods the other day. Oh, my gosh, is it good. This is positively the most divine, creamy, sinfully delicious bleu cheese I've ever tasted. How have I missed it until now?

[Grace]

Man, you people are killing me. I've never been a "keep up with the Jones'" sort of person until this board!!! It started with pomegranate molasses, moved onto cheesemaking kits, and now it's Drunken Goat Cheese and Champignon Montagnola!!!!!!! You guys are killing me.... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif Back to Whole Foods I go!!

[SandyM]

I had no idea there were so many kinds of bleu cheese. And I'm a self-professed bleu cheese lover/Maytag devotee. I thought Maytag was the best??? I know it's all relative, but I really thought that was the creme de la creme????

Oh boy..........

[emilycat]

I just have to add another discovery to this -- the other day I bought from Harry's a chunk of St. Agur -- ohmygosh; this may be my favorite bleu to date. It's another relatively mild, sinfully creamy variety from France; the flavor is absolutely incredible. I bought it to go in a dish I plucked from Epicurious -- Farfalle with Roasted Shallots and Asparagus, which was a truly wonderful dish (with a couple alterations, of course ;) ). The flavors all meld beautifully and it's quite easy to put together. It'll be one of those dishes I do repeatedly because I don't need the recipe to make it.

[SClementson]

Emilycat, I'm not a huge bleu cheese fan, but that recipe you found on Epicurious (Farfalle with Asparagus, Roasted Shallots and Bleu Cheese ) looks fantastic and I want to try it when my husband goes out of town in a couple of weeks (he can't stand even the mere whisper of bleu cheese flavor!). Can you recommend a creamy, mild bleu cheese-like substitute I could try? I do like gorgonzola in small quantities, and I'm trying to gradually work up to the full-on bleu cheeses! ;) Any suggestions?

TIA!
Sarah

[SandyM]

I did a search on epicurious for this recipe, using various phrases and words, and came up empty.

Emily - if you get a chance, would you mind posting the recipe? It sounds great!!! Cheese, glorious cheese.........:D

[SClementson]

Sandy, here you go:

FARFALLE WITH ASPARAGUS, ROASTED SHALLOTS AND BLUE CHEESE

When tossed with the warm pasta, the blue cheese melts into a silky sauce. A Côtes du Rhône is just the right accompaniment.

1 1/2 pounds medium shallots (about 24), peeled, halved lengthwise
4 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs made from French bread

1 1/2 pounds farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
2 pounds thin asparagus, trimmed, cut diagonally into 11/2-inch pieces
1 pound creamy blue cheese (such as Saga blue or Gorgonzola), cut into 1/2-inch pieces


Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss shallots with 2 tablespoons oil on baking sheet; spread in single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes.

Stir 2 tablespoons oil and breadcrumbs in skillet over medium heat until crumbs brown, about 4 minutes. (Shallots and crumbs can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover separately; keep at room temperature.)

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes. Add asparagus; cook until asparagus is crisp-tender and pasta is tender but still firm to bite, about 4 minutes. Drain pasta and asparagus. Transfer to large bowl. Immediately add blue cheese and shallots. Toss until cheese melts and pasta is well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowls. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Makes 6 servings.


Bon Appétit
April 2000


Sorry, I don't have MasterCook, so no nutritional info...

Sarah

[Julia1Pin]

I love the Drunken Goat's Cheese. :D

[emilycat]

I'm so glad y'all are interested in the recipe! It really is delicious. I should mention, though, that the serving sizes given here are obscene. I'm sorry, but few people need to be eating 4 ounces of pasta and three ounces of bleu cheese in one serving. I tailored it so that one serving yielded 2 ounces of pasta and one ounce of cheese. If you read the reader comments on the recipe, you'll see that nearly everyone who made it thought the amount of cheese was truly overwhelming. I also used whole wheat penne, left out the breadcrumb mixture, and tossed the roasted shallots in 1/6 of the olive oil. I still think I got the gist of the dish ;)
Sarah, I think you could really substitute any creamy bleu cheese, but Saga, Gorgonzola dolce, Cashel and Montagnola would be my choices. Be sure to post a review if you try it! :)

Here's the link if you'd like to read the reviews and suggestions:
http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=103260

[kwormann]

Julia

Im glad you like the cheese I recommended! I happen to have some in my fridge right now.......

[Ohioan]

Hi, everyone. I stopped by to see what was going on and decided to play with the new toys -- and to mention my own favorite "blue" cheese, which is the Cabrales from Spain. A pleasant "bite," and a deep, rich aftertaste.

So what else has been going on since I left?;)

Cheers,
Phoebe

[Terrytx]

I also vote for the drunken goat cheese that kwormann recommened some time ago. I take the DD bake to Central Market Thur for another cooking class so like Grace and "the Jones", I will have to try to find Champignon Montagnola, some pomegranate molasses and some more of the Spring melons. This BB can get expensive!

[mandarin2j]

When you are in Portland for the marathon, you really should check out Pastaworks on SE Hawthorne Blvd. I used to work right by there and get a small chunk of cheese to try every week. Amazing, wonderful cheeses like Pyrinees (sp?) and my very first Gruyere. They have a wonderful olive bar and produce selection as well.

-Amanda

[SandyM]

Welcome back Phoebe - I missed you!!! :-)