I’m So Cheesy

Welcome to my random musings about the world, on a weekly-to-occasional basis.

Where we are: We’re in Paris. We weren’t supposed to arrive until today, but the British weather people were expecting the tattered remnants of Hurricane Erin (now Storm Erin) to bring “a 590-mile wall of rain” and the definitive end of summer. So we made a quick pivot, and came to Paris a couple of days early. I have no complaints.

I’m So Cheesy

A couple of months ago I read a book called A Cheesemonger’s History of The British Isles, by Ned Palmer. It was riveting (to those of us who are cheese geeks), so I promptly bought his second book, thrillingly entitled A Cheesemonger’s Compendium of British & Irish Cheese. It’s exactly what it sounds like: an annotated list of noteworthy (ie, delicious) cheeses made in the UK.

When we arrived in London, I proceeded to taste my way through as many of those cheeses as I could manage—I’ve been cheese-tasting every day for the last eight weeks.

My cardiologist is going to have a lot to say about my idea of cultural immersion.

Yesterday I gave Lee slices from two particularly nice ones: Cornish Yarg, and a very mature Lancashire. Then I read Palmer’s tasting notes out loud, while we sampled the cheeses. He thinks I’m silly, but that didn’t stop him from enjoying the cheese.

I’ve spent the last two months shopping for cheese. I chatted with cheesemongers. We toured the Isle of Mull Cheddar farm, and petted the cows. Cheese is as good a way to structure a cultural experience as any other.

Ditto for chocolate. Hello, Paris!

Take care,

Lisa

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