Saturday 27 August 2011

Cheese Dreams

Cheese is a great conversation starter.

Everyone eats it and everyone has an opinion on it. Whether it's some cheddar grated in a sandwich or a pungent Camembert roasted in the oven until molten. There are some who would only let fancy artisan morsels pass their lips bought with gold coins from small hidden away cheese shops, but most normal people buy their cheese from the supermarket. I am an advocate of all types of cheese and as firm believer in trying all I can get my hands on.

When I was young, I was an incredibly fussy eater and the only food I loved more than life itself was macaroni cheese and cheese on toast, which my parents made for me religiously. I still love both, and resort to them in times of comfort when only gooey melted cheese will do.

I have moved on in my tastes to a degree, and can easily spend my weekends hunting down new and interesting cheeses. I love strong punchy cheddars, Lincolnshire Poachers, being my favourite although I would also never say no to a slice of Montgomery's. But, and this is where the crux of the matter lies, I also love everyday cheese...I enjoy cheap and cheerful cheese spreads slathered over bread and cheese slices toasted in a sandwich. I believe that all these cheese delights can live together in one happy cheesy dream.

This little blog of mine will be about all these things. It will be about the great cheese producers of this nation and beyond. It will be about handmade goats cheese, cheddars from Orkney, mysterious soft cheeses from Italy and the very best cheese mixes for pizza...it will be all this and more.

Because, the simple truth is, we all love cheese, and we should rejoice in this together.