Say "Cheese"

[rhythmaning]

Following chickenfeet2003’s recent poll about cheese, I wanted to taste some cheese this week. Things is, my wife is on a diet. It is a kind of perpetual diet, though she has lost a fair bit of weight in the last year or so. I seem to be surrounded by women on a diet; every woman at work seems to be attending WeightWatchers sessions. The effect of this is that they spend the whole day talking about food – how much they can eat, what different foods will add on, what they can get away with.

It was such a freaky day that I decided to buy some cheese on the way home: I walk past a wonderful cheesemonger in Stockbridge called Iain Mellis. The smells wafting from the door are wonderful, and the aroma inside is even more intoxicating. There are two problems with Iain Mellis. First, the smells are so seductive and the cheese looks so good that it is impossible to only buy what you intended: I go in for a piece of parmesan, and end up buying two or three other cheeses as well. Second, they always give you more than you ask for – but not too much more, so it would be churlish to say no. Either way, I always come out with more than I intend to buy.

Last night, as well as the parmesan, I bought some incredibly ripe brie and some Isle of Mull cheddar.

Once home, I opened a bottle of wine – a bottle of Seghisio Sonoma County zinfandel. I have had this a while; I bought it discounted in a sale last year. I had tasted the wine in a tasting, so when I saw it reduced, I grabbed a bottle.

Then a cut a small piece of runny brie and a piece of cheddar. My wife looked on longingly. Even from my small bits of cheese, the smells were wonderful. And it tasted great; the wine too was excellent, very rich and fruity.

I later cooked some delicious steak (served simply, with a salad) and polished off the rest of the bottle of wine (well, my wife had a glass; but I had the rest), and some more slivers of cheese.

After an irritating day, it was a lovely evening.