How do you feel about flavored cheese?

one of those adorably frumpy women

I want someone to call me that. I'm going out to buy a red apron and a shower cap today.

Our favourite cheese shop does magnificent stuffed fresh white cheeses. It's too early in the morning for me to remember what they're called, but one of them is like a hard ricotta stuffed with rocket and chilli and moulded in little baskets, and the other is a roulade of fresh mozzarella stuffed with either proscuitto, olives and rocket, or smoked salmon and something else. Adore them all!



And their marscapone reale...oh my goodness...it is to die for. They layer marscapone and gorgonzola, then stud the exterior with walnuts...here's a small photo from their website..

Here are the flavors that I have enjoyed in Cheese:

Truffles (usually tartufo from N. Italy)
Sage (aforementioned Derbyshire)
Stout (There is a cheddar from Ireland that is infused with veins of, probably, Guinness. It is superb!)
Lavender and Fennel Pollen - There is a domestic chevre (Idaho?) that uses this combo to great success.

Then there are washed rind cheeses flavored with marc, chablis, Spanish red wine, etc. This almost shouldn't count in the flavored cheese category, as the result is more about the cheese quality than the skin. Still, I generally like this class of cheese.

That is pretty much it. I've tried and not liked these flavors:
Mustard seed
caraway
fruits
port
pepper
chiles
chives
Herbes de Provence
onion and garlic
wasabi

Flavored coffees? Uggh.

Flavored coffee? Yes. Occasionally I like fresh brewed coffee with chocolate, amaretto, Kahlua, or whisky. But the liqueur should be added to the brewed coffee. When beans are infused with artificial flavors and aromas, the result is chemically.

[Jenise]

I want someone to call me that.

You are an adorably frumpy woman.

I'm going out to buy a red apron and a shower cap today.

This will make you even more adorable.

Our favourite cheese shop does magnificent stuffed fresh white cheeses...one of them is like a hard ricotta stuffed with rocket and chilli

As an artisanal product blended with quality fresh ingredients, what you describe and show a photo of is definitely not in the category of flavored cheeses my post was meant to both pan and praise. There isn't one of us that wouldn't adore those, too!

[Jenise]

Truffles (usually tartufo from N. Italy)
Sage (aforementioned Derbyshire)
Stout (There is a cheddar from Ireland that is infused with veins of, probably, Guinness. It is superb!)
Lavender and Fennel Pollen - There is a domestic chevre (Idaho?) that uses this combo to great success.

Agree with all of those. Or rather, haven't had the latter two but I can't argue with the descriptions.

I can't imagine wasabi in cheese. What a strange and unneccessary combination!

Had the wasabi and cheese. And it was strange.

Some folks brought back some of it from Australia.

I told them they needn't feel they had to bring back any more.

[Robin Garr]

I can't imagine wasabi in cheese. What a strange and unneccessary combination!

Not so fast ... Capriole Farm in Southern Indiana, an artisan producer that makes French-quality goat cheeses from their own herds, does a limited production wasabi goat-cheese "log" that's very impressive. Just a touch of wasabi in fresh, mild goat cheese, not enough to make it a sinus-clearer but just to add a subtle note of complexity. (Sort of like brett in Burgundy? )

Seriously, until this came up, I had forgotten about Capriole's wasabi cheese, but I would call it one of the few exceptions to my general response "don't mess with my cheese." There's also a Piemontese cheese called Ubriaco (I think, something like that), a tangy white cheese that's injected with red wine before aging.

Also, would you consider the line of ash in Humboldt Fog a flavoring? If so, I cite it as Example No. 3. And goat cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves (from Capriole or Banon from France) as No. 4.

"No Woman Jerk"?......no, I won't, it's too easy.....

As far as adulterants, I am pretty much a straight ahead 'against' kind of guy.

Single malt whisky was just fine for hundreds of years without needing 6 different wood treatments to catch the eye of bored yuppies and entice them into spending money on these strange concoctions.

No coffee I have ever had benefits from the addition of anything much in the way of sweet or nutty flavours, although I admit to adding cardamom or cinnamon when I am in the mood.

I could argue (though not entirely seriously) that oak constitutes an adulterant in wine and masks the natural fruit flavours, sometimes onscuring just about everything, at least for many years.

Caraway seeds added to cheese? No, and I agree that such additions are usually done to make a really bland cheese stand out.

I do have some adulterants I find to be acceptable, and the example of a truffled Brie is one of them. Adding Port to Stilton, OTOH, strikes me as an offence punishable by hanging from a meat hook by your private parts whether you come at it from the point of view of a wine fancier or a cheese aficionado. Don't ask me to explain my reasoning as to why one is OK, and one isn't, it's just the way I feel.

Maybe there should be a 'pass' for any foodstuff that has truffles added, I don't know.

PS - Jenise, I shall reserve judgement on your Jerk cheese - at least until you have the chance to bring a chunk up here for me to form my own opinions (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, know what I mean?)

I can't imagine wasabi in cheese. What a strange and unneccessary combination!

A little off topic, but at bridge the other night our hostess put out some wasabi almonds. Talk about addictive! They were terrific.

i could also argue as bill spohn says that oak is an adulterant in wine. i actually believe it: and my 'guilty pleasure' is that sometimes i sort of like it - esp in white burgundy where it is most obvious and most lovely. and sauternes - they can continue to age that in new oak. but - i would love to live in a world without new oak aging and would give up my guilty pleasures to do so.

[Jenise]

A little off topic, but at bridge the other night our hostess put out some wasabi almonds. Talk about addictive! They were terrific.

Did she make them, or were they store-bought?

I haven't had wasabi cheese, but I've had some aged cheddar flavored with a little horseradish that I thought was very good.

On the almonds, we get Blue Diamond wasabi almonds here once in a while. They are ridiculously addictive. And as for coffee, the only kind of flavoring I can stand in it is cinnamon and/or cardamom in the brew basket.

I say (in a deep, profound voice):

1. If you like it, eat it.
2. If you don't, don't.

On the almonds, we get Blue Diamond wasabi almonds here once in a while. They are ridiculously addictive.

I love those. Spicy but not too hot.

[Jenise]

I say (in a deep, profound voice):

1. If you like it, eat it.
2. If you don't, don't.

Well, of course! Has anyone suggested otherwise?

I was just being profound. But I have to admit being amused at some of the exceptions.

I just had some paprika flavored goat cheese from Capriole Farms and all I can say is OMFG! Flavored cheeses like this ROCK.
Wm.

I just had some paprika flavored goat cheese from Capriole Farms and all I can say is OMFG! Flavored cheeses like this ROCK.
Wm.

If only they sold a cinnamon and raisin flavored goat cheese.

I just had some paprika flavored goat cheese from Capriole Farms and all I can say is OMFG! Flavored cheeses like this ROCK.
Wm.

If only they sold a cinnamon and raisin flavored goat cheese.

That would work for me.

Ugh, I hate flavored coffees. Anyone want to join me in another peeve? Flavored potato chips. Salt, maybe pepper--that's all a good potato needs.

Nor can I stand flavored coffees. I worked in a coffee shop a long time ago and used to go home smelling like a big hazelnut. Has it ever happened to you where you are someone's houseguest and you wake up to the smell of Amaretto, or Holiday Spice? Or the only "cream" they have is Irish Mist? Groan....It's going to be a long stay.

Regarding flavored potato chips, I often get a wicked jones for vinegar and sea salt. Other than that, I don't deviate. My favorite are actually Cape Cod "lower fat." They are perfect in my book.

I think I have posted this before but for a definitive word on flavored coffees, check out this YouTube episode from Denis Leary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQxgv4QtKM8 Or Google "denis leary coffee." Keep the kiddies away from the PC while listening/watching.

I think I have posted this before but for a definitive word on flavored coffees, check out this YouTube episode from Denis Leary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQxgv4QtKM8 Or Google "denis leary coffee." Keep the kiddies away from the PC while listening/watching.

HA! My kids are the ones who played this youtube clip for me once.


I like flavored coffees, some flavored cheese, and even some flavored chips.

It could also be argued that the various molds in the blue-veined cheeses are "adulterants," but I doubt any here will reject the good ones. I know I certainly won't.

That being said I ain't much of a fan of additions to cheeses.

That being said I ain't much of a fan of additions to cheeses.

Yeah, that waxy red stuff they add to Gouda sure sticks in your teeth, for instance....

I think I have posted this before but for a definitive word on flavored coffees, check out this YouTube episode from Denis Leary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQxgv4QtKM8 Or Google "denis leary coffee." Keep the kiddies away from the PC while listening/watching.

HA! My kids are the ones who played this youtube clip for me once.


I like flavored coffees, some flavored cheese, and even some flavored chips.

So their intervention failed?