• 12 cheeses of christmas,  Accompaniments,  Aged Cheese,  Artisan Cheese,  blogging,  Blue Cheese,  brie,  British,  British cheese,  Cheddar,  Cheese,  Food,  food festival

    How to Make the Perfect Festive Cheese Plate

    December 10, 2016

    In my view, whatever the question, the answer is ALWAYS cheese. And, as the weather cools and the year draws to an end, ’tis the season to be…eating as much cheese as possible. Whether it’s catering to a big crowd of friends and family, or settling in to watch Netflix on a weekend, or just because,  cheese is the ideal entertainer. I know, I’m biased. But frankly, it can be the perfect end to a dinner party, or served as a spread at any party But it’s not always easy to choose the right cheeses. So I’ve joined with Lulu Qatar and Chocolate Fish Parties to show you how easy it is to creative…

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  • Aged Cheese,  Artisan Cheese,  Blue Cheese,  brie,  Cheese

    The Secret Life of Cheeses and Other Ugly Truths

    November 18, 2014

    Like many things in life – sausage making lawmaking being two – I try not to dwell on the finer points on what makes cheese taste as awesome as it does. I mean, we all know it’s about mold, and bacteria, but frankly, if we think too hard about it we wouldn’t ever eat it again. Which is why this piece on the BBC website both fascinated and repelled me at the same time. The Strange World Inside Cheese Read it at your own peril. Spoil the mystery if you must.

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  • Artisan Cheese,  Asia,  Cheese in Cooking,  China,  farmers cheese,  Goat Cheese,  Travel

    Rubing it In – Eating Cheese in China

    October 30, 2014

    Chinese food and cheese are not necessarily happy bedfellows. Asian flavors do not lend themselves to cheesiness and for good reason. My main experience of cheese in China consisted of hotel cheese platters on their buffets. But I had heard that some regions in China, namely Yunnan, used goat cheese in their cooking. There will be a longer exposition of my recent trip to Shanghai in future posts (you have been warned) but I was determined to find this elusive fusion. Actually I didn’t have to search too far. One of the best known restaurants in Shanghai, Lost Heaven specializes in Yunnan cuisine. I found one item on the menu – a…

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  • Accompaniments,  Aged Cheese,  Artisan Cheese,  Cheese in Cooking

    Fromage Fortifications

    October 25, 2014

    As a cheese blogger, having a fridge full of the good stuff is an occupational hazard. As of yesterday I have leftover pieces of Manchego, Parmesan, Swiss, Cheddar, Gorgonzola and several unidentified randoms. Now you know how I hate waste as much as losing perfectly good cheese, so I dug out this recipe by the amazing David Lebovitz for Fromage Fort. Fromage fort is a French cheese spread, literally “strong cheese”. It is traditionally made by blending together pieces of different leftover cheeses, white wine (or other spirits) with garlic, herbs and whatever takes your fancy. I made mine with around seven kinds of odds and ends cheeses The recipe calls for…

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  • Aged Cheese,  Artisan Cheese,  Australia,  Australian Cheese,  beer,  Blue Cheese,  brie,  Cheddar,  Cheese,  Cheese in Cooking,  Cooking,  Food Trends,  Turkey

    Party On – How to Be a “Grate” Host

    June 9, 2014

    You’ll always find me in the kitchen at parties, especially my own. I have inherited my mother’s love of cooking for a crowd. I have also inherited her love of reality TV, but that’s another story. But everyone can hone their skills especially in this ‘Post Post Emily Post Era’, and the great people at King Island Dairy have produced a free guide for the perfect dinner party and cheese plate. The Perfect Dinner Party is free to download and a wealth of foodie information. http://www.perfectdinnerparty.com.au There is some great a advice in here – like balance your ambitions with your abilities. I for one have been waaay too ambitious…

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  • Artisan Cheese,  Cheese,  Food,  Lebanon,  Middle East,  Sheep Milk,  Travel,  White Cheese

    Home Grown Heroes

    March 8, 2014

    By now, three quarters of the free world know I have been growing tomatoes on my terrace. No big deal you say? Well, I am not known for my green thumb and also, I LIVE IN THE DESERT! So now, the tomato vines, tended with love during our short and sweet Doha winter, have started to bear fruit. What to do with this bounty? Today a friend passed by for coffee so I whipped up a quick Middle Eastern style bruschetta. I used one of my favorite cheeses, a labneh from Laiterie Jarjoura in Chtoura, Zahlé, Lebanon. It is a famous mountainside stop en route to Baalbeck and the Bekaa…

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  • Artisan Cheese,  British,  British cheese,  Celebrity Chefs,  Cheddar,  Cheese,  Cheese in Cooking,  European Cheese,  Food,  Food Trends,  French

    Cheese Release Me

    March 7, 2014

    Listen, I am not talking myself up, but I have always been ahead of the curve on many things. I just can’t think of most of them now…but here is some recent proof of my sage-like abilities. Cheese, it seems, is the next big food trend of 2014. Roquefort doughnuts, Stilton truffles and goat’s cheese ganache: Chocolate and cheese set to be 2014s next big foodie trend It must be true, it’s in The Daily Mail. And on this blog.

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  • Artisan Cheese,  British cheese,  Cheddar,  Cheese,  European Cheese,  Food,  Italian,  Travel,  wine

    Making the World a Cheddar Place

    December 28, 2013

    They say that familiarity breeds contempt. This is perhaps why I always forget about cheddar as a legitimate contender in my own pantheon of great cheeses. I mean, it’s one of the first cheeses we come across in our lives. I remember cheddar cheese sandwiches on white bread as a child and learning to smother them in mustard. I also remember Saturday lunches, when after doing the shopping, Mum would fill the dining table with cold meats from the local deli, freshly slices tomatoes and of course, slices of cheddar. We would then make our own sandwiches on fluffy white rolls. I came across this cheddar Jones the Grocer, and…

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  • Artisan Cheese,  Cheese,  events,  Food,  Italian,  Travel

    Daylight Robiola – An Italian Christmas Affair

    December 26, 2013

    Technically, I should have done a Christmas post. But that would be cliched. However this post come to you courtesy of my not-so-traditional Christmas dinner at Grand Hyatt Muscat. Christmas in the Middle east can be a complicated business. It’s a work day for most people and many of us are away from our loved ones (expat orphans). So we all usually opt for a hotel catered event. This year, at the urging of GF, we took the road less traveled, leaving the extensive buffet to the families and taking an Italian adventure at Tuscany Restaurant. The feast included ravioli stuffed with fois gras, braised beef cheeks, plates of cured…

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  • Aged Cheese,  Artisan Cheese,  Cheese,  European Cheese,  Food,  France,  French,  Goat Cheese,  Restaurant Reviews,  Travel,  Unusual Cheeses,  Washed Rind,  White Cheese

    100 Cheeses Down – You Cheddar Believe It

    June 26, 2013

    It seemed like a good idea at the time, but let me tell you this whole caper is trying 365 cheeses in 365 days is no easy feat. Which is why I am celebrating milestones where I can. What started as a simple catalogue of cheese i have eaten and the occasional good meal thrown in, has now evolved into something more – travelogue, food porn site, political commentary, restaurant review and general whingefest blog. That’s the beauty of a blog I guess. So the journey marks it’s first significant moment – my 100th cheese. This tranche of cheese moments is brought to you by my friends at Grand Hyatt…

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