I’m scratching my head. I’m a well traveled, adventurous woman. Why haven’t I been to Amsterdam before? This is a city that is tailor made for me – everywhere is walking distance, stunning art galleries, chilled vibe and more importantly, a cheese loving populace. My home for my quick visit was the seriously stylish Andaz Amsterdam, located on the edge of the funky Nine Streets area and frankly, one of the most fabulous hotels I have stayed in. The Netherlands is not known for its cuisine, but it is known for its cheese. Gouda to be more precise. Now I have been scornful of this cheese in the past, until…
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The Long Whey Round
I usually don’t buy the conception of “it’s not the destination, but the journey”. Given my short attention span and inability to sit still (I am what is called, fidgety) and aversion to walking long distances, I usually choose the shortest possible route. However, on my recent European sojourn, I deliberately took the slow boat/train/plane. This resulted in me being more frazzled that usual (I love traveling, hate the process) but I did manage to see four countries in 12 days – UK, The Netherlands, Sweden and finally Oman. If it appears this journey was chosen by randomly throwing darts at a map of the world, you would be close.…
- American Cheese, Blue Cheese, brie, British, Cheddar, Cheese, Cyprus, European Cheese, Feta, Food, France, Goat Cheese, Gouda, Greece, Italy, Ricotta, Sheep Milk, Swiss, Travel, Unusual Cheeses, Washed Rind, White Cheese
Honor Roll – Huff Post Lists Best Cheeses
Every day I say a small prayer to a higher power for not being born lactose intolerant. I mean, it would have been difficult to do this blog in the first place. More importantly, what would I talk about at parties? I get asked a lot what I think the best cheese in the world is. The beauty is, there are thousands. The Huffington Post has a similar view to me, in that there is no such thing as a bad cheese. but they have also compiled a list of the 20 best cheeses (in their humble opinion). I agree with all the listed ones, maybe not the order. Check…
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You Had Feta Believe It
Woke up this clear Saturday morning with a headache that tends to plague women of a certain age. A brisk walk and a swim failed to shift it. Lying in a darkened room likewise. After swathing my temples in Tiger Balm and taking a last chance Voltaren, I was finally able to see through the fog. My friend Kate had sent me this Gozleme recipe and having most of the ingredients, I thought this would go some way to making me feel better. The result was, as another friend dubbed it, “Hugs on a Plate”. Gözleme is a savoury traditional Turkish pastry dish, made of hand-rolled dough that is lightly…
- 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
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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Date With Destiny
One of the interesting things about living in the Middle East is that literally there is never a dull moment. Last week, Doha alone saw the President of France and the US Secretary of State visit. Then there was the opening of the Taliban (you read right) office. These guys are such bad neighbors. Not a single invite to tea and it has been a week. More exciting has been something that regardless of your background, you may only witness once in a lifetime. That is, the abdication of a ruler. It happened recently in The Netherlands, and now, just yesterday, it happened in Qatar. Qatar’s Emir to Transfer Power…
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Milking It
I may have been burning the candle at both ends this week. It seems to have been an endless stream of show tunes and martinis. So this morning I was feeling a little bit precious. Given I had no monkey butlers and explaining the location of my house to delivery men, I was forced to create my own hangover cure/breakfast. Thankfully I am a resourceful woman. I did some hunter gathering and found small rounds of single serve goat cheese – from Carrefour – seriously something only the French could invent. Couple this with some flat bread, sliced tomato, a slug of olive oil and salt and pepper, and I…
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Sweet Cheeses – When Cheese Meets Dessert
The French have a phrase – savoire vivre – which basically means living a good life while staying elegant and smart. In my mind, the Lebanese are the embodiment of this. They manage to live a good life, look remarkable at the same time as dealing with the chaos that regularly breaks out around them. Their food is also an illustration of this – elegantly complex. While many words have been written about the wonders of Lebanese mezze and other savory dishes, this country has also given the world some pretty extraordinary desserts. I was given a fabulous surprise by the boys who run Al Balad Qatar on Monday. They…
- American Cheese, Blue Cheese, Cheese, European Cheese, France, French, Italy, Sheep Milk, Travel, Unusual Cheeses, White Cheese
Wheel of Cheese Fortune
The thing I love about having a blog dedicated to one topic, rather than random musings (I have Facebook and Twitter for that), is that my friends near and far collect the most amazing stuff for me. This comes in the form of websites, newspaper stories and infographics like this one which came from the lovely Sarah Rabbani (who I want to be when I grow up) That’s a chart of 66 of the world’s favorite cheeses and yes, I have already pre-ordered one for the bedroom. For more information check out Pop Chart Lab or here at our friends Buzzfeed Food
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In Queso Wondering…
Before I write a book about cheese, I plan to write another tome. Conversations With My Cleaner will feature the wit and wisdom of Tess, my cleaner of two years. I know that my cleaner judges me. She does it openly. Aside from ironing my underpants, Tess has a number of well thought out theories about life, the universe and why I am not married. According to Tess, a woman of my style, savoire faire and general fabulousness should not be without a husband. She believes, the reason for this anomaly is the fact that I only have cheese (and the odd bottle of wine) in the fridge on any…