I have written before about the concept of brunch in the Middle East – it’s an art form. Hotels compete for the most elaborate buffet, ladies buy new outfits, drivers are booked, mayhem is guaranteed. I love a good brunch – a chance to catch up with friends, gossip and yes, wear the occasional new frock. And this is the thing, buffets drive me crazy. Call me a drama queen, but I like to have my food brought to me. And the idea of dozens of people pawing the prawns before I get to them does make me a little uneasy. Opal by Gordon Ramsay is an outpost of the…
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At Grate Heights – Cheese at 30,000 Feet
As someone who loves to travel, I have had some good and very average meals in the air. Whoever invented the Hot Pocket should be reported to the UN Human Rights Tribunal – it is an implement of torture. When I am lucky, and flush, enough to travel at the pointy end of the plane, I always opt for the cheese plate on the menu. Which had me thinking about how cheese manages to taste so good at altitude. When we fly, our taste buds simply don’t work properly. The low humidity dries out our nasal passages, and the air pressure desensitizes our taste buds, which is why airline often…
- 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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Passing Muenster
This story about a man who either loved his cheese or saw the dollar signs caught my eye this week and I just knew I had to track Muenster down. Monster Cheese Theft I mean who does that? Anyway, I found Muenster lurking in the dairy cabinet earlier this week and just knew I had to see what the fuss is about. Here’s the thing. Muenster cheese is not as exotic as it sounds. It’s an American cheese, not to be confused with the French variety, Munster. The name Muenster is derived from an English transliteration of Münster, a city in Germany. Muenster is a smooth textured cheese with an…
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Quiche De Resistance
I am so old that I remember when quiche became really trendy in Australia. I am hoping it was the 1980s, but I have an ugly suspicion it was the 1970s. Suddenly it was everywhere and even Sara Lee was making them… Although known as a classic French dish, the quiche originated in Germany. The word quiche means “cake” which came from the German word Kuchen. Today, quiche is considered as typically French. And to be honest, it has become one of my favorite foods over time. What’s not to love about eegs, cheese, pastry and of course, cheese. Quiche lorraine is a popular variant that was originally an open…
- 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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Life on the Wedge Goes on the Road
It’s the first day of summer in the northern hemisphere and that means one thing for us in the Middle East – travel. I have my own travel plans brewing up until the end of September (interspersed with some work!). But need your help for places to find the best food in these destinations. My plans include: – India (Chennai) – Oman – Sweden (Stockholm) – Australia (Melbourne, Perth, Sydney) – Washington DC, New Orleans and Seattle Email me, message me or leave a comment here with your suggestions!
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Melting Pot – Fun, Friends and Melted Cheese Five Ways
I have a theory that in a previous life, I hailed from the deep south of the US. I love the food. Don’t mind a bit of New Orleans Jazz and can say “y’all” with aplomb. The handful of times I have been south of the Mason Dixon line, I felt very much at home. One trip to New Orleans some time in the early 2000s, I was traveling with my friend Allan, who contracted what we would later find out to be pneumonia (which also necessitated an Emergency Room visit while in DC). We stayed in a huge southern mansion which had been converted to a guest house and…
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Curd You Really Drink This?
It’s the cult food from Canada – Poutine. Basically cheese curds with gravy and chips. the perfect storm of carbs, fat and salt. I think this stirs a particular series of nostalgic emotions in me. When I was a poor student at Sydney University, my friends and I would buy chips and gravy from the cafeteria at Wentworth and sit around solving the world’s problems. all that was missing was the curds. But as always seems to happen with something so wonderfully perfect, someone had to go and take it one step further. A Canadian drinks company, Jones Soda Co, has created what it alleges is a poutine flavored soda.…
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Everything is Better With Burrata
I’m putting this out there – I have only just discovered the wonder that is Burrata. I mean seriously, where has this creamy wonder been all my life? And to my eternal shame, Burrata means “buttered”, and you KNOW how I feel about butter. This folks, is a cheese so great that it even has its’ own Facebook page Burrata Fan Page Apparently, Burrata is “poor man’s Mozzarella”, something I seriously can’t fathom given its lushness. Again, it owes its origin to buffalo milk, which I discovered in my research this week, is actually richer and higher in protein than cow’s milk, making it a perfect candidate for creamy cheese…