Cheese

Is there anything nicer or more wondrous than cheese? It may seem to many such a simple thing, but when you think about it, from one basic ingredient (milk) comes thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of different cheeses. They're all arrived at by a variation of techniques, processes and adjuncts that have evolved over the centuries. I think cheese is wonderful.

That's not to say that I like all cheeses, some are just too much for me. Havarti is one example, I just can't palate it. Nor can I eat cheeses that are overly "goaty", though I do like a variety of goat's and part goat's milk cheeses.

Now and then wife and I have a special cheeseboard tea, where we buy cheeses we've never had before, and especially try to go for ones from small regional producers. Yesterday we had Doddington and Chevington cheeses (both from Northumberland), along with some Manchego to take us back to our Spanish holidays and an old classic in Colston Bassett Stilton.

The two local cheeses were delightful. The Doddington was reminiscent of a rustically made Leicester and a little like Manchego, by coincidence, and with a tongue-tingling flavour. The Chevington was a bit like a young Brie meets Edam, semi-soft with a creamy texture that would go nicely with Celery and crudities.

Fenwick's of Newcastle (one of the city's swankiest department stores) has a great cheese counter in its food hall. In fact the whole food hall is great, the type you only see these days in swanky department stores!