Cheese of the week: Blue Paradise
I went back to the Marion Street Cheese Market this week and picked up a wedge of Blue Paradise from Hook's Cheese Company. I've had a couple of other great experiences with Hooks in the past. One was a piece of 10-year-old cheddar I had on a cheese plate at the Fiddlehead Cafe in Lincoln Sqaure about a year ago (they have several nice American selections on their cheese list); it stands out in my mind as possibly the best cheddar I've ever had. The other was a wedge of their Original Blue, a simple, sharp, crumbly blue cheese that was very tasty and easy to eat.
Blue Paradise is a double cream version of that Original Blue. I didn't have them both in front of me to compare, but their flavors are very similar, with the Blue Paradise having perhaps a little more sharpness and depth. The real difference between them (and what makes Blue Paradise so special) is the texture. Whereas the Original Blue is light and crumbly, Blue Paradise is incredibly creamy. The paste is firm enough -- it's not a spreadable cheese a la Gorgonzola Dolce -- but once you put it in your mouth the rich creaminess takes over and it starts to melt. Very nice...
We had it with some port, and I wasn't terribly impressed with the combination, even though that's what was recommended. It also didn't mix so well with other cheeses, so if you're eating it that way, this one should probably be last.
wow! this one looks delicious! :) Something to try when I'm in town next...
it was very good. let me know when you'll be in town and i'll pick some up!
this cheese looks delicious, but what caught my eye was that mention of the best cheddar you've ever had. at fiddlehead cafe?! i live right across the street from fiddlehead but have never gone because the rest of their menu wasn't that tempting to me. but i have had an eye on their cheese menu and now it sounds like it may be worth a try. thanks for the tip! and i LOVE this cheese of the week feature.
i'm glad you're enjoying the cheese of the week, tina. i've only been to the fiddlehead once, and i thought the food was great, but maybe a bit on the expensive side. if i remember correctly we were allowed to assemble our own cheese plates, and two of the cheeses made a big impression on me. one was the hook's cheddar, and the other was a valdeon.
Try midnight moon, an aged goat cheese that's sorta like a gouda. Not a goat fan, here, but this one made me a convert. Marion Street stocks it.
thanks for the suggestion jon... i will try that for sure.
would love to hear more about how you feel midwestern regional cheeses compare to other regionals -- from europe and the east and west coasts. midwesterns seem milder to me, but maybe that's just the ones I've been sampling...
i don't have so much experience with cheese from the coasts, and i probably don't have enough experience with cheese overall to make a comment either way. one thing that comes to mind though is the possibility that you're getting midwestern cheese earlier in their life cycle and that they're milder as a result. but who knows.
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