Cheese!!!

[Janet H]

Not to brag (lies!!!-definitely bragging): I have a tin of Cougar Gold that I have been aging for 20 years.

Both my kids have been asking their entire lives about what special occasion will get me to open it. I just smile.

Envious....

We'll need a report when it's finally opened.

 

[steelyman]

I've rarely met a cheese I didn't like but am partial to aged goudas, sheeps milk cheeses and Cougar Gold cheddar. This last is made a the Washington state University's ag school creamery and packed in ~2 lb cans. Fabulous. This cheese ships and so is our go to holiday gift for long distance gifts.

Just in time! I ordered some as a holiday gift yesterday. I didn’t order any for myself but will see what the recipient has to say.

A nice side effect is that it comes from WSU and I remembered an old friend from graduate school who is now a faculty member there. Their research is in smart homes for aging people (health care). Not wearables but sensors in the home itself. I’m glad that kind of stuff is going on.

 

[oiseux]

If we ever had a pot-luck party with members of this groups from all over the nations, I imagine the variety of wines and cheeses from the various local Costco stores would be mind-boggling. They vary so much depending upon the location and clientele.

That is true of the wine as well, perhaps even more so than the cheese. I am missing the Delice de Bourgogne that normally appears at Costco this time of year, but I'll look for le Cremeux.

 

[audreyh1]

Woo hoo! They had the Cypress Grove Psychedillic cheese at HEB today. Fresh goat cheese with dill.

 

[steelyman]

Just in time! I ordered some as a holiday gift yesterday. I didn’t order any for myself but will see what the recipient has to say.

The verdict came in on WSU Creamery’s Cougar Gold cheese. All thumbs up, even with a side-by-side taste testing against a fancy (and much more expensive) competitor.

Now I gots to get me some…

 

[audreyh1]

Our Costco had been carrying the Beemster Black Label Gouda aged 20 months which DH loves, but we haven’t seen it in quite a while.

 

[Janet H]

The verdict came in on WSU Creamery’s Cougar Gold cheese. All thumbs up, even with a side-by-side taste testing against a fancy (and much more expensive) competitor.

Now I gots to get me some…

Does this make me an enabler?

Tips for recent converts:

• Some years they run out. You can place a standing order (Sept or Oct) and specific a ship date.
  
• The Cracked pepper & Chive Viking cheese is really good but only seasonally available. Awesome summery cheese good with dry whites or pilsner. Viking is a Monterey Jack-like cheese. Makes an AWESOME avocado cheese melt (open faced, toasted sourdough, mustard, mayo, sliced avocados, cheese; broil, bring a knife and fork and afore mentioned pilsner..)
  
• They pull products offline over Christmas Break. No orders during this time so plan carefully
  
• There are collectors who store unopened cans under refrigeration for years. News story here: https://news.cahnrs.wsu.edu/article/who-owns-oldest-can-of-cougar-gold/ Forum member Keim in post 125 too

 

[steelyman]

Does this make me an enabler?

This whole darn site is an enabler. [emoji3]

(thank you! and thanks from Winston-Salem taste testers!)

I’ll help for those who missed it. Top-level page for WSU Creamery:

https://creamery.wsu.edu/

 

[Keim]

I never intended to be a collector. It got lost at the back of the ridge for the first 5 years. When I found it I realized I should save it for a special occasion.

Does this make me an enabler?

Tips for recent converts:

• Some years they run out. You can place a standing order (Sept or Oct) and specific a ship date.
  
• The Cracked pepper & Chive Viking cheese is really good but only seasonally available. Awesome summery cheese good with dry whites or pilsner. Viking is a Monterey Jack-like cheese. Makes an AWESOME avocado cheese melt (open faced, toasted sourdough, mustard, mayo, sliced avocados, cheese; broil, bring a knife and fork and afore mentioned pilsner..)
  
• They pull products offline over Christmas Break. No orders during this time so plan carefully
  
• There are collectors who store unopened cans under refrigeration for years. News story here: https://news.cahnrs.wsu.edu/article/who-owns-oldest-can-of-cougar-gold/ Forum member Keim in post 125 too

 

[SJhawkins]

I never intended to be a collector. It got lost at the back of the ridge for the first 5 years. When I found it I realized I should save it for a special occasion.

Funny stuff, did the same thing, bought a chuck of 8 year cheddar, was packaged in 2006, may just break it out for New Years.

 

[SJhawkins]

We live close enough to WI cheese country so make a few trips a year to the local cheese makers. Can't beat fresh warm curds and todays colby. Will say after trying many different fresh curds from a number of places they are not all equal.

A simple good aged cheddar is at the top of list too.

 

[latexman]

I tried two cheeses from Aldi’s Emporium Selection, Double Smoked Cheddar and Vintage Irish Cheddar. Both were delicious.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Our local PBS station did a story on Detroit-style pizza, which is apparently all the rage. One of its distinctive features is that the recipe uses brick cheese -- and southeast Wisconsin has one of the last cheese factories that produces authentic brick. Here's their website.

 

[Car-Guy]

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I'm pretty much cheesed out. I'm not sure why but I don't eat cheese on much of anything anymore... I even cut it out on hamburgers. I'm probably going to give it a try again tonight (new years eve) on some nachos or maybe even some cheese dip. I'll see how that goes.

 

[Involuntary Retiree]

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I'm pretty much cheesed out. I'm not sure why but I don't eat cheese on much of anything anymore... I even cut it out on hamburgers. I'm probably going to give it a try again tonight (new years eve) on some nachos or maybe even some cheese dip. I'll see how that goes.

Blasphemy!

 

[audreyh1]

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I'm pretty much cheesed out. I'm not sure why but I don't eat cheese on much of anything anymore... I even cut it out on hamburgers. I'm probably going to give it a try again tonight (new years eve) on some nachos or maybe even some cheese dip. I'll see how that goes.

Unfortunately I don’t think Velveeta or whatever the dip/nacho cheese is going to help your cheese aversion.

 

[Car-Guy]

^^^^
And I never went in for the fancy stuff so I guess I'm done, at least for now.

Rather than the traditional wine and cheese, I'll just take another glass of wine. Of maybe another beer or glass of Crown.

 

[eytonxav]

About the only cheeses I do not care for are the smoked varieties. We always look forward to our cheeses on New Years eve.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Not much compares to REAL UK Stilton and REAL Extra Sharp Cheddar, purchased from M&S in the UK of course. I wish I could get them here in the US.

American made cheeses do not seem to compare, at least other than some Costco Blue cheese that they do not sell anymore. JMHO

 

[Chuckanut]

Not much compares to REAL UK Stilton and REAL Extra Sharp Cheddar, purchased from M&S in the UK of course. I wish I could get them here in the US.

American made cheeses do not seem to compare, at least other than some Costco Blue cheese that they do not sell anymore. JMHO

American cheeses are like American beer. If you can find a local craft brewer or cheese maker, there are some great choices.

I checked out the brick cheese mentioned earlier. Alas, shipping just about doubles the price.

 

[audreyh1]

About the only cheeses I do not care for are the smoked varieties. We always look forward to our cheeses on New Years eve.

I’m not a fan of smoked cheeses either. I must have ODed on it when I was a kid because that’s what it takes me back to.

 

[audreyh1]

Not much compares to REAL UK Stilton and REAL Extra Sharp Cheddar, purchased from M&S in the UK of course. I wish I could get them here in the US.

American made cheeses do not seem to compare, at least other than some Costco Blue cheese that they do not sell anymore. JMHO

American cheeses are like American beer. If you can find a local craft brewer or cheese maker, there are some great choices.

I checked out the brick cheese mentioned earlier. Alas, shipping just about doubles the price.

There are some great American cheese makers like Cypress Grove out of Arcata CA and Sweet Grass Dairy out of Thomasville GA. I have been impressed with some of the Cello cheeses. And you can get good American fresh goat cheese.

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese out of Point Reyes CA makes some nice blues although I don’t like all of them (don’t care for the aged one). For me the gold standard are the French blue cheeses, although I’m always delighted to find Grand Noir by Kaserei Champignon.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

American cheeses are like American beer. If you can find a local craft brewer or cheese maker, there are some great choices.

Pretty much two of the only 3 things I miss about the UK. (Based on living there almost 40 years ago, not sure what it is like now)

1) A good pint
2) Strong Tongue Curling Cheese
3) Being able to say pretty much anything without have someone somewhere getting offended and making a big deal about it.

 

[Chuckanut]

I visited was very near a Costco that is a bit farther from home and decided to check on their cheese selection to see if it the same as the one near to me. About 90% of the cheeses available are the same ones. But, I did find a half dozen chunks of Fromager d'Affinois Excellence sitting on a shelf waiting for the last few to be sold. So, I picked one up. It's not cheep $15/pound. But, I have seen worse.

 

[REWahoo]

I'm very surprised no one has posted about this: Today (January 20) is National Cheese Lovers Day!

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-cheese-lovers-day-january-20/

On National Cheese Lover’s Day, don’t feel bleu, throw a feta or act capriciously. January 20th is a gouda day to kummin over and have some cheddar or asiago or fontina!