This isn't exactly writing related except that it is about words.
It all started years ago when I saw the listings of cheeses on a cheese plate. One of them was called Humboldt Fog. The name captured my imagination but when I saw that it was goat cheese I thought I wouldn't like it. Even so the label with the cypress tree logo stuck in my mind.
When I thought of goat cheese, I thought of feta and while I like it in Greek salad, I couldn't really envision it by itself.
Time passed and I discovered that I liked the cheese that came with beets at a restaurant we go to a lot. They called it goat cheese, but somehow I kept thinking it was feta cheese that was particularly good. It was more like background noise in my mind than anything else. .
Then by chance someone told me that feta cheese and goat cheese weren't the same. All it took was some searching and I found out all about feta cheese and why the cheese with the beets was so different. Feta is a combo of sheep's milk and goat's milk and it's brined which makes it drier with a salty flavor. The cheese on the beets was creamy and had a richer taste.
As soon as I realized that I liked goat cheese I thought of that Humboldt Fog and wanted to try it. Online, I found out that it tastes like buttermilk and citrus and has a lines of grayish vegetable ash around the eatable rind. I also found out that its pretty pricey. On Valentines Day we went to Ojai and stopped in a market there. The cheese case had small pieces of Humboldt Fog cheese and I decided rather than chocolates, that would be my valentine treat.
The next morning when I was getting ready to have what I call my French breakfast--a croissant from Costco with something on it along with some fruit, I took out the Humboldt Fog cheese and cut off a small portion. And then the big moment as I finally went to taste it. It wasn't exactly a disappointment..It just wasn't the big moment of deliciousness that I expected. The name though is appropriate. The vegetable ash and the translucent consistency near the rind does remind me of fog.
I was too impatient with the first taste and found that it needs to be room temperature. I so want to love it all because I love the name.
8 comments:
Good morning -- Humboldt Fog is a great name. That it tastes like buttermilk -- horrible. To me, buttermilk tastes like milk that has been left setting in the sun for days -- sour, sour, sour!
After having really warm weather, it's turned chilly and wet. I'm still wearing a sweatshirt every day.
I've been doing my usual crocheting -- putting the last four rows on a granny square today, then on to a horizontal stripe granny. I'm using ombre yarn -- beautiful color shadings and few yarn ends to weave in -- hurray for that!!
Lawn guys are starting their noise -- I think it's a bit damp to mow but they're here. Damp grass usually just gets smooshed down and looks bad.
Enjoy your day, your cheese and your writing. How's the new yarn retreat story coming along -- keeping all the many characters in order?
Patty, The cheese doesn't taste like buttermilk to me. It's creamy with a touch of sharpness. It goes well with the croissant. The whole dozen of the Costco croissants cost less than the small piece of cheese LOL.
It sounds like your weather is like ours. The rain ended yesterday, but there is still a cloudy sky today and it's definitely chilly.
You really zip through those afghans.
I have to use the weed wacker in the secret garden area, but I'm waiting until it dries out a little. Our gardener did not mow the lawn this week because it was too wet.
I didn't let my cheese adventure get in the way of the Yarn Retreat rewrite. I know the characters pretty well by now so keeping them straight isn't a problem, but I'm definitely going to put a list in the front of the book.
Also since I discovered that I like goat cheese, I got some others to try. None of them have great names like Humboldt though.
I've always enjoyed various cheeses, Betty, but never got into figuring them out that way. Maybe I ought to try!
Linda, It's always exiting to try something new. I remember having Camembert cheese for the first time and being fascinated that you ate the rind.
Unfortunately I do not like the smelly cheeses. I don't even like the smell. But I have discovered there are some Parmesan crackers that I like. That amazes me.
I'm back! I have been computerless for a month. So frustrating. I am not a fan of strong cheeses except in salads. Although Trader Joes has a honey goat cheese that is good. I believe the honey makes the improvement. So glad to be back online again! Yipee!
Miriam, It's good that you found some Parmesan crackers that don't smell like the cheese.
Sally, Welcome back! Being computerless had to be tough. Funny that you should mention the honey goat cheese from Trader Joe's. I recently bought some but haven't tried it yet. Now that I realize I like goat cheese, I'm anxious to try different kinds. Trader Joe's has one with blueberries that I want to try. As far as I could tell, the Humboldt Fog cheese did not have a particularly strong fragrance.
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