I’m learning a lot about cheese; how to handle it, how to taste it, where it comes from and what I like. Today I picked up 12 pounds of cheese before work. Mind you, this is the second trip out to restock the cooler this week.
The cheeses from the CSA farm were on both runs, but today I met with an Italian cheese importer. Sounds important I know, but we met in at his house, in his garage, in Nashua New Hampshire. Not exactly Boston’s North End. Flavio is my age, his two sons are the same age as my daughters. He is shorter by lots more than a hair, of which he has few. In an elegant way only true Italians can, he makes you feel beautiful and covers his lack of height with an accent so thick you want to run away with him.
As we sampled the huge wheels in his small “storefront” we talked about life; his wife of thirty or so years is Chinese and he expounded about the way to marital success. Later, as we were touring his other garage/warehouse, he pulled out his wallet and started showing me his wedding photo and shots of his sons. I commented that an Italian/Chinese heritage served them well and they were handsome young men. Did I forget to say, he showed me photos in his wallet? No iPhone, no YouTube videos, no Instagram.
One of the cheeses I bought was a Black Truffle, semi-soft cheese from Tuscany. I didn’t try it first and it was wildly expensive, even at wholesale. Later, as I cut it into wedges, weighed and lovingly wrapped it, I knew it was beyond special. As Flavio had shown me was proper with all his cheeses, I shaved a thin slice and let it melt on my tongue. “Americans don’t savor their cheese, they just hack of a chunk and eat it like candy. The flavor is best tested with a very thin slice.”
Benjamin is the Swiss cheese-maker at the CSA. His accent is equally lovely, though he is the physical opposite of Flavio. When I push open the heavy door to his creamery, the stainless steel gleams and the aroma is pure heaven. He towers over the vats and tables, thin as a rail and dressed in crisp white from the cap over his black hair to his boots. He speaks slowly, carefully choosing his words and seems proud but humbled before his creations.
I think I just discovered how I am going to reach my goal of adding ten pounds to my frame by Christmas…
Therapeutic Misadventures 
Working at the store has certainly opened new worlds for you. Could you have imagined ten years ago you would be tasting cheeses and meeting such wonderful people?
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So much more fun than Wall Street!!
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You and me sister. The cheesemonger around the corner has weekly tastings. I’ve entered a whole new temptation.
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So much cheese, so little time…
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I am so deliciously envious! Did you buy some of the ‘wildly expensive’ stuff? Just a thin slice, eh? I don’t know if I have that kind of restraint! 🙂
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Oh I have no restraint, Julie! Lots of thin slices and I am lucky to get the left-overs at the end of the day!
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This makes me happy that I am headed to Wisconsin tomorrow and can replenish the cheese supplies!
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Ah, love to hear what you find for cheese!
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Hopefully something good – I am hoping to check out a new place or two in Milwaukee while I am there that may (or may not) have something good!
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You have a whole town full of people you can teach how to savor cheese. I wish I had your “problem” of how to gain 10 pounds by Christmas!
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I’m amazed at how it is flying off the shelves. The theory of “try before you buy” is certainly working well with cheese!
As to my problem, it is no different than needing to loose ten pounds, just as vexing.
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Gaining 10 pounds by Christmas would be simple for me. With cheese it may not be as hard as you think for you either. What some interesting characters you’ve met.
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Thanks Marie. I do love cheese! Life is full of interesting characters when you think about it.
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