CHEESE

Here is part of a label from some French cheese I bought at the market this morning. I usually refuse to buy any but Australian cheeses however, our gourmet son Hugh has told me there is something - je ne sais quois - about French cheese that puts some of them in another league. When you are 18 you know everything so I thought I would follow his advice, before he grows up and realises that he hardly knows anything. At 'Smelly Cheese' they were offering samples of several and I chose to taste one oozy white one. Lovely.......until a few seconds later when it became.....je ne sais quois ! Is it the unpasteurised milk they use or the hundreds of years of experience ? It is not strong but the ripe, white mold and the texture are totally unique. There are many great cheese in SA and the rest of Australia too. Here are my favourites (so far !):

Woodside goats' curd (a fresh,almost lemony, spreadable cheese), very ripe Edith's cheese (very strong goats cheese) , King Island smoked cheddar ( the only cheese I know of that is truly smoked and not impregnated with smoke flavour !Tastes like a campfire smells), Adelaide Blue (a good blue with a nice texture - easy to cut), St Clair (a Tasmanian Swiss style), Tasmanian Edam (melts really well in a croissant!), Island Pure fetta (sheep fetta from KI) and several that I buy by sight at the market but can't remember their names.

A small piece of beautiful cheese is worth so much more than a block of packaged stuff. I never, EVER buy processed or reduced fat cheeses as the processing plays havoc with your health. Just like with the rest of our diet we should eat only food as close to natural as we can get. If you say but you can't afford lots of pure cheeses, then I say that more is not always better. Buy tiny bits and sit and savour them with someone who will appreciate the new tastes and textures with you and it will bring a slightly naughty smile to your faces. Guaranteed. (Just like the customers in 'Chocolat' when they first had Vian's special hot chocolate!)