What an honor….to be chosen to, not only taste a new cheese, but to give it dimension and substance….

 AND a name!

 To have the opportunity to add my humble opinion to the creation of a new cheese is amazing!!!

 In my real life, I’m a Property Manager.  BUT, in my fantasy life, I play a chef on TV, in Sylvia’s Kitchen. (that would be me, Sylvia, in my kitchen!)  (www.sylviaskitchen.com). I join people in their homes for a LIVE look into food on our CBS affiliate.  It is my goal to make cooking accessible to EVERYONE….bring people together with wonderful food that anyone can make, with readily available ingredients!

 Whether it is IN, ON or ALONE, cheese is ALWAYS a great addition to a recipe, or the STAR of the dish.

 I LOVE bleu cheese….pungent, strong and sharp….it can stand alone or be a great companion with other food!

 I was thrilled when my package arrived!  I cradled it in my arms and headed to the kitchen!  I would like to say I slowly opened it….HAH!  I opened up the box it was shipped in….inside was a wedge of cheese lovingly wrapped in shiny foil!  I let it sit on the counter until it reached room temperature….BOY, was that tough!!!

 I was intimidated to open it….seriously!  This is better than Christmas morning!  But, open it I did to find a creamy white wedge of cheese (say that three times fast!) that slowly faded into a pale yellow rind.  There were blue and green deposits of goodness marbled throughout the wedge.  It was beautiful to look at! 

 Next, the sense of smell…..OH MY!  I wasn’t expecting ammonia.  Honestly, it took me completely by surprise.  It smelled musty, like an old bottle of wine that had corked.  Disappointing….

 Time to taste…..I’m not sure what to expect, it looks beautiful…..smells awful.  I take a bite from the very end of the wedge….what would be the center of the cheese wheel.  It melts in the mouth, but, has a very grainy, undesireable texture.  AND, it doesn’t have that acrid bite of bleu cheese….it’s mellow and mild, almost non-descript…..not at all what I was expecting, but what I craved.

 The feel of the cheese is slippery; the rind is rough, almost crusty….not quite dry.  The rind is pliable, not brittle.

 OK, that leaves the sense of hearing….I lifted it to my ear….

 I waited….

 And waited….

 It made no sound…..=)

 I tried the cheese with Ranier Cherries, not a match.  I tried the cheese with an easy Merlot, not a match.  I tried the cheese atop a Belted Galloway Burger, nice!  The cheese slowly melded with the burger….a nice combo!  It also faired nicely paired with dark chocolate.

 This cheese is very different from other bleus I’ve tasted.  It isn’t one of my favorite bleus.  Actually, it was disappointing to me….I wanted so much to love it, to embrace it.

 I’ve tried it four different times; even directly out of the fridge….unfortunately, my opinion never wavered, it is not at the top of my list.

 As for the name…. Not Quite Bleu.

Thank you, Culture Magazine (www.culturecheesemag.com) and Point Reyes  (www.pointreyescheese.com), for this incredible opportunity!  I am humbled that I was chosen to offer my opinions.