Cheese, Mice, and Moose

There is nothing richer, more satisfy, or more indulgent than smelly cheese, fresh bread, and red wine. T. tells me that I was a mouse in another life for the sheer volume of cheese that I can consume. One of the most wonderful combinations that I have had was presented to me at a Michelin one-star restaurant in Stuttgart. After smiling indulgently and putting "some of everything" on my plate from the cheese cart the waiter started adding a variety of spreads and educating me in the combination of sweet and salty and savory. A super-sweet orange marmelade went with the English stilton like some leather-and-lace cliche...... But it was brilliant!

Left with some very high quality (and appropriately stinky) cheese in the fridge and some rather unadventurous in-laws coming over I made two cheese spreads out of the nice cheese and "some of whatever I could find" in the unstocked pantry. The two resulting spreads were rather tasty, and while certainly not as luschious as English stilton, orange marmelade, and a well-aged Bordeaux, they seemed to satisfy the range of palettes in the house.

Port and Blue Cheese Spread
1 C Stilton or strong, aged Blue Cheese
3 T Butter
2 T Port
2 t Balsamic Vinegar
1 t pepper
Cream Cheese to taste

Beat all ingredients in a bowl until creamy. Add cream cheese in 1 T alottments until taste is mellow enough.

Aged Goat Cheese and Scallion Dip
1 C Aged goat cheese, rind on
1/4 C Mayonaise
1/4 C Sour Cream
1/4 C Chopped scallion
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t salt

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and stir until melted, approximately 8 min. Rind will melt last, do not boil.

Serve both with crudites and pita wedges. Goes well with Three Blind Moose chardonnay. Best if consumed without in-laws present to fully enjoy all flavors, but still good if needing to entertain......