It sure was one of those days, life definitely threw me some lemons and was I going to sit around and let myself marinate in the bitterness of those lemons? Most certainly not! I was going to make lemonade -- pick myself up, dust myself off, and turn myself around...sometimes life throws you curveballs, you simply have to get used to it.
I thought long and hard about what to write today and decided that I would write about the two cheeses that I decided to treat myself to in order to repel that barrage of lemons.
Interestingly enough, there are some definite similarities between the two cheeses I chose: both are goat's milk cheeses from Spain that tend to come in flattened logs. Very different cheeses, these two are cheeses that I adore but don't treat myself to very often and tonight I was feeling like I needed that extra boost of yummyness. I love both of these cheeses but neither is my absolute favorite, among my top, yes, but not at my top...So without further ado, here they are:
1. Monte Enebro: Made in the Spanish region of Avila, about fifty miles west of Spain, by cheesemaker Rafael Baez and his daughter Paloma; this tubular shaped, pasteurized goat cheese is extremely unique. Before the logs get aged, they are inoculated with Roquefort mold. The cheese is then aged by the cheesemaker for twenty-one days before arriving stateside to typically get cave aged for another few weeks. When you take a bit into this show-stopping looking cheese, you get creamy yet acidic, grassy, lemony, light, and flavorful notes. Really a delish cheese! Great with a nice glass of Chenin Blanc!
2. Patacabra: Meaning goat's leg, this cheese is modeled after Pata de Mulo, a Spanish sheep's milk cheese made in the same manner. Made in the city of Zaragoza, in the Spanish region of Aragon. It is a washed rind goat cheese with an orange-y, reddish exterior hue that is never the same twice. This can occur for a variety of reasons: seasonality in terms of the milk utilized to make the cheese or the cheese being made by hand, for example. Underneath the reddish/orange exterior, you get an ivory, semi-soft, creamy, goaty, paste of a cheese. The cheese is aged for forty-five days before leaving Spanish soil. This baby will not disappoint, full of the classic great flavor profiles of goat cheeses with an extra special added stink and barnyardyness from being a washed rind cheese, this surely won't disappoint. I would also pair this with a white wine heavier on the minerals but yet light, crisp and dry. Some Albarinos would work or even a Pinot Gris...
These two cheeses were perfect to combat all those lemons thrown at me today! Sometimes doing something very small and special for yourself is the best treat around! When was the last time you gave or did something for yourself that was special and out of the ordinary? If you can't remember that last occasion, I recommend you do something for yourself this coming weekend. Trust me, you won't be disappointed, I wasn't.
Enjoy your evening.
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