Originally my plan for today's Marriage Mondays was to focus on a simple standby cheese of Gruyere, but then as I had my Quinoa on the stove cooking in preparation for dinner, I thought I had to do a Quinoa Marriage Mondays. Now, I know some of you probably don't like quinoa or even know what it is but let me give you a few facts and I encourage you to try at least once or twice, you surprise yourself.
Considered an Incan superfood, quinoa has all eight essential amino acids and is stocked full of protein, calcium, iron, vitamins B and E and is considered a slow release carb (good for you long distance runners out there.) Technically, quinoa is a seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant. However, upon visual examination, you certainly would put it into the same category as millet, barley, rice, couscous, etc and it resembles all of the above in terms of typical preparation techniques. Somewhat similar to rice, it does come in a variety of colors --everything from a lightish yellow up to black, each equally delish as the last. Feel familiar somewhat with quinoa now? If you haven't tried it, please give it a whirl!
So today's contestant is Madame Quinoa and she will be potentially paired with three cheeses, one of which will create the excellent pairing recipe in tomorrow's post!
1. Feta - Traditionally hailing from the ancient lands and isles of Greece, this is a brined sheep's milk curd cheese, that sometimes has the guest partner of goat's milk. In our contemporary day and age, feta is made worldwide and maintains its consistancy of being an aged cheese, produced in blocks with a grainy, milky, crunchy, and of course salty flavor. Lip-smacking good when combined with some tomatoes, red onions, olives, and cucumbers to make a Greek salad. A very versatile cheese when it comes to wines, it can work with whites, red, roses, you name it.
2. Taleggio - An Italian god of the washed rind clan, this is a semi-soft cow' milk cheese that sure is a stinker! Oozy, gooey, melty, buttery, pungent, and all together, yummy -- this certainly is a spreadable or meltable cheese. Also very versatile when it comes to wines, working with both the white and the reds!
3. Uplands Pleasant Ridge Reserve -Wisconsin's award winning artisanal and farmstead answer to its regal French mountain top sibling, Beaufort. This is a firm cow's milk cheese with a nice weight to it while maintaining the difficult balance of a lightness in flavor profile. Nutty, caramelly, yet rich and clean, this baby also pairs well with everything from whites to reds...
So three contestants are vying for the chance to be combined in a recipe with Madame Quinoa. Who do you think it will be? Tune in to find out tomorrow!
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