What a difference a day makes! It is easily twenty to twenty five degrees warmer than yesterday, you can actually stand to walk from one place to another. But the idea of a hot chocolate when you get inside to warm up still sounds nice, right? It's not as though it is above 50 or even 40 degrees...So with that hot chocolate, what sort of cheese do you want to have?
Not the Fromage Blanc, although decadent and fabulous, this fresh creamy contestant does not have enough of a presence to stand up to the sweet warmth of a thick and milky hot chocolate. The Fromage Blanc is light, fanciful, fresh, and airy, it begs to have the opportunity to be paired with a Vinho Verde or a cup of Green Tea -- something light to go with something light.
That leaves our Bijou and the Rogue River Blue, which will win out?
Although fabulous, sophisticated, and dynamic, the Bijou will miss the boat this week. The delicate nuances of the Bijou will be swallowed up by the sweet creaminess of a warming cup of hot chocolate. Should you feel the desire to pair Bijou with chocolate, I would vote for a 70% cacao chocolate bar maybe with some sea salt crystals, something that is semi sweet with a bit of a punch that will play off the flavor profile of the Bijou coax out unknown notes in this jewel of a cheese. Perfect with a glass of Loire Valley Sancerre or even an Oregon Pinot Gris.
Therefore, the bold and beautiful Rogue River Blue will win out this week! Why you may ask? Such a weird thing to think about...blue cheese and hot chocolate! But the spicy piquant punch of the cheese will be the perfect counterpart to the sweetness of a cup of this warm beverage. Each will play off the other's creaminess but by exhibiting such different forms of creaminess while still maintaining that central round mouth feel, this will be a winning pair! Differences yet certain similarities bring these two together.
How would you enjoy these together?
I would probably serve the Rogue River Blue with some nice simple homemade EVOO sea salt baguette crisps, keep things simple here as each the cheese and the beverage have quite the presence.
Enjoy your hot chocolate and blue cheese and lets be thankful that the temperature is no longer in the single digits!
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