Day One Sixty - Peanut Butter Marriage Mondays

In preparation for today's Marriage Mondays, I got to thinking and thinking outside the box about cheese and food pairings and I settled on something that you see rarely paired with cheese in the form of a sandwich -- peanut butter and why not?

Peanut butter is quintessential Americana embodied in a food product if you ask me --whether it comes paired with jelly on Wonder bread or eaten as a snack with celery or with bananas as Elvis' favorite sandwich or inserted into chocolate circles in the form of the ever popular, Reese's Pieces. Utilized in so many different situations, this simple combination of ground peanuts and salt is ubiquitous nation and worldwide.

Peanut butter also has a series of health benefits, if eaten in moderation, as it is quite high in fat, granted the good sort, but still. It protects against the risk of cardiovascular disease as it has such high levels of monounsaturated fats. Peanut butter and of course consequently peanuts provide a significant amount of protein, vitamins B3 and E, magnesium, folate, and dietary fiber.

So, shall we meet this week's contestants for the opportunity to be paired with peanut butter?

Contestant Number #1: Comte - Hailing from the Franche-Comte region of France, this cow's milk cheese is aged for anywhere between eight and eighteen months. I like to think of it as a "dressed up" Gruyere cheese as its flavors are more developed, delicate, and distinct. Sweet and caramelly yet nutty and buttery with an almost tobacco, cedar finish, this cheese is a star, so full of flavor, you can't ever go wrong!

Contestant Number # 2: Gorgonzola Cremificato - Originating in the Italian region of Lombardy, this young cow's milk cheese is rich and thick that when cutting into it, it collapses because there is not sufficient aeration. Gooey, creamy, classically blue with all its pungency -- this is the sort of blue cheese that hits all the right cords. This is that nice balance between sweet and savory.

Contestant Number # 3: Queso de la Serena - This small production artisanal vegetarian Spanish raw sheep's milk cheese is special -- it is coagulated with cardoon thistle which gives the cheese an intense, vegetal, floral, grassy, barnyardy yet even sour flavor. It is the ultimate characterization of gooey in a cheese -- thick, creamy, runny, mushy, and all around fantastic, this is the perfect cheese to dip a crusty piece  of bread in.

So folks, who will win? France, Spain, or Italy?

Check back tomorrow for your results!