Cheese of the Year

I would first like to share some new-found knowledge with my loyal readers (who by now must number well below half a dozen.) I can now answer the question, "What are those crunchy things in my delicious aged cheese?" Calcium lactate, of course. When good bacteria love good cheese for a long time, they convert lactic acid into precipitated crystals of calcium lactate.

This brings me to my hands-down winner of the coveted Cheese of the Year Big Prize. Yes, I used to have a Cheese of the Week entry, but unfortunately I don't work in a cheese shop anymore. Nevertheless, this recent discovery was worth the wait. If you have not tried this one yet, get thee to a cheesery and buy some.

Midnight Moon (Cypress Grove Chevre): U.S.A. (California), goat's milk, aged 1+ year. Full of crunchy crystals, this medium hard cheese bursts with an amazing caramel-nutty flavor. It's so delicious, so flavorful, so absolutely delightful to behold, that it needs no accompaniment. Do not make cubes of this and serve it with your other cheeses. This one deserves to be shaved thin as can be, and allowed to melt on the tongue for full appreciation of its many layers of flavor. The goatiness of the milk comes out only slightly, but it's there, and it rounds out the aroma perfectly. Lightly flavored grapes and a light red would make good partners, but don't go making a mini sandwich on a Triscuit. Let it speak for itself, savor it, love it.