T Minus 8 Days and Counting…Voting for “Sending the Cat to Wisconsin” will begin on Day 5 of my countdown…mark your calendar…
Before I begin, let me thank Mathilda for sending along the cheesecake pose of herself…yep…time to set up a “play date”…My Lady will call Your Lady…woohoo!! If you don’t hear from us before Wisconsin, you will happen after “we” return. Please don’t mistake silence for lack of interest…this feline is definitely interested.
I chose the Goudas next because The Man’s BFF (of fifty years…wow…that’s almost as long as The Lady has been alive…well close enough…), Gary, is a huge Smoked Gouda fan and is on a lifelong quest to find the world’s best smoked Gouda. Here’s a shout out to Sir Gary, “Your journey has come to an end.”
Vintage Van Gogh
A masterpiece, like those created by its namesake, Vintage Vincent Gogh is made in limited qualities from fresh, full-cream milk which makes it creamier than most Goudas. It is aged a minimum of six months to create a golden body with rich flavors of butterscotch and undertones of caramel and coffee.
I give Vintage Van Gogh 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving suggestions: The Lady uses this cheese both in omelets and quiche (and according to The Man…real men do eat quiche…a reference to some best seller from the early 1980’s that made fun of men who ate quiche…I preferred a later book titled Real Dogs Don’t Eat Leftovers…don’t believe that for a minute…dogs will eat anything put in front of them. But I digress…The Lady also likes this cheese in grits and melted on hash browns…The Man likes to melt it on his burgers…not that that means a lot…The Man will melt any cheese on his burgers…and I mean any…well, not American…which is not allowed in the house by neither The Lady nor this feline foodie. If you have any doubt, here’s my review of American Cheese.
Pair this cheese with cranberries and cherries; pecan and dark chocolate.
Wine Pairings: Merlot, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir
Beer Pairings: Bock Beer
Source: Cow’s Milk
Van Gogh Gouda
Mild, sweet mellow flavor – a real classic.
I give this cheese 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestions: This cheese makes a mean grilled cheese; also pair it with ham to make a fabulous Panini. It also goes well with cashews and pecans.
Wine Pairings: Off-dry Riesling
Beer Pairings: Bock Beer
Source: Cows’ milk
Van Gogh Edam
Made with partially skimmed milk; this cheese is sweet with a bit of salty undertones.
I give this Edam 3 Paws out of 4 Paws…I know…I’ve got to get another line, but until I do (cause that’s all I’ve got)…
Serving Suggestions: Shred this cheese and toss it with pasta. It makes a great choice for mac n cheese (in this feline foodie’s opinion, almost any cheese is good with macaroni…). Put it in your favorite wrap. Melt it on top of a fried egg sandwich. You can serve it as a table cheese paired with peppadews, roasted peppers, cured meat or Virginia ham.
Wine Pairing: Pinot Noir
Beer Pairing: Bock Beer
Source: Cows’ milk
And now for Gary…
VanGogh Smoked Natural Gouda
This all-natural favorite is aged for a minimum of six months, and delicately smoked to add subtle flavor.
This feline foodie gives this Smoked Gouda 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestions: This cheese goes well with turkey in a panini. It is also terrific on pizza and in quesadillas. Gary likes smoked Gouda in his omelets and this particular smoked gouda will take that omelet to a new level…trust this feline foodie…never trust someone/anyone who uses the words, “trust me”…words to live by…but I am feline not human…so “trust me”… It also goes well with pulled pork and pumpkin seeds and nut brittle. You can also serve this with bacon…of course, anything goes with bacon…anything…
Wine Pairings: Gewurztraminer
Beer Pairings: Hearty dark beers
Source: Cows’ milk…I’m beginning to think that there are no four legged milk-giving animals in Wisconsin except those of the bovine persuasion.
Van Gogh Smoked Gouda
Pleasantly smoked and quite versatile for both cooking and snacking.
I give this cheese 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestions: Stuff this cheese in pork cutlets or burgers; it is really quite tasty in a veggie sandwich with hummus. You can shred it and add it to dips and spreads. Pair it with crudite vegetables, cured meats. Speaking of cured meats, I prefer this smoked Gouda with Breast of Columba livia.
Wine Pairings: Riesling
Beer Pairings: Amber Ale or Lager
Source: Cow’s Milk
Up next: The Landhaus Line of Roth Kase Cheeses…
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I had some cheese at the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Ky, that was marbled and mostly brown in color. It was not a soft cheese like cream cheese. It was kind of firm, like cheddar. What kind of cheese do you think this was? It was delicious!
Kathi, first of all, I love the Sellbach – I spent my high school years there (Waggener HS)…my guess is you had Cahill’s Irish Porter Cheese which is on my list to review in the near future. The Lady sells it at the kiosk – it is a MARVELOUS CHEESE. Here is a link to a picture of that cheese:
http://www.gourmet-food.com/gourmet-cheese/cahills-porter-cheese-1000300.aspx
Hope this helps.