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Cheese, Peanut Butter & Pickles

2008-09-24

People often point to pregnant women as craving all sorts of weird food combinations: pickles and ice cream, peanut butter and sliced onion sandwiches. But it's not just pregnant women who like non-standard food combinations. I think most of us have at least one of two preferred food combinations that other people find weird.

Jarlsberg cheese pancakes are a great example. A local breakfast place serves these and I love them. Sound strange to you? Maybe, but they're amazingly delicious with a good helping of maple syrup (satisfying cravings for sweet and salty all in one dish!). I also quite enjoy a coke with chocolate syrup mixed in (something my husband despises!). It may not be very gourmet, but I will unashamedly admit I like it!

Heck, if it weren't for people trying unexpected combinations of flavors, we may never have discovered the pinnacle of deliciousness that is peanut butter and chocolate. What a sad world that would be!

All that being said, combining just the right flavors and food textures can only serve to enhance the eating experience. In an effort to narrow in on the best cheese eating delights for our palates, I asked:

What's the best thing to eat cheese with?

Mr. Cheez-Whiz from New York suggests, "bread (with soft cheese) or nothing (with hard cheese)." Linnea from Minnesota says, "That depends upon the cheese. Some go well with a really good crusty bread. Others need a plain cracker. In my opinion, pears or apples go nicely with well-flavored medium to strong cheese. Sometimes, dried fruits and nuts are a good accompaniment. With a nod to my Swedish heritage, I like cheese with smoked fish and something pickled, such as beets or sweet gherkin pickles, on a piece of crisp bread." And Ladylilikins from Boston gives a fantastic answer, "Does one need to eat it with something?"

I think my favorite cheese meal is a selection of three cheeses. I might choose a soft cheese, maybe a creamy brie, a hard cheese, why not an aged cheddar, and then something in between like a good blue cheese. I pair these cheeses with some freshly baked bread bought an hour or two ahead of time, as well as a salad with some kind of vinaigrette dressing. And finally, what's a good bread and cheese meal without a nice glass (or preferably a nice bottle!) of wine, red or white following your preference.

So for me, I guess bread and cheese are the natural combo. Of course, the type of bread does matter. I really enjoy, for example a rosemary garlic bread made by a local bakery, but I find its flavor tends to overpower most cheeses. A good french or italian bread seems to do the trick best.

On the other hand, as Ladylilikins suggests, I really don't need anything to accompany cheese. I'm perfectly happy to eat it all by itself. Cheese needs no crutch. It can stand very well on its own!

As with anything, I guess it's up to personal preference, but in my opinion it really is hard to beat bread and cheese. It's as natural as peanut butter and jelly or moonlight and roses (hey, don't say that those things aren't naturally linked!! ;-) ).

And next time we answer the question on everybody's minds: "If you had to give up one of your favorite cheeses, which would it be and why?"


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