I worked at Michael’s in Santa Monica for a while and on Saturday nights when we got out the cheeses I would always wait for the remnants of the Humboldt Fog. For those of you who don’t know, Humboldt Fog is a goat cheese ripened by mold with a thin layer of edible ash in the middle. It ripens from the outside in, so underneath the skin is a runny cheese followed by a delicious typical soft goat cheese in the middle.
I love this cheese. It is a perfect cheese as far as I am concerned. When I first discovered it, I was so excited that I wanted to buy it and have it at a dinner party I was throwing that weekend. Of course, when I found out how expensive it was, I had to make a few modifications to the menu to fit this wonderful cheese into my budget.
Once the guests arrived, I immediately presented my wooden tray of beautiful cheeses and fruits. All the other cheeses were the usual suspects – parmesan, brie, and cheddar. I told everyone how excited I was about this new cheese, so everyone tried it at the same time. The reaction I received was unexpected. All of them immediately told me that the cheese tasted like someone’s foot. I was disappointed, but kept my opinions to myself. Over the years, though, I’ve noticed that these same friends are starting to like the taste of Humboldt Fog. They’ve even denied ever having disliked it. Maybe, like with cheese, our taste(buds) get better with age!
Happy Cooking!
Mary
