French Secret for Long Life: Stinky Cheese

Photo Source KellsCraft

 

 "It's packed with fat and salt—yet a moldy blue cheese could help you live longer, say researchers. Though the French enjoy a diet high in saturated fats, its women share the title of Europe's longest-living, with a life expectancy of 85.3 years."

 

 

 

"That prompted researchers to investigate the so-called "French paradox," and they found that Roquefort cheese can fight inflammation, preventing cardiovascular disease—and when it ripens, those anti-inflammatory properties grow more powerful," the Telegraph reports."

 

Photo Source The Cheese Vendor, artist Edouard-Jean Dambourgez

 

photo Source Tongue in Cheek by Corey Amaro

"Observations indicate that consumption of red wine alone cannot explain the paradox," the researchers write. "We hypothesize that cheese consumption, especially of molded varieties, may contribute to the occurrence of the 'French paradox.'" In fact, the researchers suggest that the anti-inflammatory components of the cheese might be worth extracting for use in cardiovascular drugs or in anti-aging creams."

Written by Matt Cantor 

Newser editorial team

 

                

       An endive takes a bow,

Endive Roquefort Walnut Tart:

Put puff pastry on wax paper in a tart pan.

Chop in chunks three or four endives (use all the endive except the hard part at the end.) Toss the chopped endive into the tart pan any which way.

Add a small handful of chopped walnuts over the endives,

Then crumble a generous handful of Roquefort cheese on top.

Bake for 30 minutes or so in a hot convection oven 200°

When the crust is golden, the endives caramelized and the walnut sweet perfume spills into the kitchen, turn the oven off, let it set inside the oven for fifteen minutes.

 

 

 

 

Photo Source Share the Art: Cheese and Cream French Vendor

 

 

Not much has changed at the French Markets, the food, wine, the cheese is the same.

The atmosphere as ever inviting with the exchange of recipes, menus, and what is the best buy of the season.

 

Painting above Dambourgez, Edouard Jean - Cream and Cheese Merchants of Les Halles

 

photo source Tongue in Cheek

 

A stack of aged cheese at the market in Aubagne, France.

When at the market you can ask for a taste.

Most of the vendor enjoy sharing their knowledge about their products.

 

An individual cheese knife and a dessert fork pair up,

go out, have a swell time buttering each other up.

Looking for their pal Glass of Wine.

 

                

My friend Lea, who came to visit me a few years ago made these Amuse Bouche 

 (little bites that delight before the meal begins) for the taster teaser before dinner:

One grape on a soup spoon

the grape is stuffed with blue cheese and walnut

drizzled with honey.

 

Notes:

Recipes from Serious Eats with Blue Cheese 

 

Photo Source Where to Buy an Antique Cheese Platter

 

How to Create the Perfect Cheese Platter

 

Pedrozo Dairy and Cheese Company, Orland California, by my hometown.

 

Do you like Blue Cheese,

or  better yet, have a secret to share

about anything sexier than cheese?

Comments

[Karen@PasGrande-Chose]

Wonderful post and photos, Corey. Coincidentally, a friend visiting from Paris has just dropped by my house this morning to bring me a gift of wonderful - and yes, stinky - French cheeses! Now I'm looking forward to a long life and youthful skin :)))

[Merisi in Vienna]

Oh, what a wonderful post, Corey! :-)

I bought Morbier cheese yesterday and rode home on the metro. People actually moved away from the seat next to me, but it took me a while to realise that the stink came from my shopping bag. I am seriously thinking of printing out your post, to hand it out to people next time I transport stinky cheese!

[Zosia]

:-)

[Zosia]

Cheese mmmm..........
No wonder they say "cheese" when taking photographs. The word invokes a blissful smile on most people's faces :-).

[Amy Kortuem]

I wonder if we just rubbed Roquefort cheese on our wrinkles if that would help?

If nothing else, we'd stink so bad nobody would get close eough to see our wrinkles!!!!

[Laurie SF]

Some women have an addiction with shoes. Mine is cheese. Any cheese. Cow, goat or sheep's milk. I literally have to hide the receipts from my husband. If he knew how much I spent on quarter pound of Parmigiano-Reggiano from the local cheese shop. I would be condemned to a life of eating mass produced cheddar cheese.

*Top three cheeses I can plough through on my own...in one sitting. I kid you not.
1. Ivory yellow Manchego from Spain.
2. Dry jack from Rumiano's Dairy in Willows.
3. Triple cream Mt Tam from Cowgirl Creamery.

[Diogenes]

Blue cheese is my absolute #1 favorite cheese. I prefer the French varieties to Gorgonzola or to Stilton. It's great crumbled in salads too.

[Jeannie]

I love stinky cheese. My family doesn't. I would bring cheese to family gatherings and they would back away. All the more for me! Growing up on Tillamok or Darigold cheddar made from milk from our farm turned them into cheese snobs. LOL!

[Kathie B]

Mmmm, Tillamook!

[Kathie B]

Clifton Fadiman famously proclaimed that "Cheese is milk's leap to immortality."

[Kathie B]

Queijo de São Jorge! First time I visited the Azores, a distant cousin took me and his wife's cousin (who was visiting from California) to Topo (easternmost tip of the island), where we toured the local fábrica (cheese factory).

[[email protected]]

How about my favourite an aged to buttery, stinky perfection bleu d'Auvergne? And well even if it isn't bleu a good Epoisse!!!! Now that is the epitome of stinky goodness.

[Joanna]

I love simple <5 ingredient recipes on this blog - so far! Yummy cheese. I want to take a spoon and feed that to a guy!

[Marilyn]

Your tart recipe sounds delicious. Not a huge fan of stinky cheese, but on occasion will eat it. I have some in the refrigerator right now, I had better go eat it and live longer.

[24/7 in France]

Merci. Will try the tart recipe - sounds vraiment delicieux.

[Beverly]

“Cheese has always been a food that both sophisticated and simple humans love.”
M.F.K. Fisher

I think there is something wrong with a person who doesn't like a piece of cheese now and then..
Only if you are allergic or lactose intolerant, then of course it is..sadly...understandable.

[peggy braswell]

HMMM cheese + gotta try your receipe for the tart + those wonderful looking spoon treats. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com