Say Cheeeeeeeeese

Ahhhhh cheeeeeese. How does that joke by De Gaulle go exactly? How can you govern a country which has 246 different types of cheese…no…as many cheeses as days of the year…no wait…three hundred kinds of cheese…well, whatever. I think France actually has more than 300 types of cheese, but that’s another article altogether. Our cheese destination at this point in time whisks us away to the Emerald City. This weekend, DeLaurenti’s–that oh so fabulous Italian specialty shop–and Pike Place Market hosted the Seattle Cheese Festival.
Let me first say that if you don’t hold at least one single ounce of patience, then you should not have gone. I am somewhat patient, but was hoping to teeter off to the festival to gather some useful blog info and snatch a couple of cheese samples while still being able to meet other previously scheduled engagements. And lets just say, I should have known better. We Americans have this tug-of-war dilemma of trying to get to the free sample table as quickly as possible while still saying please and thank you and awaiting our turn. Well, I cut that out of my system after about five minutes of still trying to figure out if there actually was a line. Slyly slipping through the cracks in the crowd, I snagged a few samples, asked a few questions, gathered a couple of brochures, thanked the host, and moved along. I can’t really say if the people around me were pleased that I had gotten in and out so quickly or if they were ticked that I was able to finagle my way ahead of them. I apologize if I was rude in any way. Now, let’s move on.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to partake in the grand cheese seminars, but instead was able to shoot a few photos and rediscover the creamy goodness of Cowgirl Creamery cheese. I tasted a few others and didn’t find the essence I was looking for. I prefer aged, smelly cheese with really thick rinds or super melty triple cream brie. But then again, I unfortunately have become a cheese snob. I did find Horsefeathers–”a gentle horseradish cheddar spread” by Fiscalini Cheese Company–to be rather interesting; was too cheap and chicken to brave LāLoo’s Goat’s Milk Ice Cream>; and collected a few recipes from DCI Cheese Company>. I also managed to purchase a few morsels of cheese, but mainly from the regular market vendors. I couldn’t escape the Market, of course, without first making a stop by Le Panier and Bavarian Meats Delicatessen.
All in all, the festival was a great way to sample free cheese, drive some local shoppers and shopkeepers a little crazy, and enjoy the amazing sunshine (the opposite of what was forecast, at least on Saturday).
While I may tend to sound a little jaded and snobbish, I am extremely thankful for these foodie festivals. It’s a superb way to inform the public on what they should and should not be purchasing. It was a fun way to spend a weekend in Seattle and I thank Pike Place Market and DeLaurenti’s for providing us with such scrumptious education.