A couple of days ago, on a hot summer day, I had the pleasure of spending some time with my dentist and I learned that trips to the dentist can be even more unpleasant if you decide to wear shorts. The dentist office like the rest of Seattle, where only banks and Starbucks have air conditioning, was hot. The heat coupled with the bare skin of my legs and the plastic of the dentist chair had me wanting to run screaming into the streets. I was hot, wet and itchy yet I stayed calm, remained patient and polite. The faster I got out of the dentist office the the more time I had treating my self to some good food.
Luckily my dentist's office is in the Pike Place Market which is home to Seattle's best cheese counter. With 200+ cheeses to choose from, Delaurentis always has something interesting and flavorful. Before I bought any cheese I hit the sliced meats and ordered some Italian Mortadella and Hot Coppa. While the meat was being sliced I hit the freezer section for some tiramisu. Finally, there was the cheese counter where buying cheese is almost a treat by it's self. I asked for a cheese that was really yummy. With ease they hooked me up with a small ball of cheese from Bingham Hill Cheese Company called Poudre Puff.
This cheese is a shinning example of some great American artisan cheese being made today. It's unique for American cheese in that it's not yellow and doesn't slice. Actually it's a 4 oz. pasteurized cow's milk jewel and I rushed home and immediately unwrapped it. It didn't really smell of anything and it was firm to the touch. The bloomy rind was crinkly almost like it was dehydrated. I cut into it before it came to room temperature and found the interior to be snow white, crumbly and cakey. After 30 mins I checked it again, at room temperature its texture was completely different. It was fluffy like it was whipped with air, creamy and the flavor reminded me of mushrooms. The more I think of it, the Poudre Puff looks like a mushroom, something I'd find growing on a decaying tree trunk.
Try it by it's self and then rock your world by wrapping with Mortadella (my stomach is making noises thinking about it).
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