Cheese

Whole Foods has long had an outstanding cheese selection, but my Whole Foods hasn't really gone European cheese on me (aside from the typical Goudas, Blue Stilton, and Rocquefort). So when I was in Chicago last week and stopped at Whole Foods for dinner and went to find some cheese to go with my beets and summer squash, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the cheese selection was decidedly Continental.

Mimolette - A French cow's milk cheese that looks like a cantaloupe (due to the cheese mites going to town on the rind). I'm a fan of it's hazelnut, deep cheddar flavor. Whole Foods' Mimolette is medium aged (about a year).

Valdeon - A Spanish blue made from both cow's and goat's milk and wrapped in sycamore leaves. Very creamy, with lots of bite.

I actually had a tough time picking just these two, as they also had St. Agur, Fourme d'Ambert, and a three year old Gouda. Next week.

Gerds and Neeks

From xkcd

Patriots

Stratfor takes a look at the transfer of Patriot missiles to Poland and a potential German-Russian alliance.

Cheese of the Goat

Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor: From the same company that makes Humboldt Fog, comes an aged goat cheese, with the creamy chevre center. Only they added flecks of truffle in the chevre. Now repeat after me: "Oh My!"

The St. Agur that is unbelievably at Whole Foods is pretty fantastic as well. Would you believe that chasing down St. Agur with Diet Coke is one of the more amazing cheese/beverage combinations I've ever had? And yet it is.

Glenn Beck and Nazis

Back in Black - Glenn Beck's Nazi Tourette's

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Costco

Now that I live in Arizona and I don't commute to New York any more, I've come to the realization that the cheese scene in Arizona isn't very good. Sure you can go to Whole Foods or AJs and they might have Point Reyes Blue (probably not, but they'll definitely have a passable Blue Stilton), but you're definitely not going to get a St. Agur, a Fourme d'Ambert, or even a smoked Caciocavallo. Just not happening. So instead of paying the $50 in shipping that it would cost me to have some of my favorite cheeses shipped to me, I've had to settle for less variety and have simply been searching for good cheese of the more popular varieties.

So I've been pleasantly surprised to find out that Costco does an excellent job of sourcing its cheeses. Here are my favorites (at room temperature of course):

- Parmigiano Reggiano (although the rind is a little too tough)
- Pecorino (in all of its sweaty saltiness)
- Aged Gouda (delicious and only gets better over time)
- Chevre (has a little bit of an iron aftertaste, but nothing that some strawberries can't take care of)

Nationalism

In the wake of the German bail-out of Greece, Stratfor takes a look at European nationalism.

Not Hiring

Money quote from an HBR article on the jobless recovery: "In fact, the CEOs are mad at their middle managers for not having eliminated more jobs earlier."

Miranda

A very informative post at The Volokh Conspiracy concerning the NYC Times Square bomber and Miranda rights, especially the last two paragraphs.