+Bonjour Bruxelles+: Age is of no importance, unless you are a cheese

Getting laid off certainly has had it's perks. For one, I have loads of time....loads and loads. Too much time, I'd say. And with this time I might complete a whole slew of chores, projects, or any amount of productivity.

Or, I might find my way down to South End Formaggio to see what's going on.

I'm very nearly a stalker of the sweet, little, crowded urban food purveyor and try as I might to disguise myself with a hat, glasses or eye patch, I'm beginning to wonder if they think of me as some kind of cheese/food dork.

Part of the adventure of visiting this shop is taking in all the handsome lads that are employed here. Every single one of them exudes jubilance over the latest cheese-condiment-charcuterie-hand-made-sweet treat - very nearly taking me with them to that Nirvana-like place with a bite of some new discovery. I'm not kidding. The guys that work here are often bearded, cute, and charming. They also know their product. I'm telling you, it's a winning combination.

With today's trip I wasn't really interested in any purchase, more in the oh-hi-again shy shuffle that I tend to do at the cheese counter. But today happened to be the day that a collection of cheeses had just arrived from Belgium.

Suddenly, a theme! Two years ago we spent 2 months in Brussels.....why not take a trip down memory lane with some food?! (novel idea, first of it's kind actually....why, I never use food as anything sentimental or memory-laced celebration.....no......never).

And so VCBCG (very cute bearded cheese guy) introduced me to the following:

Valençay Belgique

This fresh goat cheese has a thin skin of ashed (vegetable ash, to be exact) rind and a moist, creamy texture, a beautifully bright flavor with herbal and floral notes and a lingering finish.

Best served with a drizzle of sweet honey.

Rouleau Belgique

(missing from its portrait due to purchase)

This is another goat's cheese but without the ashed rind. It arrives and then is aged further at Formaggio (in some dark, moldy, and well-loved cave I'm sure)
before it's on the shelf. Also best served with honey.

Boerenkaas Alt

(a cow's cheese that aged 2 years, aka Belgian Gouda)

What I liked best about this semi-hard cheese is the grainy texture
and it's perfect salty-sweet combo in taste.

Too bad I had to check out the honey shelf, what with my new collection of cheeses-that-need-honey. Hard to pick just one, such pretty packaging....such lovely descriptions. I passed over the $10.95 Tuscan import and went with a regular old jar of yellow goo. But I certainly loved the checking out the inventory.