Wet your whistle

Alcohol is a typical symptom of the holiday season as we accelerate towards yet another year; and while I usually just talk about cheese, it makes sense to tip my hat to its oft-quaffed companion.

Thanks to a Time Out special offer, Stuart and I headed to Pall Mall Fine Wines, which is hidden within the chic Royal Opera Arcade, the oldest shopping arcade in the world. Once you duck into this elegant, quiet passage, it’s easy to forget you are minutes away from the hectic hubbub of Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus.

Pall Mall Fine Wines offer just that: a range of quality wines, from both well established and less common regions, all selected by the knowledgeable and accommodating staff. Not only can you purchase supreme wines there, the shop also offers a buying service so that you can sell your own collections. And, they’ll organise wine tastings for special occasions.

But enough about the wine already. What about the cheese? I’d cycled straight from work across town and my appetite was akin to a starved bear (I recently saw the film Paddington, which is wonderful by the way). So you can surely understand why I basically inhaled (more than my fair share of) our all-Italian Charcuterie & Cheese platter. For a few fleeting seconds though, I appreciated every morsel.

We gorged on Cacio Nero Di Pienza, a moreish crumbly white Pecorino; Pecorino Vinaiolo, matured for two months with a bitter skin; and Asiago, a gorgeous semi hard cheese. The selection of chorizo and salamis were a sumptuous treat too. 

Camillo De Lellis from Molise, Italy was a subtle fruity match for the salty meal.

If you fancy exploring a calm, sophisticated wine cave in a historic shopping arcade you didn’t know existed, Pall Mall Fine Wines is for you. Word of advice: For an optimal tasting experience, I’d recommend not being completely famished before you get there.

In with the old, out with the new

Old Amsterdam is full of character, according to its website. Why is it called Old? Because it’s mature and traditional, innit. It has a “timeless quality.”

I found it nonchalantly perched on the non-refrigerated shelf in Morrisons, a supermarket with an award-winning reputation, reflected in its numerous prizes at the International Cheese Awards in Nantwich this year.

My trust in the not so new paid off. Old Amsterdam is indeed full of character, similar to a mature Cheddar— creamy, rich and strong. With some leftover white wine loitering in our fridge, the obvious thing to make was a risotto, so I found a suitable mushroomy recipe. I took the liberty of adding some green beans and an abundance of Old Amsterdam. The result was gloopy but delicious. Nothing beats a steaming bowl of comforting risotto at any time of year and especially during cold, dark November.

The makings of a great risotto as well as two plug sockets

Really easy mushroom risotto

Mmm, buttery

Have you ever tried cheese that is just like butter but better? I hadn’t. That is, I hadn’t until the day I tried Chaource AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée). After that, everything changed. Namely, I had discovered a magnificent creation: cheese that tastes as creamy and soft and gorgeous as butter. Although I don’t usually eat butter on its own, if I did, I’d want it to taste like Chaource. My only criticism is that its name doesn’t have an “I”—how fun if a cheese’s name contained all five vowels!

Chaource AOP

If you had to choose any cheese to be your bodyguard, it’d be this. At 6 cm tall, it towers above other cheeses, and with its 10 cm diameter it wouldn’t stand for any nonsense. Although one must admit the consistency is so ridiculously squishy that any assassins would have a pretty good chance. Plus, if they had any sense they'd just eat it!

Anyhoo, I had vowed to recreate my wonderful Brooklyn sandwich experience once I returned to England. Although the authentic version used Brie and Garam Masala mustard, neither of those were handy, so I substituted the Brie for Chaource and Garam Masala for English mustard. Albeit eye-watering, it wasn’t too bad. Not a patch on Hungry Ghost’s version but a valiant attempt. Plus, it was a good excuse to melt my new favourite. Mmm, just like butter.

Melted Chaource with ham, English mustard and mango chutney