Hunk O' Ecstasy

About a month ago, I was reading Pickle and Cheese's blog (don't you just LOVE that name), when one of her posts caught my attention.....I mean.....REALLY caught my attention.  If you're not aware of it by now.....one of my all time loves is CHEESE!!!  As in.....cheese glorious cheese!  Cheese is such a mainstay in my life.....that hardly a day goes by where I don't have even a small taste of that culinary delight!  So back to Pickle and Cheese's blog.....there was a photo of a cheese I'd never seen before.....it almost screamed at me to reach into the monitor and taste a morsel.  Before I was even done reading her post.....I had scribbled down the name of the cheese.....Shropshire Blue Cheese!  Having never seen or heard of it before, I was certain I'd have to go on a quest to one of the local specialty groceries to find it.....but, lo and behold.....a week later I was at Kroger's (the one that has cheese stations set up throughout the WHOLE store.....delight of delights).....when I came upon an orangey cheese that had ribbons of blue running through it.  First thought was.....hmmm.....second thought was.....could it possibly be.....then I read the little sign above this mountain of delight.....the clouds parted.....the trumpets trumpeted.....and in blazing white lights was.....Shropshire Blue Cheese!!!  Hot damn!  I reached in and took a taste.....yummy sounds emitted from deep within my being.....I grabbed a few more (you can never eat just one).....and proceeded to continue shopping.  Well, let me tell you.....after about 5 minutes of walking in a cheese-induced stupor.....and tasting all those sinful flavors swirling in my mouth.....I knew I had to have some of my own.....so I floated back (metaphorically speaking) to that lovely container, and tried one more bite.....then hemmed and hawed over how much to buy.....here's a glimpse at the price per (gasp) pound.....

You read that right.....$19.99 per pound!  It HAD to come home with me.....though only less than a quarter of a pound found it's way into my basket.  When I finally arrived home.....I carefully unwrapped my prize.....and savored one small bite.....then another.....then.....you get the picture.....

When I was thoroughly sated.....I rewrapped my treasure.....to await tomorrow's lunch.....

Once my feet had settled on terra firma.....I quick emailed my irie friend, Val.....who should be my culinary cheese twin.....and let her know that she should run.....not walk.....and purchase this cheese!  Indeed she did.....though she walked a few days later.....but when she did have this hot little cheese in her hands.....she too declared it as one of the best!  In fact, she loved it so, that she Googled (don't you just love Google) Shropshire Blue Cheese.....and came up with some interesting tidbits about it.  If you didn't know this already.....Shropshire Blue Cheese is a cow's milk blue cheese from the UK.....it's a cross between Stilton and Cheshire.....and it's orangey color comes from the addition of annatto (a natural food coloring). 

So there you go.....my NEWEST love.....Shropshire Blue Cheese.....