ham and spinach frittata

made this this morning. tasty as heck, especially opposite a caprese salad.

6 eggs
1/2 to 2/3 cup grated cheese
1 to 1/12 cup of sliced baby spinach
1/4 cup ham, diced and browned
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

preheat the over to 375f. heat the oil in an oven-safe pan. mix all the ingredients in a bowl and pour into the oiled pan. let sit 5-10 minutes until it seems the bottom has browned. then move the pan into the oven for 10 minutes or so until the top appears to be settled. then switch to broil and place the pan in the broiler for 2-3 minutes until brown on top.

cut and serve, just like anything else.

an americanized obatzda

so i tried making a version of obatzda to use as a spread on bread and i think it came out pretty good. certainly not a weight-loss meal, but here ya go:

some amount of camembert cheese (for butteriness)
the same amount of cream or neufatchel cheese (for mellow sweetness)
half that amount of either lindberger or remblochon cheese (for pungence)
a healthy number of shakes of paprika
freshly dry-roasted caraway seeds
a clove of roasted garlic

mince the garlic and mix it all up, lump it into a few ice cream scoops and plate it -- then spread on bread, sausage, whatever.

gruyere

mama said knock you out, no this cheese will knock you out!

this mostly hard cheese breaks off in your mouth, leaving you a little thirsty, especially when your teeth bite into the little surprises embedded within. luckily there's extant such a thing as good wine. there are little crunchy bits in this cheese that almost count as their own crackers. they're so tasty, they add another flavor and texture to the mix. i love cheeses that come at you from all angles.

consider my taste buds cordoned off...

i especially like the cave aged variety, which adds another layer of deep taste to this mostly hard cheese. don't melt it! but do put it on spinach salads with a few pine nuts. it'll make ya go nuts.

rating: 5/5 the kind of cheese your mama warned you about.
price: ?? (affordable)

right now i'm having some with an italian red, and it's marvelous. i can taste the farm when the two merge under he direction of my careful mandibles!

sottocenere

I'll keep this brief, as I'm trying to get work done, but I felt I needed to write this today, as I'm eating some now on me roast beef, and boy is it good.

This aromatic, semi-soft, semi-salty French cheese aims to please, and hits the bullseye! It's got a nice truffle-coating, lending a nice earthy layer of taste.

If you have a local artesian cheesery (fromagier, or somesuch), or one of the many organic stores that Whole Foods has been devouring these past 10 years, go give it a taste. Great on omelets, in salads with walnuts and spinach, and on roast beef sammiches.

Rating: 5/5!
Price: $9.99/lb at Whole Foods.