Last night I had a dream about cheese. And when I say dream, what I really mean is “nightmare.” There I was in my kitchen (as I often am), rooting around the cheese drawer (as I often do), and I discovered that my go-to cheese, Fromager d’Affinois, had gluten in it. It said it right there on the label, in teeny tiny letters that I could barely read. In fact, in my dream I had to go get my glasses because the print was so small that no normal person could ever hope to read it.
Of course, I had a complete breakdown right there in front of the fridge. For the past three months – as I have been getting used to all the deprivation associated with celiac – I have had to console myself with something, and what has that something been? Cheese. Now my consolation was gone. All my efforts to be gluten-free were for nought. Three months of no bread, no cake, no bourbon, and now this? Betrayed by brie?
It was a very bad dream.
Ahh... cheese. So gluten-free and yet so naughty.
But then I woke up and, even though it was only five a.m., I went right downstairs and Googled “cheese gluten free”. I was pretty sure cheese is okay, but I just had to know. Oh, I just love the Internet. By 5:05 I knew I was home free. With the exception of some blue cheeses, cheese is definitely gluten-free. There’s a great website called CeliacCentral that answers questions like this. You can see the post on cheese right here: http://www.celiaccentral.org/ask-the-dietitian/is-brie-cheese-gluten-free/pg–1/.
If you’ve been reading this blog at all, you’ve probably noticed how much Sarah and I think about those two pillars of gluten-free gastronomy: chocolate and liquor. But cheese plays a pretty major role, too. It is salty. It has great mouth feel — smooth and soft, or hard and crumbly, or even a bit grainy (like a great parmesan). It is oozing with umami, that great taste best defined as “savoriness”. It lends a certain, I don’t know, heft to your meal, and when you’ve given up on farro, and whole wheat bread, and basically everything good, you need a bit of umami to get you through the day. (If you’re not in the mood for chocolate, that is.)
Don’t get me wrong. Given the choice, I would love to smear my brie, my camembert, my soft blue cheese on a crusty baguette, but in a pinch I’m perfectly happy to eat it on a slice of apple. Or a (gasp) gluten-free cracker. Or my finger. Anything, really.
It’s nice to know I’m not going to have to give up Humboldt Fog anytime soon.
Bye Bye for now,
Enid
Daily Treat: Scrumptious cheese plate with Honeycrisp apple slices and Mary’s Gone Crackers. If you don’t love your local cheese shop, try Murray’s Cheese online, at www.murrayscheese.com. You can find Mary’s Gone Crackers gluten-free crackers at your local market or online. I like the original flavor, but they are all (surprisingly) good. www.marysgonecrackers.com.
glutenfreebitches.com 
Thank God it was only a dream!
You’re onto something big here Enid: Food and Writing. YOU GO GIRL !!!
Maybe you should have a section on “Naughty Gluten-free Moments”. I think I’d like to have a meal from wine, to chocolate to cheese and apples that would be a gluten-free yum-fest.
PS Love that word umami!
I just love brie on a finger!
I have been gluten free for 3 years (not by choice) and am curious why you forgo bourbon?! It is distilled and therefore gf!!