A hunk-a-stout-a cheesy love

Every once in a while something so bizarrely beautiful stops me in my tracks.

While in the SwankyFooderie, just prior to joining the queue that led me down the bread bunny path, I was snooping about for a nice bit of cheese. I'd already settled on some Stilton and Roquefort, but I wanted something that would go with the beef and Guinness stew I planned for St. Patrick's day.

Normally I'd have gone for a nice old cheddar, but this hunk-a-stout-a cheesy love caught my eye. I'd never heard of Guinness Cheddar before, but its terrazzo-like appearance was all I needed to add it to my growing armload of treasures. Besides, what's a little more Guinness to the stew?

Well...if I had remembered to put it in, I'm sure it would have been wonderful...but my sieve-like memory left the lovely hunk of Irish goodness in my drawer. Now, would I forget about Jonathan Rhys Meyers or Bono or Ciarán Hinds? No. Nonononononononono.

But forget it, I did...until I cobbled together tonight's supper--a simple sandwich made with deli-sliced Angus roast beef with sautéed garlicky mushrooms and onions (with a bit of instant beef broth, in lieu of a proper gravy or jus) on a nice soft roll. The only thing that was missing was a bit of cheese...and then I remembered the the hunkahunka.

Because I really, really like Guinness and I really, really like cheese, I was worried that this would be one of those things that was better left in the concept stage...Boy, was I wrong. For me, it works--and nicely--but it won't be everyone's pint of pleasure. It's a crumbly cheese that easily breaks off into barley-laced little hunks of cheddary goodness--which makes it great of sneaking little snacky pieces and crumbling some in a nice beefy stew or soup.

Before it disappears in the name of "just a little snack" I must see what sort of yummy goodness can be had with it...

cheers!
jasmine