Wednesday, June 22, 2011

A Wedge of Blue

kitchen table, 2010

I see we have one beer standing in the cardboard six-pack and I place it in the refrigerator. It's mine. I'll be on my own this evening and I have an idea. A hunk of blue cheese and a beer, the way Uncle Frank used to do it. Yes, this will be nice. No bread. No crackers. This is how Dad recalls the ritual. Mom agrees. Sometimes simple is best. Dad and I tested it out one night with Stilton. Very successful. Today it will be Point Reyes Original Blue. I'll set myself up beside the kitchen window, where so many good things in life take place. Just a wedge of blue, the last beer, and me.

32 comments:

  1. What a great idea and way to spend some solo time. Gorgeous photo.

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  2. I love reading your writing, Denise. Sometimes I don't comment, but I want you to know I always read. You have a weighted deliberateness to your words that give a sense of belonging, a sense of intent and purpose. I like that.

    (Even though I really dislike both blue cheese and beer.)

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  3. Sounds like a quality meal, though I do love a substrate for my cheese.

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  4. Thanks, alexandria. I'm off to buy my blue.

    kate, Thank you, what a lovely comment. It's nice to know you are reading. Maybe one day you'll enjoy beer and/or blue cheese. I've just recently discovered after many years of dislike that I now like chocolate and mint together.

    Peter, I felt the same way. I pressed Dad on that detail. No crackers? No bread? Are you sure? He was sure. It's actually pretty nice. I'm always surprised by what I can do without.

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  5. yes yes yes! beer and cheese and you. perfection.

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  6. This sounds lovely, though I would choose an aged, sharp cheese and a hard cider. Sadly, if I had to make a list of foods I dislike, blue cheese would probably make the top three.

    Dark chocolate or milk? Dark, I bet.

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  7. And dirty bare feet propped up on the other chair.

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  8. h yes, that's food bliss :) I ate almost that last night, some Roquefort and red wine... perfection !

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  9. cheese and beer, sounds heavenly! i'm more of a sharp cheddar or goat girl myself. enjoy your blue :)

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  10. Knowing you (just a little), I bet it's a wedge of blue, the last beer, a book and you. Am I wrong?

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  11. like kate, i'm always here, just not always vocally so.

    there's a quiet solidity about your writing and that photo, well, that photo speaks volumes.

    delicious to be on one's own.

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  12. Sounds like a wonderful evening to me.

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  13. I read this and suddenly this J.J. Cale song pops into my mind:

    http://youtu.be/Tdzlop4p0vc

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  14. wedge of blue, I love that - it has such strong metaphorical implications.

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  15. those quiet evenings by the window can be very filling to the heart...

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  16. so good to treat yourself in solitude! point reyes original blue is a firm favorite, maybe my most favorite of blues.I bet your Uncle Frank would have liked it too.

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  17. I would not turn that down, either.

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  18. I enjoy reading about other people's food rituals. Could be a blog/book of its own...

    Hope you enjoyed it.

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  19. What a great evening! I need to try that sometime! Thanks for the reading choices. The all sound quite interesting.

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  20. I envy you. I try to hold myself in the moment if I am eating alone, but I am such a flitter-brain that I can never really even notice what I'm eating.

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  21. The window and sitting by it... that is the element that goes well with any ritual food choice :^) ...especially a window in SF.

    Happy weekend - xo

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  22. ... making me long for something out of reach. what? it's only early morning....
    thxs anyway. for the idea of.
    n♥

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  23. A beer, some blue, a girl alone. Bliss.

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  24. Oh how I've missed your words Denise. I'm only home a few days and so don't have time to comment on each post I missed, but know that I read each and every one of them. They made me think, made me feel, made me imagine...like what the taste of blue cheese and beer would be. No crackers, no bread...

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  25. I like to plan similar simple feasts when on my own of an evening. It is something I look forward to. The planning of it almost as fun if not more so than the actual quiet and simple treat.

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  26. I like Kate's words... weighted deliberateness....

    Beer and cheese. What a good idea. I am making a mental note for when I will start drinking again (that sounds funny) deliberate drinking.

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  27. Liz, ; )

    Anne, Agreed!

    Shae, Aged sharp - yum. I haven't tried cider in so long I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'll have to remedy this. When it comes to chocolate, without a doubt, dark.

    Tracy, Ha!

    etre-soi, I like your pairing. Very nice.

    debbie, I'm a sharp cheddar and goat girl too. Ever tried raw milk goat cheddar? Love it.

    mise, You are so right, as usual. There's almost always a book.

    Lucy, Thank you. Such a nice comment.

    Beth, Yes, a good one.

    Rachael, I like it. This one popped into my mind http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIvka3SSv9Y

    hila, Thank you. I thought so too.

    Amelia, Yes.

    Lecia, Pretty much.

    nancy, I bet he would. It does remind me of the blues we ate when I was a little girl living in Chicago.

    Julia, Nope ; )

    Melissa, Have you read Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant?

    Jane, I hope you are enjoying a nice summer read right about now.

    life without mathematics, I can always be counted on to pay attention to my food. Sometimes it is a blessing and sometimes it is a curse.

    Janis, A window in Fairfax might even be better.

    woolf, I'm crazy enough to eat a nice blue early in the morning, but I'm not so sure about the beer...

    Julie, Yes, bliss : )

    Rachel, What a treat -- so good to see your comment here! I hope you are doing well and will see another break at home soon. Your comment is so nice. You've given me a smile.

    gracia, I so agree, the beauty is often in the planning. I'd love to know of simple feast you've planned.

    RW, I like Kate's words too. Deliberateness...it's a good thing.
    I hope you enjoy that first deliberate drink.

    Annie, : )

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  28. That's a vignette if ever I saw one. 100% vignette.

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