Yoxall WI
Home
About us
Photo Archive
Photos from more recent years
News and Diary Dates March 2020
February 2020 and earlier meetings
January 2020
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
October 2018 meeting
September 2018
August 2018
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
January 2017
December 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
June 2016
May 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August Outing 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August Outing 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August Outing 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
Yoxall WI Village Book 1965 - revised 1990
Links
Contact us
A Cheerful Cheese Tasting
Still in the party spirit at our January meeting, we celebrated our WI’s 92
nd
birthday with wine to accompany the cheeses brought for us to taste by our speaker Ian Rogerson. As the son of a butcher who followed his father into the trade, cheese had never been part of Ian’s diet until he moved to Leicester. There, following his mother’s advice to “always eat what’s put in front of you,” he tasted Stilton for the first time which began his passion for cheeses.
He kept us laughing throughout his entertaining and informative talk, passing on many tips and wise words. We shouldn’t approach new foods with an “I don’t like” attitude – our palates are there to enable us to learn to like. If you’re not sure about tasting a new cheese, try it with two other varieties which you know that you like. We should change our thinking about how cheese should be used and served – to appreciate it fully, eat it before pudding as the French do. Don’t always eat it with savouries – try it with jams as well as chutneys and with puddings such as apple pie. When cooking, add small amounts of cheese to vegetables and a bit of Stilton on top of a steak and kidney pie just before it comes out of the oven. Smoked mozzarella is good with meat and blue Brie with warm bread and cranberries.
Cheeses are living things because they are filled with ‘good’ bacteria which give the cheese its flavour and character as it matures. The longer a cheese matures the drier and more strongly flavoured it becomes. A strong cheese like Lincolnshire Poacher needs fifteen months to mature while milder, moister cheeses such as Wensleydale are ready much sooner. The rind which forms on the outside contributes to the flavour and most rinds can be eaten.
Our mouths watered as Ian described the wonderful range of cheeses he had brought and soon we were greedily sampling about a dozen different varieties which included ‘Grandma Singleton’ – a strong Lancashire which ’bites your tongue’, a Welsh Cheddar called ‘Collier’ containing granules of sea salt, Webster’s Stilton – smaller than other Stiltons and very blue and creamy, and a new Wensleydale with mango and ginger. This was Ian’s second visit and was again such a treat that we’re already looking for another booking!
It was a busy meeting as we had to pay our annual subscriptions, give in our individual votes for the proposed resolutions for future WI campaigns and consider a special opportunity on offer – the chance for one member to attend the AGM of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes at the Albert Hall in May with all expenses paid, only available to our WI once every three years and usually taken by a committee member. A draw for this will be held at the February meeting when John Clews will speak on ‘Action for Birds’ and visitors will be very welcome.
For information please contact Penny Bailey on the link below.