14.6 "Cheese & Burritos" Episode 5: Cheese ***NEW SUBSCRIBER SERIES***

Welcome back to *Cheese & Burritos*, our exclusive SUBSTACK series just for our valued subscribers! The first few episodes have been unlocked as a little taste—enjoy!

In this episode, we’re diving deep into the world of cheese. I’ll be sharing my love for three of my all-time favorites from the French mountains, along with one cheese I just can’t bring myself to love (even though I keep trying!).

So, grab a snack or a bev, settle in, and let’s savor this together. Your support means the world, and I’m thrilled to keep sharing these delicious adventures with you. Tune in for all the juicy, cheesy details!

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Intro/Outro music by Jef Shadoan

Transcript

Hello, friends! Welcome to another delicious episode of **“Cheese & Burritos,”** the podcast where we blend mindful living with mouthwatering eats. Yes, you heard that correctly. 

I’m your French-Californian host, Vanessa Hutchinson-Szekely, and today, it’s all about **CHEESE**. We’re finally getting to the namesake of the show, and let me tell you, I am **pumped**. I mean, I was pumped for our last episodes on Burritos– so equally pumped for this one bc in life, when we know Cheese, and we know Burritos– we’re doing alright.

So, let’s dive in: I’m specifically talking about **French mountain cheeses**—the crème de la crème, if you will, of all things cheesy. For me! We’re catapaulting head first into the salty, nutty, melt-in-your-mouth wonders like **Comté, Beaufort,** and the beloved Abondance****. These beauties are the pride of the French Alps, and just thinking about them makes me feel like I’m back in my Samoens mountain chalet, with a hunk of cheese that could change your life. Or at least, make you record a podcast. 

But here’s the plot twist: I didn’t even eat cheese that wasn’t melted until I was an adult. Eek– Yes, you heard that right—a French person who wouldn’t touch “le fromage” unless it was in a gooey, melted mozzarella state! I know, it's embarrassing. Being French, this is practically blasphemy. Friends and family still look at me like, “How did we raise you?” And, honestly, I don’t have an answer. I was just… a picky kid who only warmed up to cheese when it was bubbling on pizza, oozing in a grilled cheese or STUFFED IN A BURRITO.

As an adult, I finally embraced the beauty of *fromage*, and boy, was I missing out. French mountain cheeses, for instance, are like edible poetry. Hello Rimbaud! **Abondance** has this nutty, floral vibe with a hint of hay—like a fresh Alpine meadow captured in cheese form. **Beaufort** is all about that creamy, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture, with this complex flavor that goes from sweet to salty in one bite. And **Comté?** Oh, *mon dieu*, it’s perfection: firm, yet slightly soft, with crystals that pop in your mouth, and flavors ranging from fruity to nutty to caramelized. Eat these by themselves, or paired with my favorite apero snacks of green olives and potato chips, and you’re winning in that game called life.

But listen, as much as I adore French mountain cheeses, let me confess another faux pas: **goat cheese and I have a complicated relationship.** I have tried, I mean *really tried*, to like it. I’ve tasted fresh chèvre, aged chèvre, chèvre with herbs, chèvre in salads, on toast, with honey. Nope. There’s just something about that tanginess that doesn’t sit right with me. It’s like my taste buds just go, “Non, merci.” Same with lamb. I keep thinking my tastes will evolve, but here I am, still politely declining the goat cheese at every family gathering. 

And while we’re being honest, can we talk about *Burrata*? Because, yes, I live in California, and sometimes, nothing beats a fresh ball of creamy burrata on a bed of tomatoes. I may be a hardcore French cheese fan, but I fully welcome burrata into my cheese family. That tender, milky center, the way it just oozes onto the plate—burrata is proof that you can love both the old-world French classics and the fresh, Italian imports without betraying your roots. It’s a **cheese ceasefire**, if you will. Thank you Kiki for introducing me many moons ago! #everyoneneedsanitalianfriend

Now, if you’re a cheese lover who’s a little nervous about going beyond your comfort zone, let me offer this advice: start small. Maybe grab a wedge of Comté or Beaufort, slice off a piece, and just let it sit on your tongue. Really taste it. You’ll start to pick up on those floral notes, the nuttiness, and that subtle hint of sweet hay. It’s like discovering the layers of a really good book. And yes, maybe even give goat cheese one more try… but I won’t blame you if it’s not love at first bite.

So there you have it, folks—a French-Californian woman who grew up afraid of unmelted cheese but is now making up for lost time with full-on Alpine cheese worship. And if you’re like me and goat cheese still isn’t your jam, don’t worry. There’s a world of other cheeses out there ready to woo you.

That’s all for today’s cheese confessions!  Thanks for listening, and remember: embrace joy and never stop exploring the cheese aisle.

Thank you, Bye- Ciao!