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I am an Electronics Technician and was in the Navy in the 70's, lived in Europe (Spain and Scotland) for 6 yrs, then rode a motorcycle from Scotland to the northern tip of Norway and down to Morocco while camping in a tent. Moved from my home state of MN to CO in early 80's and like the milder weather here. I've been a ham radio operator since high school and met my wife on the radio 8 years ago when she was in North Carolina, we were married in 2000! I might write about books I've read, or the latest fun I've had with ham radio, we'll see where this goes!

Blog Url: http://denver.yourhub.com/~NavyVet

When is cheese junk food?

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Contributed by: Glenn Pladsen on 1/21/2007

This month, authorities have banned cheese commercials during children's TV programs in Great Britain because someone decided that cheese is "junk food"! Wow, what a shock! Cheese is part of almost every meal in most European countries.

I never thought cheese was junk food! Early in the summer I left Scotland when my Navy enlistment ended in 1977. In six months I rode my motorcycle through 25 European countries. I lived on lots of delicious kinds of cheese and the heavy, black bread that almost every bakery sells. Camping and living on a motorcycle for six months has many challenges. One of the tricky things is where to store food. It isn't like living out of a car with a big cooler in the back. In the space of that one cooler, I had to pack my bedroom, closet, shelter, kitchen and two spare tires. Having food that wouldn't get crushed when packed in a small space was a necessity, and that dense black bread was perfect. I could carry a loaf and a block of cheese for the few days it would last me. Also, the prices fit my fixed budget.

After riding through Scandinavia, I crossed the Baltic Sea to Germany on the big car ferry. I parked along the side of the car deck to tie the bike to the wall so it wouldn't fall over in heavy seas. While securing my motorcycle I met a Spanish biker doing the same. We were both riding similar BMWs, but his was missing one pannier. It had fallen off and bounced down a Norwegian fjord!

The Spaniard wanted to check out the duty-free shop on the ferry, so I went with him. He was very excited about the prices of the fancy cheese. I wasn't planning to buy anything, but his enthusiasm changed my mind. I bought a round box with foil wrapped wedges inside. He was surprised by the great price for this expensive cheese. I thought, "I'll splurge this one time and try some." I was living on cheese anyway!

After the ferry docked in Germany, the Spaniard was in a hurry. He was on a mission, at the end of his vacation with 1000 miles and only two days to get home. I had all summer to spend traveling so I set off at a leisurely pace. I camped in a grove of trees in the 100 yard wide median between lanes of the Autobahn. It was dark and I was alone in a new country. Would the police come to make me move?

I lit a candle-lantern and opened the round box. As I unwrapped the first wedge, I discovered it was covered in white mold. Yuk! I opened another one. They were all the same! I had to salvage something of this expensive stuff. I took out my Swiss Army knife, scraped off the mold, and ate the centers. I didn't want to eat something poisonous and die in a foreign country!

Three years later I discovered that Camembert cheese is SUPPOSED to have a white, moldy rind. I really felt silly. Today, my wife and I enjoy many kinds of cheese, including Camembert. I even gave her a set of pretty cheese plates for Christmas that all have reproductions of various French Camembert labels.

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Submitted By: Merrimon Crawford

posted on 2/7/2007 @ 9:39:57 AM

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Check this out. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17004963/ English firm West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers has turned a web camera on a rack of its maturing cheddar cheeses to give aficionados a chance to watch in real time the slow process of mould growth for a whole year and without having to leave home.

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Submitted By: Aaron Brachfeld & Mary Choate

posted on 1/28/2007 @ 8:04:17 PM

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Where can we learn how to make cheese? Is it difficult? directors@coastalfields.com

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Submitted By: Gladys Mercier

posted on 1/22/2007 @ 7:03:50 PM

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Sounds like a fantastic trip. Do you still ride motorcycles? Love the dishes you gave your wife.

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Submitted By: Gladys Mercier

posted on 1/22/2007 @ 7:00:30 PM

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My husband, Bob loved cheese of all kinds. He taught me to eat some of them but I drew the line at Limburger cheese. He loved it, but we all had to hold our noses while he ate it!

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Submitted By: Merrimon Crawford

posted on 1/21/2007 @ 6:50:19 PM

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This time the health nannies have gone way too far. As far as I am concerned, a life without cheese is not a life worth living! Quality of life is as important as length of life. People like Julia Child who cooked with butter --- and everything we are not supposed to eat--- seemed to have a full life indeed. I am not so sure people today understand that. My parents and grandparents ate a lot of Brie cheese so I knew you were supposed to eat the rind when I was young --- but I didn't --- until I was an adult.

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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Glenn Pladsen

Arvada , CO

Glenn Pladsen has posted 3 blog entries and 7 comments since joining on 12/22/2006. Glenn Pladsen 's average blog rating is 5.

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