OK... So Spermyse is a period cheese, the modern equivalent of which is an herbed cream cheese. I like working on period cheeses and all, but when asked what I am offering, I keep telling people "herbed cream cheese" because... Well... "Spermyse" just isn't an appetizing word to me.

This aside, my herbed cream cheese went over quite well at WW for 3:00 AM drunken larder raids, so this morning, I threw a batch together to "percolate" while I'm at the office. Around 8:00 tonight, I should be able to start draining off the whey while I frantically pack for Pennsic.

Which is the point at which I ask you, dear friends... What kinds of herbs do you want in your cream cheese? This question is of particular importance if you're on your way to Pennsic and think you may end up getting some of this cheese...

Dill?
Chive?
Cracked black pepper?
Rosemary and garlic?

Something I haven't thought of? If red pepper was period, I'd be all over it... I might even make a secret so-wrong-for-period-but-so-right-for-my-tummy stash...

I think this is the first time in 10 years that I don't feel ready for Pennsic. I don't have enough garb, and all of the stuff that I cleaned and re-packed last year needs to be re-sorted and re-packed this year, to minimize redundancies between my own kit and the regalia that we now must bring. In thinking it through, I think that the only regalia we really need is the crowns and the thrones... But they take up plenty enough room, where we didn't have enough space as it was.

Last week, I made a new black tunic for sirzig and hopefully in the remaining portion of this week, I can make myself one to match. ( Blah, blah, blah, CHEESE! )

Over the weekend I put together two cheeses. One was a portered cheddar. Before pressing the cheese, I soaked the curds in a porter that I boiled until it was "double strength." The goal was more a flavored cheese than an alcoholic one, so I figured it wouldn't much matter if I evaporated all the alcohol from the beer.

I'm moderately pleased with the outcome, now that the cheese is out of the press:



The marbling is light, but you can still see it, and the smell is very much "portery." I want to eat some nownownow, but it won't be done aging for "3-24 months." ... If I can just make it until Christmas, I figure that should be about right.

I also made a lingonberry cheddar which is in the press at this moment. There will be pictures as soon as it's out this evening.