Asenath and I thought it would be a cool idea to find one or two cheeses that we can have for our holiday snack treat, so we decided to have a cheese tasting at home.

I took a trip to Di Bruno Bros. in Philadelphia and purchased an assortment of cheeses we could try. Di Bruno Bros. has a great selection of “signature cheeses, to the blues, the Bries and creamy cheeses, cheddars, fondue, fresh & chèvres, Goudas, Parmigianos, pecorinos & grating cheeses, provolones, the stinky & funky, and truffle cheese—WHEW!” I went a little over my budget but picked up these cheeses…

​Cheeses:

Auricchio Stravecchio Provolone. “Imported from Italy, and aged for 12 months. It smells slightly pungent, and its flavor is robust, nutty, and piquant.”

Normandie Brie. “Soft, mild, buttery and creamy taste.”

Cabot Habanero Cheddar. “Sharp cheddar taste with flavors of habanero peppers that gives a spicy kick.”

Drunken Goat. “Pasteurized goat's milk cheese. Aged for a short period of time then immersed in wine for at least 72 hours. Mild and creamy taste.”

Etxegarai. “Unpasteurized sheep’s milk cheese aged 6 months and smoked over Hawthorne and Cherry woods.”

Campo de Montalban. “Aged for three months. 60 percent cow’s milk, with the remainder being a mix of goat and sheep’s milk. Mild buttery with notes of nuts and a balanced acidity.”

Our favorites were the Drunken Goat and the Campo de Montalban. I particularly liked the subtle flavors of the Drunken Goat cheese and Asenath enjoyed the Campo de Montalban. She said, “I liked the texture and the flavor. It was firm but smooth.”

​What’s your favorite Netflix movie? Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning is the best adaptation of a Japanese manga/anime I have ever seen. It was released June 4, 2021, directed by Keishi Ohtomo. The visuals are amazing and the action scenes are brutal.

​The story takes place in 1864 during Japan’s civil war. An assassin Kenshin Himura, also known as Battosai the killer pledges to protect the revolution. I literally lost count of how many bodies he dropped.

Some of the Cast: Takeru Sath (Kenshin Himura), Emi Takei (Kaoru Kamiya), Nobuhiro Watsuki, Munetaka Aoki (Sagara Sanosuke), Kasumi Arimura (Tomoe Yukishiro), Munetaka Aoki (Sagara Sanosuke).
​