Blue cheese fanatic with the good fortune of having a Whole Foods just two blocks from home. Some favorites:
Maytag Blue - The appliance king was a Roquefort fan & wanted to recreate it back home.
Port Reyes Blue - Best way to describe it is..."clean". Creamy, but not too much, Has a kick, but not too much.
Valdeon - Spanish blue. My favorite cheese in the world. Not as strong as Cabrales, not as salty as...oh hell, I can't remember the other Spanish blue I tried. Everyone I've given this cheese to has gone nuts for it. I eat it on little toasts with a nice medium red (preferably Spanish).
Not a blue:
A good Manchego is always a nice snack cheese.
Gruyere - Great all purpose cheese. Goes well with anything. Add some on top of a pizza sometimes or just eat it plain.
Parmagiano Reggiano - The king of cheeses. 'Nuff Said!
Keen's Cheddar - A great British cheese.
A few years ago I was stuck in Fayetteville, Ark. for an extended time on a big project. Fortunately, the food there was surprisingly excellent, but also every Thursday was frmer's market day in the town square and there was a local farm that produced a lot of different goat cheeses. These were all excellent (typical goats, gouda, feta).
Personally, I like all types of cheeses except for the runny French ones. The smell & texture are just too much for me.
