Well, isn't that BRIE-lightful!

Mike: "I'm writing to see if you'd be interested in receiving a free sample of Ile de France cheese." girlichef: Hmmmmm...why don't you let me think about it for a bit DOES A BEAR SH*T IN THE WOODS!? Okay, I didn't use those exact words. But come on...you know my affection for the fromage! And this I can actually call fromage and it fits 100%. Mike from Ile De France was very mean and made me choose between Brie, Camembert and Goat Cheese. How can I be expected to choose? This is like choosing one of my three beautiful children over the others! But I had to buckle down and make a decision...so I chose one of my favorite cheeses ever...Brie (Brie = The French 'King of Cheese'). Not long after I forced my fingers to type in the name of just one cheese...I received it on my doorstep! I received cheese on my doorstep. What a feelin'!

I set it out to come to room temperature (because that's when cheese is at its best...you can taste and see it in the state it's meant to be tasted and seen) then just cut out a wedge to begin with. MmmmHmmm. Pretty. Can you tell that the center was soft and creamy? Bliss. My favorite thing to do with Brie is to roast a head of garlic and then shmear it all over the top of the brie and stick it in the oven for a few minutes. Just until it starts to get really soft. I usually get two rounds and shmear the other with an apricot jam or jalapeño jelly and put it in next to the garlicky one. Then I have a nice loaf of crusty bread and a bottle of wine and some good company to help me savor the whole delicious mess. But, I did not do that this time...sorry to tease. It even made me want some more. I did start by eating it with some crackers and apple slices. Good. What I decided I was really in the mood for was a nice grilled brie sandwich. So, I found a nice little individual french loaf which was accidentally, I think spattered with a random line of Poppy Seeds. I spread a light layer of SweetHot Mustard and a light layer of Cherry Jam on the bottom piece. Then I laid down some sliced ham, then some of the Ile De France Brie, then some thinly sliced apple and some shredded Romaine. I put the top back on and buttered the outsides then grilled it on my grill pan (pressed down with another heavy pan to form panini-like marks...cuz I like it like that) and grilled until toasty and a bit melty. I know some people cringe at the thought of heating their lettuce...but I'm not one of them.I loved the Ile De France Brie...it was mild and creamy and did not have an overwhelming ammonia smell that you get with Brie's sometimes. I will definitely buy it again. And now I have to go find the Camembert and Goat Cheese...

Thanks so much to Mike from Ile De France for generously sending me this lovely wheel of Brie...and to Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for recommending he ask me...you rock!) And by the way...I'm sending this sandwich over to Deb for this week's Souper (soup, salad, sammie) Sundays. Click on the picture to find out more about Souper Sundays!