Cook Vietnamese style and pair ale with cheese- an overview of the classes I took at the Epicurean Classic in TC. I liked the cold soba noodle salad and the pho, but I was most intrigued with the cheeses.

The ale and cheese class paired cheese and ales from England. I especially liked the Stilton cheeses; three types of Stilton. Two were traditional with blue veining and one white Stilton with fruit (this one with apricots). Very good. I've always liked Stilton cheese, but this one was great! It was paired with a light ale and was very complimentary. Now, you may think of wine and cheese, but this pairing of ale and cheese had the same idea. One could not overpower the other, meld the flavors. The ale I liked the least had fruit added, again apricot. It tasted like a liquor and I could only take a few sips.

This ale (beer) tasting reminded me of the beer we made when we first moved here. It was very "hoppy", but when we took it to a party, everyone liked it. We had it tested at the local college and it was very high in alcohol content, so no wonder it was a hit. Also thought about NB's Breakfast Beer and his Chocolate Beer and all of his beer making trials.

So, I learned about cheeses and ale and Vietnamese cooking. Can't wait to share this with NB since he is the chef of the family.