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Carrion Luggage
Carrion Luggage
 
Native to the Americas, the turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) travels widely in search of sustenance. While usually foraging alone, it relies on other individuals of its species for companionship and mutual protection. Sometimes misunderstood, sometimes feared, sometimes shunned, it nevertheless performs an important role in the ecosystem.
This scavenger bird is a marvel of efficiency. Rather than expend energy flapping its wings, it instead locates uplifting columns of air, and spirals within them in order to glide to greater heights. This behavior has been mistaken for opportunism, interpreted as if it is circling doomed terrestrial animals destined to be its next meal. In truth, the vulture takes advantage of these thermals to gain the altitude needed glide longer distances, flying not out of necessity, but for the joy of it.
It also avoids the exertion necessary to capture live prey, preferring instead to feast upon that which is already dead. In this behavior, it resembles many humans.
It is not what most of us would consider to be a pretty bird. While its habits are often off-putting, or even disgusting, to members of more fastidious species, the turkey vulture helps to keep the environment from being clogged with detritus. Hence its Latin binomial, which translates to English as "golden purifier."
I rarely know where the winds will take me next, or what I might find there. The journey is the destination.
December 22, 2025 at 7:49am December 22, 2025 at 7:49am
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I'll have to wash my hands and bleach my eyes after this one, because it's from (ugh) Martha Stewart. But since it's about cheese, I'll allow it... this time.
"How to eat blue cheese?" For fuck's sake, just slide that shit onto some bread and stick it in your mouth.
Blue cheese has a reputation: bold, tangy, and sometimes intimidating—not to be confused with a bully, but easily misunderstood.
What's to misunderstand? It's cheese. It has blue stuff. It's delicious.
We spoke with an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional and blue cheese lover to learn more about this sometimes maligned type of cheese and find out how to eat blue cheese.
You... chew. And swallow. Come ON.
Blue cheeses are defined by the blue or green veining, a specific type of mold, that streaks throughout the cheese. “This mold presence is very intentional—not just any cheese can grow mold and become a blue," says Lauren Toth, ACS CCP, cheesemonger and director of curriculum and talent development at Murray's Cheese.
I'm going to go ahead and assume that at least two of those Cs stand for "cheese."
The mold is formed when the cheesemaker introduces a specific strain of bacterial cultures, typically Penicillium roqueforti, into the milk.
I know, I know, some people freak out about microorganisms. If only they could internalize that they, themselves, are more microorganism than primate.
If your previous blue cheese experience came from a sad wedge at a salad bar or the bottled dressing of childhood, there’s good news: gentle, approachable blues exist, and they’re genuinely delightful.
Wait... are we still talking about cheese, or have we switched to sex?
Her top pick for a blue cheese newbie is Cambozola Black Label, a buttery, triple-crème hybrid of camembert and gorgonzola.
Ohhhhh... it's an AD.
Blues vary dramatically in texture, determined by milk type, curd handling, aging time, and piercing—encouraging more veining to develop. Toth says, “blues come in all different styles and textures—creamy, grainy, fudgy, crumbly, even fairly firm,” and those differences hint at how best to use them.
Still don't know whether this is supposed to make me hungry or "thirsty."
Blue cheeses tend to be bold, making their best partners sweet, rich, or fruity.
To be serious for a moment, my favorite New Year's Eve pairing with the traditional sparkling wine is a blue cheese and sliced pears. Also, walnuts. Perfect flavor combination.
When choosing what to drink with blue cheese, avoid overly tannic red wines when tasting new blues. Opt instead for sweet and sparkling wines to tame sharpness and highlight creaminess.
While it's traditional to drink wine with cheese, I find beer makes an excellent lubricant as well. Not just any beer, though; as much as I love Belgians, they're probably too strong for the cheese. I'd go with a more hoppy variety, just not an IPA. I don't like IPAs in general, though, so you'd have to experiment, were you so inclined.
For many people—Toth's own mother included—blue cheese is synonymous with bottled dressing, and that unfortunate association keeps people from discovering truly exceptional cheeses.
I'm also a fan of blue cheese dressing, just not the mass-produced kind.
So ends another cheesy entry. I have a few more in the pile, but I have no idea when another will grace us with its presence. |
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