Epoisses Is Off My Bucket List

I've mentioned how much fun I'm having with Mimi Sheraton's new book, 1000 Foods to Eat before You Die. I could be quoting from practically every page, but there's one (actually two) that I just can't resist. One of her entries is for Epoisses de Bourgogne, a delicious cheese I had the opportunity of trying several years ago in Beaune during a tour of the Burgundy wine area. I'm glad I enjoyed it before reading her description, since although she says that tasting it is "to cross over to the other side," she also calls it "not for the faint of palate" with a "distinctive barnyard smell." Heck, I just thought it was delicious. On that same trip, I also had pigeon for dinner (it sounds far more appealing when said with a French accent), and since that also gets an entry from Mimi, that's two I can cross off my culinary bucket list.