Spice-Marinated Cheese

So then, iinuu is cooking again. This time the idea comes from the wine courses, where the course organiser and host Larisa always takes care to ensure that we have tasty food and snacks suited to that evening's wines. That time, on the 10th of September on an autumnal Friday evening, we enjoyed French wines from the Loire Valley. Alongside the third wine tasted - Domaine Vacheron Sancerre 2008 - appeared crisp green salad and cheeses. What caught my attention was the spice-marinated cheese, so after the event I stayed behind at Larisa's to have her share her culinary secrets (I did not even aspire to the recipes for the stuffed carp, quiche, or magnificent horseradish sauce served that evening). All things of genius, as ever, turned out to be wonderfully simple.

You will need:
• Russian cheese (Dutch cheese works too);
• hot red chilli peppers;
• garlic;
• thyme sprigs;
• ground black pepper;
• just a touch of salt (I used my favourite Sieben Kräuter Salz);
• olive oil.

Cut the cheese into cubes and layer in a small bowl with the spices - finely chopped red chilli pepper, crushed garlic cloves, and a few thyme sprigs. Then sprinkle with black pepper and salt to taste. Finally pour olive oil over everything. Leave to marinate for at least 24 hours.

If a more pronounced flavour is desired, it can be left even longer. After a couple of days the cheese pieces tasted even better. Spice-marinated cheese is good both as a snack and as a piquant accompaniment to a meal. Various variations later came to mind - for example, enriching the recipe with green olives or pieces of bell pepper. The main thing is that cooking is an art that requires no strict rules. Well then, I have listened to the verdict from the family at home and tomorrow I'll take it to the office for colleagues to try. ;)