Those who love strong flavors love blue cheese

Alicia writes: Blue cheese can be confusing.

If you can get past the exotic variety names such as Maytag, Roquefort and Stilton, then you're hit with the ultimate desperate cook questions, "Where do I get it, how much does it cost and what kind should I use?"

The reason to care, of course, is that if you like blue cheese, you love it. I simply crave the strong flavor and aroma of a classic blue cheese. Just a sprinkle adds its characteristic sharp tanginess to a wealth of foods.

While some specialty shops stock whole cases of different varieties, more and more neighborhood grocery stores are carrying a good selection of blue cheese in their deli departments. The easiest to find in my area is Maytag Blue Cheese, which is produced in Iowa. Maytag is a good place to start if you're just starting to experiment. It is a traditional cow's milk blue cheese, crumbles easily, and has the characteristic tangy flavor for which blue cheese is famous. But in typical "Desperation" tradition, I use whatever variety I have on hand.

As with most cheeses, blues are priced by the pound, even though you only buy a few ounces at a time. And blue cheese is so strong you don't need much. Depending on the variety, prices range from a couple of dollars to more than $15 per pound. Already-crumbled blue cheese costs about the same as the block portion in most varieties.

Here are some fun blue cheese facts:

• Most of the names indicate where they are made: Roquefort — South of France; Stilton — England; Danablu (Danish blue) — Denmark; Maytag — Iowa, United States; Gorgonzola — Italy.

• Many of the names are trademarked, patented or protected for quality control. For example, Roquefort has been protected by a French crown patent since 1411 when it was declared that "only the cheese of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon could be called Roquefort cheese."

• The blue streaks and veins in the cheese come from mold spores that are either injected in the cheese (as in Roquefort) or mixed in with the curds (Gorgonzola). Cheese purists argue over which technique is best, but we enjoy them all.

• Some blue cheeses are still aged in caves.

• Blue cheese can be made from cow, goat or sheep's milk depending on variety.

Today's recipe for Creamy Cole Slaw with Blue Cheese is delicious no matter which kind of blue cheese you choose. We've used 1/3 cup for a mild blue cheese flavor, but adding more cheese, to taste, is always acceptable.

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CREAMY COLE SLAW WITH BLUE CHEESE

Start to finish: 7 minutes

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1/4 cup light sour cream

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese of choice, or more to taste