Why women love cheese so much (and the perfect focaccia to go with it).

How to say no to dry January, Veganuary, and detox diets to choose cheese instead.

New year, new me? I don’t think so.

The bravest decision I can take in a world screaming “Dry January!” and “Reset month!” all around me in this post-holiday moment is… not making any resolutions.

I firmly believe those theories saying that January is still a month of hibernation and deep winter, and that any renaissance plan should wait for spring. When nature blooms again, so will we.

Living in France, I must say, helps you focus on the right things. Around January 6th, it’s tradition to eat Galette des Rois, a shortcrust pastry filled with almond frangipane cream. And since it’s very good, you don’t eat it just on the 6th, but also the days before and after. One with colleagues, one with family, one with friends at tea time…And in the remote case that you feel tempted to start a quick detox right after the galette, there’s La Chandeleur on February 2nd, when crêpes filled with every possible sweet spread suddenly become a every-day family activity.

So…no resolutions, we said. Especially considering how full the cheese drawer of my fridge currently is. I came back from my holidays in Italy with a generous block of Pecorino, then got overly excited to be back at my French market and brought home a beautiful piece of Comté and some Ossau-Iraty. With the laziness in cooking that seems to live permanently in me these days, most of my meals (or snacks) are basically cheese boards.

My partner recently told me he doesn’t understand why women love cheese so much. Do we? I looked it up, and there’s no scientific evidence or data to support this claim. But if I think about all the times my girlfriends came to visit me in France, the first thing they asked for was a cheese board. We even share cheese-related memes on socials.

So maybe there is some truth to it. Or maybe we just rely on cheese for emotional support. We can ponder this question while eating a cheese board with some buckwheat & za’atar focaccia, that goes perfectly with hard seasoned dairy treasures.

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Buckwheat & Za’atar Focaccia (Gluten-Free)

Ingredients

(for a medium pan – approx. 20 × 20 cm / 8 × 8 in)

• 85 g buckwheat flour (about ⅔ cup)

• 40 g rice flour (about ⅓ cup)

• 75 g potato starch (about ¾ cup)

• 70 g gluten-free active sourdough starter (about ¼ cup)

• 260 g water (1 cup + 1 tbsp)

• 9 g whole psyllium husk (about 1 tbsp)

• 12 g honey (about 2 tsp)

• 8 g olive oil (about 2 tsp), plus more for the pan

• 5 g salt (about 1 tsp)

• Za’atar, for topping

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Process

1. Mix the psyllium husk, water, and honey. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes, until thickened and gel-like.

2. Add all remaining ingredients to the psyllium gel and mix until fully combined. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.

3. Transfer the dough gently onto a generously oiled non-stick metal baking sheet, or a parchment-lined tray brushed with olive oil.
   Flatten gently until about 1 cm / ½ inch thick.

4. Let rise for about 4 hours at 27°C / 80°F, or until visibly puffy.

5. Dimple the surface with oiled fingers, drizzle with more olive oil, and sprinkle generously with za’atar.

6. Bake at 230°C / 450°F for 40–45 minutes, until golden and firm.

7. Let cool completely before slicing (important for the final texture).

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Let me know how you rate your love for cheese, on a scale from 0 to a whole wheel of Parmesan.
Marta