This morning the news informed me it was National Cheese Lovers Day
and that of course means nopseud should get her request about my
Where to start, where to start? Hmm... there are so many luscious cheeses in the world and I don't even know all of them!
As a Yankee, I was raised on good ole cheddar as the main cheese. Only the 'good stuff' mind you, in other words, crafted by other fine New Englanders. Extra sharp, thank you very much. I actually remember the cheese having a touch of bite to it, flavor wise. It's become a big homogenized since then, but I still love a good cheddar. Great for snacking with crackers and fruit, delicious as a grilled cheese and the only thing that belongs on a slice of warm fresh made apple pie! And you can find it with nice touches of things like horseradish or jalapeños in it.
Swiss cheese is essential if you're making a sandwich. The light nutty flavor lends itself so well to nearly anything you'd stick between two slices of bread. It's good cold or warmed, so many different types of sandwiches work, including the open face! Mmm, nice fresh honey wheat bread, some Virginia baked ham and a slice of swiss over the top, stuck under the broiler for a few moments. Yummy!] Great taste and fantastic texture. It's got body, but smooth body. No chalky, crumbly anything there. Plus, it's got loads of holes in it, what's not to like about that? Who hasn't picked up a piece of swiss at some point in there lives, and looked at their dining companion through a hole? Nobody! It's food that's meant to be played with, at least a little bit.
Any cheese that has port wine in it. This I blame my grandfather for. He used to get this spreadable cheese, a cheddar-ish taste with real bite; marbled with purple cheese. As a kid, I was fascinated. Purple cheese! He slathered some on a cracker, gave it to me and I was hooked. Rich, deep flavor. Stick to the roof of your mouth. Admittedly, this is not the classiest looking thing most often, despite the name. It usually comes in a tub of some kind. But! At holiday times you can find it shaped into a ball or log and rolled in chopped nuts. So good! And I've had cheddar with the port and even a goat cheese! I would love to find this done with a really good port. Something where they'd be forced to elevate the cheese game to match the booze. That would be amazing.
Goat cheese.... here's one you can't eat loads of because it's so rich. One of the creamiest cheeses ever, especially if you use it in cooking. It's got a lovely bit of tang, too. Lightly breaded and then pan fried to warm through, this is phenomenal stuff on top of a salad. And the cheese people do great stuff with the cheese, too. The normal add ins, herbs, garlic and Italian seasoning, plus great stuff like dried cranberries, honey and blueberries. Blueberries!
Now we've reached the blues. Give me a piece of cheese with mold in it, and I'm in heaven. Danish blue, gorgonzola, stilton. Yes, yes, yes! Blue cheeses, in particular, are very expensive here, making indulging in it a bit of a challenge. But. Tubs of crumbled gorgonzola and roquefort have become affordable over the last few years; making it possible to toss some on a salad or melt over fresh tomatoes on toast as a tasty breakfast. Or in salad dressing! My mother has a recipe for blue cheese dressing that has no nutritional value and is quite possibly on top of every doctors 'do not eat!' list, but damn is that stuff good.
Sliced, Stilton is amazing with pears or cucumbers or even a peach. Or, you know, off your hand. It also makes fabulous grilled cheese. Roquefort or gorgonzola are lovely atop a nicely cooked steak. Or off your hand. Danish with nuts and grapes! Or off your hand!!
Those are my big favs. They're a bit pedestrian, probably, but I have yet to meet a cheese I didn't like. Just a matter of being exposed to it! If I've missed your favorite cheese, tell me! Sell me on it with a line or dish suggestion!
also, fresh mozzarella, havarti, gouda, brie, gruyere [you cannot have french onion soup without that!], feta, fontina, asiago, ricotta and mascarpone. Oh, heavens, mascarpone!
And now I need some moldy cheese. STAT.
Where to start, where to start? Hmm... there are so many luscious cheeses in the world and I don't even know all of them!
As a Yankee, I was raised on good ole cheddar as the main cheese. Only the 'good stuff' mind you, in other words, crafted by other fine New Englanders. Extra sharp, thank you very much. I actually remember the cheese having a touch of bite to it, flavor wise. It's become a big homogenized since then, but I still love a good cheddar. Great for snacking with crackers and fruit, delicious as a grilled cheese and the only thing that belongs on a slice of warm fresh made apple pie! And you can find it with nice touches of things like horseradish or jalapeños in it.
Swiss cheese is essential if you're making a sandwich. The light nutty flavor lends itself so well to nearly anything you'd stick between two slices of bread. It's good cold or warmed, so many different types of sandwiches work, including the open face! Mmm, nice fresh honey wheat bread, some Virginia baked ham and a slice of swiss over the top, stuck under the broiler for a few moments. Yummy!] Great taste and fantastic texture. It's got body, but smooth body. No chalky, crumbly anything there. Plus, it's got loads of holes in it, what's not to like about that? Who hasn't picked up a piece of swiss at some point in there lives, and looked at their dining companion through a hole? Nobody! It's food that's meant to be played with, at least a little bit.
Any cheese that has port wine in it. This I blame my grandfather for. He used to get this spreadable cheese, a cheddar-ish taste with real bite; marbled with purple cheese. As a kid, I was fascinated. Purple cheese! He slathered some on a cracker, gave it to me and I was hooked. Rich, deep flavor. Stick to the roof of your mouth. Admittedly, this is not the classiest looking thing most often, despite the name. It usually comes in a tub of some kind. But! At holiday times you can find it shaped into a ball or log and rolled in chopped nuts. So good! And I've had cheddar with the port and even a goat cheese! I would love to find this done with a really good port. Something where they'd be forced to elevate the cheese game to match the booze. That would be amazing.
Goat cheese.... here's one you can't eat loads of because it's so rich. One of the creamiest cheeses ever, especially if you use it in cooking. It's got a lovely bit of tang, too. Lightly breaded and then pan fried to warm through, this is phenomenal stuff on top of a salad. And the cheese people do great stuff with the cheese, too. The normal add ins, herbs, garlic and Italian seasoning, plus great stuff like dried cranberries, honey and blueberries. Blueberries!
Now we've reached the blues. Give me a piece of cheese with mold in it, and I'm in heaven. Danish blue, gorgonzola, stilton. Yes, yes, yes! Blue cheeses, in particular, are very expensive here, making indulging in it a bit of a challenge. But. Tubs of crumbled gorgonzola and roquefort have become affordable over the last few years; making it possible to toss some on a salad or melt over fresh tomatoes on toast as a tasty breakfast. Or in salad dressing! My mother has a recipe for blue cheese dressing that has no nutritional value and is quite possibly on top of every doctors 'do not eat!' list, but damn is that stuff good.
Sliced, Stilton is amazing with pears or cucumbers or even a peach. Or, you know, off your hand. It also makes fabulous grilled cheese. Roquefort or gorgonzola are lovely atop a nicely cooked steak. Or off your hand. Danish with nuts and grapes! Or off your hand!!
Those are my big favs. They're a bit pedestrian, probably, but I have yet to meet a cheese I didn't like. Just a matter of being exposed to it! If I've missed your favorite cheese, tell me! Sell me on it with a line or dish suggestion!
also, fresh mozzarella, havarti, gouda, brie, gruyere [you cannot have french onion soup without that!], feta, fontina, asiago, ricotta and mascarpone. Oh, heavens, mascarpone!
And now I need some moldy cheese. STAT.