Cheese discussion thread
 

Every time I see the Chess Discussion Thread I think it says Cheese Discussion, so I've decided to give in and start one.

My favorite cheese is Red Leicester. There are many cheeses I always keep in the house for cooking, Parmesan, Romano and aged Provolone particularly, but Red Leicester is one of the few I buy just to eat chunks on its own. It's also amazing in a cheese sauce, but sometimes I think that's a waste of it.

So, what's your favorite cheese or cheese recipe, any recommendations?

Re: Cheese discussion thread
 

I have lately been eating lots of Jarlsberg.

My main 'snack' cheese is Cheshire, but the main two I actually eat are Chedder and Red Leicester.

Re: Cheese discussion thread
 

Also,

Re: Cheese discussion thread
 

I always have Parmigiano Reggiano -- clearly stamped on the rind -- in the house, courtesy of Costco's 10 bucks a pound steal. I also keep some Maytag blue around mainly to scare up a quick buttermilk blue cheese salad dressing whenever I want.

When I have the funds, I love to have a big block of sharp cheddar, a gooey wedge of brie, fresh mozzarella di bufala, and a young pecorino toscano when it's still light ivory and soft to the touch. All of those are just for gnoshing with some nice crusty bread, or in the case of the mozzarella, in a caprese salad.

Re: Cheese discussion thread
 

Oh man, I love cheese.

We always have some strong cheddar around, that's standard.

But I love having some feta cheese to sprinkle on pizza or have in a wrap with falafels. They make a lovely cheshire with cranberrys and blueberrys at the local store.

Red Leicster with red peppers, cheddar with garlic and herbs... there are just so many awesome cheeses out there.

Whenever we go to Pizza Hut we have the goat's cheese pizza, very flavourful.

There are two cheese things I really miss here in the UK; 1) cheese curds, you just can't get them anywhere around here, even special cheese shops. And I love me some homemade poutine. 2) All varieties of havarti, including regular havarti, havarti with garlic and herbs and most especially havarti with dill.

Re: Cheese discussion thread
 

My favorite cheese of the moment is smoked Swiss cheese from The Amish Cheese Store in Choteau, Oklahoma.

Re: Cheese discussion thread
 

I love caprese salad as well, didn't even think of that. Lately I have been completely addicted to what's called around here a Michigan cherry salad - spring mix, blue cheese, walnuts and dried cherries. I bring one for lunch almost every day and have it for the dinner on the days I don't. Subsequently blue cheese crumbles have become a staple for me.

Re: Cheese discussion thread
 

We usually have either Parmesan or Romano in the house, and a sandwich cheese--Swiss or Provolone. If I'm good, there's a cheddar and either fresh mozzarella or feta or goat's cheese. That pretty much takes care of anything cheese-related that I make.

I love mozzarella with pesto on a roasted/grilled veggie sandwich.

Re: Cheese discussion thread
 

Sharp cheddar is very important - the children don't like it as sharp as it should be, but we push it as far as we can.

Pierre Robert brie is very very delicious - it has wonderful nose. It does NOT freeze well, as I found out before a long drive, but when left out, it liquifies fast, so I thought it might work. Don't, though, as you lose the butteryness.

I also have come back to feta after a while. I like salt.

Re: Cheese discussion thread
 

And thank you, Janet - I kiss you for starting this thread!

Re: Cheese discussion thread
 

I've been eating big lumps of Saint Andre, triple cream, on crackers lately.
I like brie, which is really good with Wonderbread™, which is what happens when you're at the coast and can't find good bread.

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BLASPHEMER!

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No no no! I am teasing you in another thread. This tease was for someone else.

Re: Cheese discussion thread
 

So I was watching a friend pore over the cheeses on display at our local Kroger. I was eager to get outta there already and head out for whatever fun we had planned so I was all, "Just pick one! All cheeses are alike." You can probably imagine the astounded look she gave me. I mean, I was 41 years old at the time and you would think I knew better.

I still don't know a whole bunch about cheeses--raised on American slices and on the Parmesan that came with Kraft boxed spaghetti--but I have since discovered that I rilly-rilly like feta and other goat cheeses.

So I like to think I know a little more than I did. Do I?

Re: Cheese discussion thread
 

SharonDee - yes.

Kraft singles are good for grilled cheese sandwiches - which should really be as plain as possible. I DETEST when resturaunts get all fancy schmancy with the grilled cheese.

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Strong cheddar; and all kinds of cheese for variety, except casu marzu.

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On feta cheese, it should be sheep, not goat, and not from Israel. It makes a huge difference between edible and awful.

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Don't hate on the goat feta. My favorite Greek feta has a large percentage of goat milk in with the sheep milk and it's delicious.

For pure goat, I'll stick with a log of Wisconsin chevre. Great by itself on crackers, great in dips, great sliced into rounds, breaded and baked to top the best salad in the world.

Re: Cheese discussion thread
 

I always have some Gouda in the fridge, usually old (there are about 5 classifications based on age), with stronger taste. I use it for sammiches, grilled cheese sammiches and also for grating over some foods.

I eat Feta with Greek salads and some other salads, also use Parmasan for grating sometimes. And sometimes I buy French, Swiss or Belgian soft cheese for teh yum, like Brie or Camembert or Bruges Blomme. I also like Trappist much, a cheese made by monks in Belgium and the Netherlands.

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I love Colby Cheese. And Pepperjack. :)

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:wallace:

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I am prejudiced against pepper jack or any jack cheese. I think it's called that in much the same way ex-Mormons are called Jack Mormons. They're just not real, not up to snuff. It has the melting point of brie, but not the character - which is why you have to add peppers to it, but that doesn't help because there's still the so-called cheese part left.

I am trying to work on this - and know many fine people who love the stuff. Maybe if it hadn't been masquerading as mozzarella in cheese sticks I ordered at a bowling alley the first time I encountered it, this would not be an issue. But jack and mozzarella, though both whiteish, are not the same. Mozzarella can stand up to deep frying. Jack causes multiple burns and does not wipe off easily.

I do like babybells and could eat a bag of them in about 2 minutes, peeling time included.

Re: Cheese discussion thread
 

This is EXACTLY what this forum needs, a conversation on the merits of cheese, one of the planet's finest foods.

Thanks Janet! Thanet.

http://owgd3.onewebgroup.net/Merchan...extrasharp.jpg

Cheddar. VT #1. NY and WI close seconds.



:yup:

Some smoked cheddars is good in small doses.

#3. Havarti. 3.5, with dill itza goood.

#4. American Muenster on grilled breads or just warmed up to room temp.

Cold right out of the fridge its not much tastier than swiss. Actually, all these cheeses are better if allowed to warm a bit, imho. But not so much they start to sweat.

Just say NO to sweaty cheese!

#5. Fresh Mozzarella


Mrs. KA makes this killer pasta dish with basil and tomatoes and fresh mozzarella and chicken base and penne...i'd share the recipe except she never measures anything so that list is about as close ya's get to one.


And on pizza too, but some mozzarella is apparently loaded with lactose and it kills me if eat too much without some remedy for the lactose intolerance on hand.

:verysick:

Re: Cheese discussion thread
 

I find buffalo mozzarella is too wet and heavy for pizza. I don't know if it's high in lactose, but it's very high in milk solids. I prefer cow's milk mozzarella (fresh of course), especially the little wee balls which you can chop up or slice and spread out on the pizza.