A little lighter topic... What's your favorite cheeses? Growing up, I only ate a few kinds of cheese. American, Velveeta, a processed abomination of Swiss, Colby, and Monterey Jack. When I got to Europe at age 19 I started figuring out that there were hundreds of different kinds and they we're mostly much more flavorful than what you would normally find in the states (1980's). America has or at least had a way with "watering down" things for mass appeal. The selection has become semi-respectable in the last 20 years, it's a lot easier to find a variety at the store now. Now I'm a cheese addict, I've probably got 7 or 8 kinds in the fridge right now, and since I'm "low-carbing" it.... I'm induging myself The only cheeses I don't really like (so far) are the blue cheeses, and I'm not crazy about goat cheese. Here are my favorites: Muenster - A wonderful snacking cheese, also great on sandwiches (and my dogs favorite) Brie - A very soft, wonderfully flavored french cheese with a "crust". Everone should try this one at least once. Parmesan - Can't beat it sprinkled on pizza... or fish. Romano - Much like Parmesan Swiss cheeses - Actually called Emmentaler. Lorraine or Baby Swiss for a light sandwich, and pungent aged swiss is the perfect compliment for ham. Feta - Don't buy the cheap crap at the grocery store, try the good stuff and you'll be amazed! The good stuff doesn't have a bite like the cheap crap does, and not as crumbly. It's great as a snack by itself and a lot of folks put it in salads. Cheddars - Great compliment to almost anything... especially roast beef, or on an omelette. Colby - Another great one just for snacking. Havarti - A lot like Muenster, maybe a touch stronger. Fontina - Nothing makes better carbonara! But not that great by itself. Mozarella - Obviously the ultimate for pizza Real Bufala Mozarella - Only had it once as it's really expensive ($36 a pound when I tried it 10 years ago or so). It is an experience, but I'm not sure it's worth the price, there is some very good, fresh mozarella to be had at the deli now for waaay cheaper. Cream Cheese - Two Words.... Cheesecake...... Bagels! Ricotta - For lasagne Anybody else?
A good strong Swiss is necesary for the perfect ham sandwhich and mushroom swiss boigahs..no swiss faggehdaboutit
I'm also a cheese hound. Any cheese including cottage cheese. I use a good Farmer's cheese to make Pirogies. Love strong Swiss, provolone, all the blues (roqueford, blue, gorgonzola) But... I refuse to eat that plastic stuff they individually wrap.
God, I almost forgot about provolone! Giant grilled portabello mushrooms with a slice of provolone..... heaven!
If you've got a cheese store anywhere near you, try Armenian String Cheese. Not the cheap stuff you get in tubes at the super market but real string cheese, braided and filled with black seeds, usually coriander. Unwrap it, soak it in water to remove some of the brine, and separate the strings. It's expensive but what a treat. The base flavor is similar to a freshly made mozarella but it has a much deeper flavor.
A good swiss is hard to beat. (Plenty of the store brands don't qualify.) Let us not forget a dill havarti for straight up snacking, with or without crackers. But keep the blue, cannot abide it in any form.
Then there are the smoked cheeses, mild yellow & white cheese, ooohhh that smoky rind is so good. My favorite WAS a wonderful swiss that had a nutty flavor to it, impossible to find and probably not affordable anyway. Oh yes the wonderful stinky Limburger with a slice of sweet onion. And while we're being obsene, does anyone remember how boiled ham is REALLY supposed to taste ? For that matter luchmeat in general & Braunschweiger in particular ? My googling this morning turned up a store in Philly & one in Chicago that would be awesome. Both specializing in old world brats, assorted sausages.. Chicago ships orders, don't think Philly did. I ramble, sorry bout that, also found recipes to make same luchmeats and sausages, can't wait but it will be a while before there is time to try them. Did I mention I hate adulterated foods & they often make me feel terrible. annie
Man you guys/girls are hardcore we'vegot cheese factories/outlets and smoked meat joints allover up here..and someworld premiere heart and cancer centers..to go along.
I saw an unusual cheese practice in Serbia in a trailer for unusual foods show (forgot which one). Apparantly to both soften and flavor cheese in Serbia (didn't say which cheese) they let maggots soften it. Then with the wrigglies still wriggling in it they scoop it on a cracker and down the hatch. They had a closeup of the guy scooping then eating it and you CAN see the maggots wriggling away. That sent chills up my spine.
Maggot cheese, Casu Marzu, is a specialty of Sardinia. There is also a similar cheese in France. It is supposed to have a wonderful flavor and a creamy texture but its academic to me as I've never tried it.
Lorraine Swiss....Roquefort...all the Bleu's..Gorgonzola, and Stilton.....yes, Limberger too... Gruyere....Asaigo....Chevre, or feta when I can't find that one.. I just love cheeses.... Ever try Brie with either Pepper or Jalepeno jelly? Scrumptious! Coon, white Cheddar... Vermont Sage.... Leyden... There is a Norwegian cheese my friend Olga used to have sent to the States...wish I could remember the name of it....It had caraway seeds, and cumin in it...and something else...It was soooooo good! A lot of American cheeses are like American Chocolate....not nearly as good as what you get in Europe.... Now..Chocolate?? oh, let's not go there.....
Cheese...mmmmmmmmmm: If you got the $ some of the best cheeses can be found at Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor, MI. They ship.
My mistake, Sardinia it is. I just read an entry about it. Apparantly the maggots usually survive stomach acids and can cause leisions in intestinal walls in their attempt to bore in. That is one amazingly discusting "food".
So its food that eats you back??? Thats some bad a$$ spread. "Look honey:itsa coupon for" I cant believe its not wriggling"!
I like most kinds of cheese, but unlike you guys, the ones I don't like are Swiss and that family that has kind of a musty taste to it. I do like blue cheese, though. Another that is really good is triple cream white castello. Very tasty, but it needs to be an aged piece. It gets much softer as it ages.
I really like the smoked gudas and also like pepperjack with smoked chedar. The cheese we make is pretty good too but I want to try some different stuff with it like smokeing it, adding peppers and so on. Its a basic farmers cheese that has a taste similar to a good mozzarela but a very soft texture.