Oct 19, 2009 -
Good-quality cheese is expensive and if I'm going to purchase a wedge of imported Italian Parmesan cheese, I like to use the entire chunk — including the rind. Luckily, I learned a long time ago that the rinds can be used to season soups and stews. Once you've grated all the cheese off, wrap the rind tightly in plastic wrap and throw in the freezer.
- 8 Comments
Sep 17, 2009 -
I am not from the South, so before this week, I had never tasted the comforting spread native to the region that's known as pimento cheese. However, I was eager to experience this seemingly exotic food, so I decided to make it. Pimento cheese isn't a type of cheese, but rather, a seasoned cheese mixture.
- 9 Comments
Sep 10, 2009 -
If someone were to ask me, "what is your guilty pleasure food?" there is only one thing I can honestly answer. Velveeta.
- 20 Comments
Aug 27, 2009 -
Fontina is a creamy Italian cow's milk cheese with a texture that varies depending on the age. Typically young fontina is soft and extremely good for melting, while mature fontina is hard. Originally native to Italy's Aosta Valley, fontina is now produced in Denmark, France, and the United States.
- 7 Comments
Aug 14, 2009 -
Cotija (pronounced co-tee-ha) is an aged, hard cow's milk cheese native to Mexico. It has a strong, salty flavor and firm quality that's ideal for grating or crumbling. Cotija is packaged and sold in blocks (or rounds) and sometimes comes pregrated.
- 2 Comments
Aug 06, 2009 -
Earlier today I teased your tastebuds with a goat cheese quiz, so it's only fair to share my current favorite goat cheese recipe: tomato and goat cheese tarts. Goat's milk has a high amount of fatty acids (much more than cow's milk) that provide the cheese with its characteristic tart flavor.
Goat cheese most commonly comes in a soft, spreadable, crumbly form, although there are hard aged varieties that have a consistency more like feta.
- 3 Comments
Jul 23, 2009 -
Whenever I browse the selection of cheeses at my local market, there's one thing I always think, "gosh cheese is expensive." Sometimes I'll indulge on a pricey artisanal cheese, but the majority of the time I'm that girl looking at the weight-to-price ratio, searching for the cheapest chunk of cheese. Upon the suggestion of a very friendly cheese monger, I've started purchasing cheese from regions that aren't known for cheese production — like Parmesan from Argentina or in the case of this recipe, feta from Bulgaria.
- 5 Comments
Jul 16, 2009 -
On Monday one of the Sugar girls came into work raving about an amazing blue cheese burger she had over the weekend. The cheese was stuffed inside the patty, and a tangy red pepper aioli moistened the bun. Remembering that I had some Point Reyes Blue Cheese in my fridge, I decided to try grilling up some blue cheese burgers.
- 3 Comments
Jul 09, 2009 -
A couple of weeks ago I read an article on the Atlantic's food blog that recommended making a grilled skewer appetizer with smoked cheese cubes wrapped in pancetta. The story reminded me of a delicious tapa I had years ago in a Spanish dive bar. Anxious to re-create the dish, I headed to the store and purchased thinly sliced pancetta and smoked mozzarella.
- 11 Comments
Jun 11, 2009 -
Parmesan cheese is quite possibly Italy's most popular cheese. The hard, dry cheese has clearly won its way into the hearts of America. It's made from skimmed (or partially skimmed) cow's milk and has a pale golden rind and light-straw interior.
- 12 Comments