About.com Cheese

Cheese of the Week: Artisan Cheese Made in the USA

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:09:06 +0000

This week I couldn't just choose one cheese, I had to choose a whole category: handmade (artisanal) cheese made right here in the USA. Whether you're putting it on a burger or serving it on a cheese plate, this is the perfect weekend to buy cheese that has been made by a small producer in your state.

Not sure how to find locally-made cheese? The farmers' market is a good place to start, as is a local cheese shop. Many states also have websites listing local cheesemakers, like Washington state , Oregon,Vermont, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania , New York , Maine , and California. Many larger grocery stores are also carrying local products now. The American Artisanal Cheese Movement is here to stay - so, thank you cheesemakers for all your hard work and dedication. And happy 4th of July!

4th of July Recipes

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:47:05 +0000

The 4th of July means outdoor BBQs, potlucks and picnics. Burgers, potato salad and corn on the cobb are a given, but what else are you going to make? Try one of theses delicous dishes!

Cucumber and Avocado Salad with Feta

Fruit Salad With Balsamic Dressing

Feta and Cucumber Salad

Cotija Cheese, Corn and Wild Rice Salad

Manchego and Olives

Goat Cheese and Mango Salsa

Mozzarella, Tomato and Pesto

Summer Pasta Salad

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:06:52 +0000

The best type of dinner on a hot summer night is a cold one. Pasta salad is my cold dinner of choice. It has every thing you need - carbs, vegetables, protein, and dairy if you add cheese (which of course, you should). Try Pasta With Roasted Ricotta and Peas or this recipe for Basil Pesto with macaroni noodles.

You can also try a Classic Italian Pasta Salad with asiago cheese or Grilled Pasta Salad with goat cheese.

Cheese of the Week: Chimay

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:40:55 +0000

Since we've been talking about beer all week, I knew there was only one cheese I could talk about today: Chimay. The only thing more delicious than beer is cheese washed in beer. Not to mention that it's made by Trappist monks in Belgium who take their cheesemaking (and beer making) duties very seriously.

Most types of Chimay cheese have a rind that is washed in Belgian beer but the cheese never reaches the point of uber-stinkiness that some other washed rind cheeses do. The Belgian beer does, however, give some hoppy, beefy flavor to the cheese and keeps the texture springy and soft. Trying pairing Chimay cheese with Chimay beer or any of the other 9 beers that made it onto the About.com Beer Guide's list of Ten Beers Every Beer Lover Should Know.

Cheese and Nuts: Two Delicious Friends

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:40:21 +0000

If we're going to talk about beer, then it just seems natural that we also talk about nuts. What better party snack is there? Nuts are filling, relatively healthy and a great way to fill up empty space on a cheese plate. These five nuts pair especially well with cheese. If you're serving cheese after dinner, garnish the cheese with caramelized pecans or walnuts - the sweetness is delish with salty cheese.

Cheese and That Other Tasty Beverage

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:12:51 +0000

Name an alcoholic beverage with four letters that pairs well with cheese....

Am I right that wine was the first beverage to come to mind? For most people it is, but what we're all forgetting about is a delicious frothy beverage that often tastes even better with cheese: beer.

That's right, a good cold brewsky is exactly the type of refreshing, yeasty beverage that cheese adores. I've put together some basic guidelines for pairing beer and cheese but if you want to keep things super simple, check out theses five cheeses that taste great with any type of beer you have in your fridge.

Cheese of the Week: Mozzarella

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 06:12:43 +0000

Here she is, the Queen of Summer Cheeses. I've been waiting to write about Mozzarella until all the summer tomatoes grew dark and fat and the air was thick with the spicy aroma of basil. Perhaps I should've waited longer, but I just couldn't. And to be perfectly honest, I eat fresh Mozzarella year-round, without waiting for ripe tomatoes. I just sprinkle it with salt, drizzle it with olive oil and sandwich it between two slices of baguette. But it's even better with basil and tomatoes, isn't it? I especially like turning the basil into pesto and serving the pesto with Ciliegine Mozzarella (mozzarella that comes in the shape of small, cherry-sized balls.)

Fresh Mozzarella is softer and creamier than packaged Mozzarella, which has a firmer texture that makes it easier to grate into dishes like Lasagna. Fresh Mozzarella gets a little stringy when melted so I like it best served cold. Mozzarella is what cheesemakers call a stretched curd cheese because making Mozzarella involves pulling, kneading and tearing the curd. The cheese is actually named after this process; the Italian verb mozzare, means "to break or cut off." I haven't been brave enough yet to try making my own Mozzarella, but maybe this will be the summer I finally give it a go in my own kitchen. If I do, you'll be the first to know!

Rose Wine and Cheese

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:30:14 +0000

Especially during the hot days of summer, I love sipping a chilled glass of rose wine. But what type of cheese do you pair with a pink wine? Do you pair it with cheeses that typically pair well with a red wine, or cheeses that typically pair well with a white wine? The answer, for the most part, is "both." A dry rose is more versatile than most people think. Rose's bright acidity and noticeable fruit make it an ideal wine to pair with cheese. I think that these five cheeses pair especially well with rose. What do you think?

Summer Fruit

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:15:00 +0000

Loads of fruits are starting to come into season - berries, cherries, apricots, peaches...I can hardly wait until they are all ripe enough to eat, their thick sweet juices running down my chin. During these months of abundance, look no further than the produce section to garnish a cheese plate. Almost all colorful fruits look pretty on a cheese plate but a few summer fruits also taste especially delicious with a bite of cheese.

Cheese of the Week: Goat Rising Ch�vre

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 06:33:08 +0000

I love it when I stumble upon local cheeses at the grocery store. More and more grocery stores seem to be featuring locally made items, so keep your eyes open for them in the cheese section. This week, nestled among all the mass-produced cheeses, I found Goat Rising ch�vre made by The Farmstead at Mine Brook in Massachusetts. This fresh goat cheese is tangy and creamy with a texture that is lighter and less dense than some other ch�vres, which make it easy to spread. I've been spreading it on sandwiches this week instead of using mayonnaise. It's packaged in a convenient container, too, which relieves you of having to figure out the best way to store the cheese in the fridge. I bought the unflavored, traditional goat cheese but Creamy Dill, Garlic & Herb, Horseradish & Chive or Wasabi are also sold.

The Farmstead at Mine Brook is open to visitors who can get themselves to Charlemont, Massachusetts where the farm is located. They make both raw and pasteurized cheeses from the milk of goats and cows they raise on the farm. Mine Brook also makes several other cheeses as well as soaps made from goats' milk.