Cheese Admiration and Celebration
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Whole Foods had a $5 per pound discount on Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog today, bringing the price per pound down from outer space to merely stratospheric. Impatient fools like me - a.k.a. Amazon Prime subscribers - get a small further discount. Of course, I bought a chunk, hedonist that I am!
On top of that, the foolish-or-lazy-or-generous staff had a sampling set out . . . cut your own cheese chunk from a goodly hunk, pre-annointed with comb honey, nestled amongst a wealth of those yummy Raincoast Crisp crackers they sell that I never buy. Nom. That was worth taking my mask off for.
There are quite a few photos of Humboldt Fog - not just from me - upthread. So good,
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@springlering62
If you drive through the Netherlands regularly, here is my list of favourite dutch foods to bring home (as well as cheese).
Cured meats:
Rookvlees (thinly sliced smoked beef eaten as a cold cut, similar to Italian braesola.)
Fillet Americain (ready made steak tartare for spreading on toast, so only if you like raw beef and have a cooler in the car.)
Maatjes haring (only if you like raw fish, herring in Holland is brined, not pickled. I used to call it working man's sushi. Traditionally served with chopped raw onion and pickles but gourmets have it with black pepper only.)
Baked goods:
Ontbijtkoek (a light, no fat cake eaten for breakfast similar to a soft ginger bread.)
Bitterkoekjes (almond macaroons similar to Italian amaretti.)
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4% large curd Cottage cheese is my favorite snack ever in the history of snacks.3
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My absolute favourite of all time. I used to go crazy in the maatjes season. I always gained a few kg during the few weeks it lasts. I like them most with chopped raw onion or nothing at all. We can get them here in Canada as well, but I have never found an address downtown Toronto, so getting them is such a major expedition that I have only had them once here, during a Dutch festival. It is the very one thing I miss from Europe in general and Holland in particular, except for dubbelzoute drop (doubly salted licorice).Maatjes haring (only if you like raw fish, herring in Holland is brined, not pickled. I used to call it working man's sushi. Traditionally served with chopped raw onion and pickles but gourmets have it with black pepper only.)
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BartBVanBockstaele wrote: »
My absolute favourite of all time. I used to go crazy in the maatjes season. I always gained a few kg during the few weeks it lasts. I like them most with chopped raw onion or nothing at all. We can get them here in Canada as well, but I have never found an address downtown Toronto, so getting them is such a major expedition that I have only had them once here, during a Dutch festival. It is the very one thing I miss from Europe in general and Holland in particular, except for dubbelzoute drop (doubly salted licorice).Maatjes haring (only if you like raw fish, herring in Holland is brined, not pickled. I used to call it working man's sushi. Traditionally served with chopped raw onion and pickles but gourmets have it with black pepper only.)
I now live in London and can find salted (not pickled) herring in Polish shops. I can buy imported maatjes haring online but it is exorbitant. The Polish substitute is not quite the same texture as maatjes haring, as it is in oil. Not similiar enough in texture to eat plain or in a sandwich, but good enough for a haring salade. If you happen to be at a Polish grocer in Toronto check whether they have salted herring.
I would imagine you could get zoutdrop by mail order. Keep in mind that the Danes and maybe other Scandinavians also eat zoute drop.
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@AnnPT77
Sorry for hijacking your thread for dutch food.
If you find the stinky fermented tofu, you must tell us what you think. We have a jar in the store cupboard that is yet unopened. Hubby has no reason to eat it as we can keep our refrigerator in London stocked with cheese. When I open it, I might try some veggie stir fries with the stinky tofu. It's funkiness might make it a good vegetarian substitute for anchovies or fish sauce.1 -
Thanks for the suggestions! In fact, there are a few Polish stores in Toronto, but I never go there, for the same reason I quit going to the Chinatowns, Korean and Japanese or German stores: I think it is not wise to be tempted when I am still losing weight. I am in the unfortunate position of having "normal weight obesity" and that is my priority right now.I now live in London and can find salted (not pickled) herring in Polish shops. I can buy imported maatjes haring online but it is exorbitant. The Polish substitute is not quite the same texture as maatjes haring, as it is in oil. Not similiar enough in texture to eat plain or in a sandwich, but good enough for a haring salade. If you happen to be at a Polish grocer in Toronto check whether they have salted herring.
I would imagine you could get zoutdrop by mail order. Keep in mind that the Danes and maybe other Scandinavians also eat zoute drop.
However, that does not leave me completely stranded in a disyummified food desert. They sell "Brunswick golden-smoked sardines" at the local Loblaws and I totally adore those as well. Because they are canned in small portions, I still have those on occasion. They don't replace maatjes, but they are quite yummy regardless: very dangerous for me, so I mix them with a vegetable blend in order to limit the degree of temptation and danger of them being a trigger food.
As for dubbelzoute drop, they used to have Very Good ones at Bulk Barn, only one block away from where I am. I am now in the fortunate-unfortunate position of celebrating that they no longer do, but I most definitely miss it!
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@AnnPT77
Sorry for hijacking your thread for dutch food.
If you find the stinky fermented tofu, you must tell us what you think. We have a jar in the store cupboard that is yet unopened. Hubby has no reason to eat it as we can keep our refrigerator in London stocked with cheese. When I open it, I might try some veggie stir fries with the stinky tofu. It's funkiness might make it a good vegetarian substitute for anchovies or fish sauce.
I don't mind the occasional brief positive-spirited digression to adjacent topics, @acpgee . . . and - despite being vegetarian - am not bothered that this one was meaty/fishy.
It does occur to me to wonder why there isn't some long-running meat/fish appreciation thread here, analogous to this one or the produce one . . . especially as so many do seem to struggle getting adequate protein!
I haven't been at my local Asian market yet to look for the stinky tofu, but it's in my plans, and I now feel well-armed with the necessary information, thanks to that little digression.
The thought of it as a possible fish-sauce alternate is additional inspiration. Thanks for that!1 -
@AnnPT77
Sorry for hijacking your thread for dutch food.
If you find the stinky fermented tofu, you must tell us what you think. We have a jar in the store cupboard that is yet unopened. Hubby has no reason to eat it as we can keep our refrigerator in London stocked with cheese. When I open it, I might try some veggie stir fries with the stinky tofu. It's funkiness might make it a good vegetarian substitute for anchovies or fish sauce.
I don't mind the occasional brief positive-spirited digression to adjacent topics, @acpgee . . . and - despite being vegetarian - am not bothered that this one was meaty/fishy.
It does occur to me to wonder why there isn't some long-running meat/fish appreciation thread here, analogous to this one or the produce one . . . especially as so many do seem to struggle getting adequate protein!
I haven't been at my local Asian market yet to look for the stinky tofu, but it's in my plans, and I now feel well-armed with the necessary information, thanks to that little digression.
The thought of it as a possible fish-sauce alternate is additional inspiration. Thanks for that!
I am surprised there is not a thread on vegan/vegetarian condiments and flavourings. The last one I stumbled upon was Chinese Olive Vegetable. It contains a vegetable similar to olives (but plant is a different genus), pickled mustard greens. Very umami.
https://www.yaubros.co.uk/products/olive-vegetable-hk-pre801.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwnbmaBhD-ARIsAGTPcfXD-IQiHNOBXUMCigszWlhdBi-Hn4Hjnv5zIPpI4f-1qs3XPVXc-HAaAtn6EALw_wcB
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@acpgee thanks for the suggestions but usually we fly into Amsterdam and head east. No cooler, and after a five hour traffic jam Friday that lasted almost to the German border, I don’t think I’d ever risk it without.
I’ve learned the hard way about taking even vacuum sealed meats in the other direction. I didn’t get back off the Customs and Borders “Sausage List” til I applied for quick entry.
I do keep several boxes of hagel slaag on tap at all times. Cheap chocolate thrill for not so many calories!2 -
I loved it as a child. I now stay away from it, helped by the fact that it is not all that easy to get in my neck of the woods of Toronto.springlering62 wrote: »I do keep several boxes of hagel slaag on tap at all times. Cheap chocolate thrill for not so many calories!
By the way, the correct name is "hagelslag" and it is actually a brand name. In Flanders it is called "muizenstrontjes" (mouse droppings).
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BartBVanBockstaele wrote: »
I loved it as a child. I now stay away from it, helped by the fact that it is not all that easy to get in my neck of the woods of Toronto.springlering62 wrote: »I do keep several boxes of hagel slaag on tap at all times. Cheap chocolate thrill for not so many calories!
By the way, the correct name is "hagelslag" and it is actually a brand name. In Flanders it is called "muizenstrontjes" (mouse droppings).
Thanks for the spelling correction here, I didn't want to be the Dutch spelling 'nazi' a second time 😆
But to be fair to Spring, hagelslag is not a brand name, it's a 'proper' name for the product regardless of brand ('mouse droppings' is not something manufacturers want to put on their product 🤪 )
I love it on bread on top of some peanut butter, which (sort of) brings us back to cheese since peanut butter is called 'peanut cheese' in Dutch.2 -
BartBVanBockstaele wrote: »
I loved it as a child. I now stay away from it, helped by the fact that it is not all that easy to get in my neck of the woods of Toronto.springlering62 wrote: »I do keep several boxes of hagel slaag on tap at all times. Cheap chocolate thrill for not so many calories!
By the way, the correct name is "hagelslag" and it is actually a brand name. In Flanders it is called "muizenstrontjes" (mouse droppings).
Thanks for the spelling correction here, I didn't want to be the Dutch spelling 'nazi' a second time 😆
But to be fair to Spring, hagelslag is not a brand name, it's a 'proper' name for the product regardless of brand ('mouse droppings' is not something manufacturers want to put on their product 🤪 )
I love it on bread on top of some peanut butter, which (sort of) brings us back to cheese since peanut butter is called 'peanut cheese' in Dutch.
Thank you for that. I have always understood "hagelslag" to be a brand name. It is possible that I am/was wrong about that, or maybe that it is no longer the case. I just looked and Wikipedia says that it "was" a brand name. So, perhaps, I remember it as a brand name because I am old fart? Wikipedia does not seem to have all the data to decide either way. See: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagelslag#:~:text=De naam hagelslag was als,de volksmond ook muizenstrontjes genoemd
That said, Wikipedia also says this:
That might indicate that it used to be a brand name. I think that it is utterly unimportant here, but my curiosity has been aroused.Chocoladefabriek Erven H. de Jong uit Wormerveer bracht rond maart 1913 voor het eerst hagelslag op de markt[5] maar al snel gingen andere fabrikanten het product namaken onder de naam chocoladekorrels of chocoladestrooisel of chocolade-hagelkorrels, omdat 'hagelslag' in combinatie met 'chocolade' in maart 1913 was gedeponeerd door Erven H. de Jong.[6]
As for pindakaas ["peanut cheese"], that was unknown in Flanders. It was explained to us (in school) as a type of cheese with peanuts that was really disgusting. Of course, that was disinformation, plain and simple. Pindakaas is not cheese, just ground up peanuts. And peanuts were –and are– called apenootjes (monkey nuts) in Flanders. I later found out that it wasn't disgusting at all, but so delicious I always emptied the jar.
The funny part (for me) is that peanut butter is still called pindakaas in Flanders. I am guessing this is because it was imported from the Netherlands, where it was originally imported from the US. I can't help but wonder how the Dutch ever started calling this "pindakaas" and not "pindaboter" which seems to be more straightforward a translation.
Another product that used to fascinate me: "Zwitserse strooikaas" ["Swiss grated cheese"]. This was also completely unknown in Flanders. Some people claimed it was just Parmigiano (which most Flemings don't even know as cheese, but simply as a powdered condiment), but that was not even remotely possible, given its nutrition facts. It fascinated me, now some thirty years ago, because I found it in the "Nederlandse Voedingsmiddelentabel" [Dutch list food with nutrition facts, much smaller but comparable to the USDA database] and the reason it fascinated me was that I did not know it [how surprising ^_^] and because it had 400 Kcal per 100 gram and 100 gram protein per 100 gram, so it was virtually pure protein.
I had already been an unwilling fatty at the time for a decade or two. My Dutch assistant told me what it was and said she really hated it, but she brought me a container so I could try it. I really liked it, it made me think of a combination of the taste of stock cubes all while being virtually pure protein. Since we now have flavourless whey protein powder, I did not look for it anymore, but if I would find it in a store closeby, I'd certainly buy it again. I suspect it would taste great on vegetables, especially for coating Brussels sprouts as a means to slightly increase their protein content while turning them into a finger food by drying them out, a bit as an alternative breading, which is why I use the protein powder to coat my sprouts.
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Peanut butter is still called pindakaas (=peanut cheese) in Amsterdam, too. The weird literal translation never occurred to me. In the same way that I never realized that the Bakerloo line of the London tube stands for Baker Street to Waterloo.
Getting back to cheese, do people have favourite cheese recipes? I will be making lasagna cupcakes on Saturday because I am cooking at a friend's place with her kid. It's something kids enjoy making.
It's ready made thawed gyoza or wanton wrappers stacked between cottage cheese (replaces the bechamel in a classic lasagna recipe) and bolognese sauce in a greased muffin tin. Topped with a grated hard cheese such as cheddar before baking to cook the gyoza wrappers. Vegetarians can layer whatever they put in vegetable lasagna, such as sauteed spinach or grated zucchini instead of ragu. Making lasagna cupcakes in a metal muffin tray turns every piece into a crunchy corner piece. Families who fight over squishy centre pieces should use use a silicon muffin tray.
Picture from my first lasagna cupcakes years ago.
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Getting back to cheese, do people have favourite cheese recipes?
I used to make something I called "Fried Cheese" from time to time. Often it was when I was done cooking something in a cast iron pan. When the cooking is done, the pan might still be hot. It may almost be smoking. Why waste that heat? A few chunks of sharp cheddar will bring the pan temperature down. Then just let them sit. They will start bubbling, and eventually the bottom gets crispy.
Flip the chunks over to crisp the second side.
Crispy cheddar bits. Tasty treats.
Wipe out the cast iron, and it's ready to store for the next time you cook.
Another would be some version of Macaroni and Cheese. In addition to the cheese going in to the white sauce that gets mixed with the pasta, a chunk of cheese in the middle of the casserole dish.... it's good. It will still be gooey, but it also will migrate around and make everything cheesier. If you are brave, once the casserole dish is assembled and ready to bake, put some tomato sauce/paste (or -- catsup) on top and top with more grated cheese.
Yeah. I don't eat that kind of thing anymore. So sad.
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I wouldn't say favorite, but for super easy tastiness, I liked the silly TikTok pasta topping recipe: Put a chunk of feta in a baking dish, dump a bunch of cherry tomatoes and fresh garlic around it, drizzle some olive oil over it, bake until tomatoes/cheese are soft and maybe lightly brown. Stir and serve over pasta.
A good add was to put fresh mushrooms in a separate baking dish and roast alongside the tomatoes. When oven time is mostly done but before mushroom juice fully disappears, add generous amounts of fresh spinach to the mushrooms and bake until it wilts.
I tried doing it all in one dish, but the mushroom juice keeps the tomatoes from reaching roasty richness.
I don't use recipes much - for good or evil, I tend to extemporize. I'll give some thought to the cheese recipe question, though.
Thanks for bringing us back on topic! (Yum!)3 -
I also enjoy the Feta and Tomato TikTok thing. Turns out to be more than the sum of it’s parts, somehow!
Also love mixing fresh mint and basil into Ricotta adding the zest and juice of a lemon, plus some chilli flakes and adding that to hot pasta, peas & broad beans. Favourite pasta for this is Orzo. Bit like risotto, if you like that (which I don’t - textural issue with risotto).
Harissa marinated Halloumi is also great! I use it to top a courgette, peppers, onion and tomato based dish, which sort of resembles Ratatouille - sort of…
Favourite ever use for cheese would be a classic Cauliflower Cheese, but these days I make the ‘béchamel’ using Oat Flour and Almond Milk - no fat so essentially it’s a very thin porridge I suppose…but it sure cuts the calories for what is traditionally quite a calorie dense sauce. 25g of a strong cheddar is more than enough to cheese it up! Sometimes boosted by Nutritional Yeast, but not always.
Mushrooms, sautéed in minimal oil (or I more often use vegetable stock), add a soft goats cheese and a tablespoon of good Balsamic Vinegar. Stir into pasta or rice along with a generous amount of either parsley or baby spinach.
Roasted Figs stuffed with a soft Goats Cheese. 10g of cheese per fig works fine. Roast on a bed of sliced red onions, sprinkle with either fresh or dried Thyme and a drizzle of chilli infused honey. If I have the calories I might add some broken walnut pieces which work beautifully with the other flavours. Served on a huge salad. Use the figgy cheese juices as a hot salad dressing. Heaven!
That’s all I can think of at this particular moment but I’m sure I have scores of cheese based ‘recipes’ that I make. Like Ann, above, I don’t really use recipes, I tend to wing it depending on calories I have to spend and the contents of my fridge and cupboards!2 -
I often add a salty cheese to pep up green salads with something sweet to counterbalance it. Cheese could be feta, blue cheese, soft goat cheese or shavings of parmesan. Sweet element could be halved grapes, sliced pears, quartered figs, orange supremes, or nuts that have been caramelized. This type of elaborate salad is good as a first course which cuts down appetite for the main course.
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