Cheese Admiration and Celebration

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  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,655 Member
    springlering62 wrote: »
    Suggestions?

    We had toast with broiled cheese last night to go with our tomato soup instead of grilled cheese sandwiches.

    Enjoyed it, except the cheddars slices were wildly oily. Yeah, I know, lidl cheese slices. Cheap *kitten* cheese.. 🤷🏻‍♀️

    But any suggestions on a less oily melty savory cheese?

    How about one of the reduced fat mature cheddars? All the supermarkets have their own versions, cathedral city does a passable one and Pilgrim’s Choice is better. They vary in strength, have to say they’re not the strongest of cheeses but they are defo not greasy. I use them in cooking as they’re higher in protein and the taste difference doesn’t show in sauces or on top of cottage pies.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,679 Member
    claireychn074 wrote: »
    springlering62 wrote: »
    Suggestions?

    We had toast with broiled cheese last night to go with our tomato soup instead of grilled cheese sandwiches.

    Enjoyed it, except the cheddars slices were wildly oily. Yeah, I know, lidl cheese slices. Cheap *kitten* cheese.. 🤷🏻‍♀️

    But any suggestions on a less oily melty savory cheese?

    How about one of the reduced fat mature cheddars? All the supermarkets have their own versions, cathedral city does a passable one and Pilgrim’s Choice is better. They vary in strength, have to say they’re not the strongest of cheeses but they are defo not greasy. I use them in cooking as they’re higher in protein and the taste difference doesn’t show in sauces or on top of cottage pies.

    Those are British brands. 😢

    The low fat store brands here, especially the lower fat ones, are one processing step away from a Tupperware lid.

    I’m going to the craft store today which is next Whole Foods. Maybe I’ll treat myself to a gander at their cheeses….while I clutch my pearls at their prices!
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,679 Member
    edited December 13
    PS it seems to be a country thing.

    My daughter constantly bemoans the cost and taste of German cheeses. But now that she has a Dutch partner and she goes to a Dutch cheese market most weekends, she’s happy as a clam.

    Who’d believe 50 miles and one invisible border could make that much difference in cheeses?!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,617 Member
    springlering62 wrote: »
    Lidl’s store brand slice and shredded are meh, but they have some special “preferred selection” Scottish and English cheddars that are very very good.

    I’m trying the Brie because that’s what I’ve got in hand.

    I think I need to up my cheese game. It’s gotten to the point the store brands- all of them- are so bland they’re not even worth the calories.

    And sorry, Ann, that’s how I feel about Cotija. When I crumble it on food, it’s like ice cream sprinkles. Pretty to look at but adds nothing flavor wise.

    Hey, cheese preferences are just taste-preference things, like the books or music or whatever we each might prefer. That's not apology territory!

    Remember, I'm the one with low enthusiasm for cheddar, which is probably one of the most-loved cheeses out there. It's not that it's less mild, because I do enjoy some other very deeply-flavored cheeses, including other aged cheeses. Don't know. I don't like Chardonnay, either, in the wine realm, another thing that seems to be most people's go-to.

    Weird food prefs, weird music prefs, blah blah. Different tastes are part of what make other people interesting, in my world.

    I'm still finishing that Welsh cranberry Caerffili-style one I mentioned upthread.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,386 Member
    @springlering62

    I'm sure if you spend some time looking through this thread you'll be inspired by some different cheeses, many of which you may be able to find. I don't know how far you are from Decatur, but I think I remember that Dekalb Farmers' Market used to have a nice selection of cheeses.

    The world of cheddar is even vast in and of itself. Some are vastly different from others. If it's just a treat, it's easier to spend a little more on some good cheese than if it's a staple.

    I will admit I don't remember the last time I bought pre-sliced cheese, but I do know it has shown up on river trips especially when we hire an outfitter for the food pack or if it's a dive club lunch or the like. I don't remember the last time I ate American cheese, but I do think it does a good job of melting. It might even get a bad rap because of the name "process cheese." Just making cheese from any kind of milk is a form of processing. Adding in more milk and some citrate isn't much more of a process.

    Funny thing; even that oily cheddar would make a good grilled cheese where you don't see the oil. It's on the bread. If you broil that oily cheddar on one slice of toast but leave it under the broiler until it bubbles and starts to get brown, it might reincorporate the oil and be a new favorite treat. If I had some bread and cheese in the house, I'd go make some right now.

    Mozzarella might be an option for melting. It works on pizza.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,617 Member
    Just as an observation: There exists a thing called "American cheese" that is not necessary the same thing as the gloopy pre-sliced "American cheese food" product or blocks like Velveeta.

    "American cheese" is a processed cheese, yes: It has some liquid and emulsifiers blended into it. Those things make it somewhat more melty without being as visibly greasy. But there are ranges of quality/goodness of "American cheese".

    This is a decent overview:

    https://www.bonappetit.com/story/what-is-american-cheese?
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,679 Member
    I found a small wheel of “golden cheddar” in the veriest bottom of the cheese drawer. 😳

    Our daughter sent it to us for Fathers Day because the creamery shares our family name and she thought it was amusing. The first wheel was so dreadful I forgot all about the second.

    I opened and sliced it then and broiled it on toast, with a sprinkling of flake salt.

    It didn’t get greasy, broiled and browned very well, and was delicious.

    There still a summer sausage from the same folks, unopened. I do love a summer sausage, but likewise the first one was so bland and tasteless we both decided it wasn’t worth the calories. Maybe there’s hope for the second sausage, too. I think cheese and sausage are on the menu for lunches next week.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 8,001 Member
    Cooking with not so great cheeses is a nice way to use them up. My dutch hubby was not happy with some gouda he bought in a UK supermarket but it did make excellent souffle.
    tycicr0tp8i0.jpeg
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,679 Member
    edited December 21
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    @springlering62

    I'm sure if you spend some time looking through this thread you'll be inspired by some different cheeses, many of which you may be able to find. I don't know how far you are from Decatur, but I think I remember that Dekalb Farmers' Market used to have a nice selection of cheeses.
    .

    I forgot to tell you that, intrigued by your suggestion I googled cheese shops. There’s a gourmet cheese shop down in Butthead (local nickname for a frou-frou area) that has a monthly hand picked cheese selection they ship.

    So, husbands Christmas, done.

    Haven’t been to Decatur in years. We took a visitor to Stone Mountain a month or two ago and it took two hours to get the 25 or so miles home. I’m too old and have too little patience to go out that way. Places that ship? 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,386 Member
    springlering62 wrote: »
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    @springlering62

    I'm sure if you spend some time looking through this thread you'll be inspired by some different cheeses, many of which you may be able to find. I don't know how far you are from Decatur, but I think I remember that Dekalb Farmers' Market used to have a nice selection of cheeses.
    .

    I forgot to tell you that, intrigued by your suggestion I googled cheese shops. There’s a gourmet cheese shop down in Butthead (local nickname for a frou-frou area) that has a monthly hand picked cheese selection they ship.

    So, husbands Christmas, done.

    Haven’t been to Decatur in years. We took a visitor to Stone Mountain a month or two ago and it took two hours to get the 25 or so miles home. I’m too old and have too little patience to go out that way. Places that ship? 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

    There used to be a cheese shop at Lenox Square - right near "Butt Head." That was almost a half century ago. It's the first place I tried cheese that had ash running through it. That's back when the DeKalb Farmers' Market was in its original location and was much smaller (though still really big).

    I still think about listening to advertisements for furniture stores down there who would talk about a "Living Room Suite," or a "Bedroom Suite," and they would pronounce "suite" like a fancy men's dress (suit). Do they still do that?
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 8,001 Member
    I wonder if a classic recipe for Welsh rarebit would take care of the oiliness problem of melting cheddar on toast. I have never made it but it involves making a sauce that contains beer, I think.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,655 Member
    Got a nice bit of Cornish Yarg as part of the Christmas cheese board. It’s a creamy hard cheese with a tang, and the rind is made of nettles. onn5d8zsghiu.jpeg
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,679 Member
    claireychn074 wrote: »
    Got a nice bit of Cornish Yarg as part of the Christmas cheese board. It’s a creamy hard cheese with a tang, and the rind is made of nettles. onn5d8zsghiu.jpeg

    We had nettle soup when we were in a tiny guesthouse in the Caucasus Mountains. They told us nettles are only edible for a week or two each year, and we were in luck. It was delicious. Everything was delicious, including (since this is a cheese thread!) the homemade farmers’ cheeses. I can’t understand why Georgian restaurants aren’t wildly popular.

    @mtaratoot Rich’s is gone, Haverty’s is still around but doesn’t advertise. The only furniture ads we get are the screaming Rooms 2 Go ads, and they’re hollering about “no payments til 2030!!!” instead of the quality and beauty of their “suits”.

    I will say, however, there’s a Canadian musician I’m really fond of who often sings about rodeos. He had a song about choosing draws.

    I listened to this song for years before I realized he wasn’t singing about picking out underwear, but about drawing straws.

    I have three “chest of draws”, which are full of draws, in my bedroom, lol.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,679 Member
    edited December 22
    And PS, I’m sure you remember WSB radio.

    WSB was always a class act (except when winter weather threatened and they’d act like their hair was on fire) and a fine radio station, no longer does ads for furniture or much of anything except ED, tax relief, and hair restoration clinics.

    Its very sad.

    Like a large part of my youth has become tawdry.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,386 Member
    edited December 22
    WSB - "Welcome South, Brother."

    Heck, I remember WTCG (channel 17) before it ever went over the satellites to cable subscribers and eventually Captain Courageous changed the call sign.

    And yes, I remember that if even one flurry of snow was in the forecast, everyone went nuts and there would be no milk in the groceries. Of course there was actually one year where a fair bit of snow (several inches) fell over a very short time and the commute that usually took 20 minutes took four hours.

    I miss sourwood trees and lightning bugs. I miss boiled peanuts. I miss being able to actually buy real grits (I can get quick grits here, thank goodness, because instant grits are not a food product). I miss being able to swim in the ocean (here it gets calm enough in the summer, but thick wetsuit is required for the 50-degree water).

    I do NOT miss the traffic.
    I do NOT miss the humidity.
    I do NOT miss chiggers, too many mosquitoes, fire ants, or kudzu.

    We have plenty of delicious cheese around here though as well as some fantastic creameries. I treated myself to some brie with wild mushrooms for two weeks in a row.

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