Cheese Please

In doing research on the topic of cheese I was reminded about the grilled cheese sandwich my mother made for me when I was a kid. She use to serve it with Campbell's Tomato soup and a dill pickle. How simple but how delicious this meal was for me. She would take bread, place some slices of cheese between two slices, and then she would toast the sandwich in an electric sandwich maker, kind of like a panini maker only this was a waffle iron with the waffle part removed and what was left was a flat surface.

Other fond memories are of my first cooking experiences with souffle's (it fell the moment it came out of the oven), cheesecake (new york style is the best) and open face sandwiches with sliced tomatoes and cheese and placed under the broiler for just enough time to melt the cheese.

Cheese can be a simple meal or an exotic and time consuming dish to make. It just depends on the recipe and it also depends on the type of cheese.

There are hundreds of different types of cheeses. They can be differentiated both by the type of milk: raw, skimmed or pasteurized and/or by the animal: cow, goat, sheep, buffalo, horse or camel. Here is a list of a few of my favorite cheeses.

Cheddar Cheese

Cheddar cheese was originally made in Cheddar, an English village in Somerset. It is one of the most popular cheeses and is relatively hard and can be an off-white to yellow color. This cheese can be found in cheese sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, shredded on a baked potato and sliced with apples and served with a nice glass of white wine.

Monterey Jack

This is another very popular cheese. It is a semi-hard cheese and is made with cow's milk. Monterey Jack was originally made by Mexican Franciscan friars in Monterey, California in the 1800's. It got it's name from a businessman, David Jack who began mass marketing the cheese.

Swiss Cheese

Swiss cheese can be identified by holes known as “eyes”. This is a mild cheese and is often served melted on a slice of bread in French Onion Soup. Evidently, the larger the holes in the Swiss cheese, the more pronounced the flavor. This is due to longer aging and higher temperatures.

Cream Cheese

Who hasn't enjoyed a bagel with cream cheese. My favorite is to add a sliced of smoked salmon, sliced onions and capers. Cream cheese was originally invented in New York state in 1872. This type of cheese is similar in texture to French Neufchatel. The flavor of cream cheese is mild and fresh tasting with a slight tang. There are many ways to enjoy cream cheese including in cheesecake, in frostings and dips. It can also be mixed with fruits or herbs for added flavor.

This is an easy make ahead brunch idea. I've made this many times and my guests clean their plates!

4 cups day old bread, cubed
1 cups grated cheddar cheese
10 med eggs, beaten
4 cups milk
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp onion powder
dash pepper
8-10 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
½ cup sliced mushrooms
Arrange bread cubes in greased 9x13” baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Beat together eggs, milk, mustard, salt, onion powder and pepper. Pour evenly over bread. Cover and refrigerate over night. Sprinkle with bacon and mushrooms and bake at 325 degree F for one hour or until set. Makes 12 servings.

1 gallon whole milk
1 pinch salt
1 large lemon, juiced
Pour the milk into a large pot, and stir in a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from burning. When the milk begins to boil, turn off the heat. Stir the lemon juice into the milk which will curdle. Line a sieve or colander with cheesecloth and pour the milk through the cloth. What is left in the cheesecloth is the Farmer's Cheese. Gather the cloth around the cheese, and squeeze out as much of the water as you can. You can throw away the liquid. Wrap in plastic or place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. If you want a flavorful cheese, you can add herbs to the mixture.