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Butlers Blacksticks Blue.....

HillJ — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:18:00 GMT

I look forward to reading your review!

Jarlsberg surplus

Delucacheesemonger — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:28:39 GMT

Yes he/she did ask about Jarlsberg and l commented on Jarlsberg and it's fondue usefullness

Gouda - May 2013 Cheese of the Month

Melanie Wong — Mon, 20 May 2013 06:35:23 GMT

Truffe Noire gouda from Holland, purchased at Star Market in Salinas for $22/lb. http://www.cheeselandinc.com/truffe_noire.html Flecked with black truffle bits, the aroma of truffles is stronger than the palate impression. The base cheese itself has the oily almost plastic-like texture of processed cheese. I especially dislike the sharp acidity in the finish. I don't expect gouda to be tangy. Not liking this one. It's highest and best use is in scrambled eggs.

La Tur

DonShirer — Sun, 19 May 2013 23:02:33 GMT

Just a caution - eat it quickly. Last year I bought some, stuck it in the fridge, and didn't get around to eating it for a week. In that time, It had turned runny and acquired a nasty taste.

Black Castello - Mmmm Good!

DonShirer — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:57:35 GMT

Just spotted this cheese at our local fromagerie. It is a soft-ripened variety made of 90% cow and 10% sheep milk by Tholstrup in Denmark. A major step up from the more common blue castello, it won a gold medal in 2007. Creamy, with dark surface mold. Luscious. It now shares the top of my blue cheese list with Valdeon and Roaring Forties blue.

Gran Padano Boasting- an Oxymoron?

opinionatedchef — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:28:16 GMT

ha ha, I was about to ask: but then I found this! : http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/italian-cheeses-grana-padano-parmigiana-reggiano-article-1.325070 ad hoc ad loc quid pro quo so little time and so much to know

Limburger - American vs. German

Melanie Wong — Sun, 19 May 2013 21:04:37 GMT

Forgot this cheese was in the fridge! Took it out yesterday to warm up and cut into it today for lunch. I'm sure I've not had any Limburger for at least 20 years. I recall preferring the softer, oozier texture of Liederkranz. Unwrapping the brick, I was curious at how smelly it would seem to me now years later having experienced Epoisses and other washed rind cheeses. With those reference points, Limburger turned out to be not nearly as odoriferous as my memory of it nor in comparison to others of the style. The aroma is much mellower, less meaty/gamey, and not as sharply pungent. Yet, it does linger on my finger tips even after some hand scrubbing. A little sway back and yielding to the touch, some of the rind of the brick has darkened and turned hard, as shown in the photo. The rind tasted salty but not at all unpleasant or excessivly gritty. The ivory-colored paste has a lovely smooth unctuousness to it. Not oozy, it holds its shape when sliced but smooshes easily with the flat of the knife to distribute on a moist slice of Kommisbrot rye bread. There are a few small holes. The slices from the center of the brick are more intensely flavored. The flavor hits mostly at the front and mid-palate with not much aftertaste other than salt. The taste is quite unique bringing together the nutty tones of Alpine cheeses with a deep earthiness and buttery richness.

Mimolette on Lockdown in US

grayelf — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:11:26 GMT

Not just the USA -- I gave up on mimolette in Canada when they started covering it with hideous black wax, ostensibly because of the mites. Blech.

Chemicalkinetics! IS IT SAFE? PVC piping used for cheesemaking press.

mikie — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:34:39 GMT

II'm not anti plastic obviously, it's sent 4 kids to college and kept me at least comfortable, but in your case, finding the right plastic for the job at hand may be an issue. If you can find PVC water pipe approved by NSF Std. 14 or 61 you're probably going to be ok. One more little piece of information, exposure time and temperature are very important. The lower the temperature the less happens, this is the same with BPA, PTFE, etc. Also the shorter the exposure time, the less likely there will be any leaching or chemical attack.

What's your favorite Kerrygold cheese?

fldhkybnva — Fri, 17 May 2013 02:03:05 GMT

Has anyone tried the new Skellig?

New to Raclette - favorite uses or varieties?

SWISSAIRE — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:46:29 GMT

It is a popular and traditional meal here, almost as much as Fondue is. In fact, you find it served in various forms and languages across all the Alps. Like fondue, the origin is making the best of leftovers in the Winter, being frugal with what you had, in this case a cheese wheel by the fireplace. As sunshine842 accurately stated, the term comes from the French " Racler " or "to scrape. " A half wheel of cheese was placed in front of the fireplace, and the resulting melted cheese scraped downwards onto a plate of potatoes, pickles, and perhaps a few small onions. Hot tea was the traditional beverage served. Coarse ground black pepper is sprinkled over the dish. Today you can find Raclette cheese in North America. My son in California finds it at Trader Joes periodically from a French supplier, pre-sliced as we have it here. The Swissmar products ( we have one using 220-240 v ) are quite reliable, and a good value in North America. We take little raclette plates on picnics to cook over an open fire, along with good, small potatoes, other vegetables, shrimp, and ham, which is popular here. The regional belief is that cold soft drinks or wine taken with Raclette will then harden in the stomach, and hence avoided. Our French neighbours do a pretty good job of it ignoring that rule, and serve it with a good dry or fruity white. So I think the idea of experimentation with Raclette is a good idea. Try what works for you best.

New to Fontina - favorite uses or varieties?

fldhkybnva — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:03:18 GMT

Perfect, thanks for the recipe!

Book recommendation for beginner cheesemaking:

NonnieMuss — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:13:24 GMT

No joy? I'm reduced to replying to my own question? (Frownie face). Okay, so I've narrowed it down to three: 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes by Debra Amrein-Boyes Home Cheesemaking by Ricki Carroll Complete Idiot's Guide to Cheesemaking by James Leverentz Has anyone tried any of these books? Is anyone out there? Bueller?

Halloumi cheese

cheesecake17 — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:55:04 GMT

So I finally got around to cooking the halloumi!! Between bronchitis, a cold, stomach virus, and a trip to the er, it's been a busy few weeks :( Anyway, I made a marinade (in the blender) with lemon, parsley, garlic, olive oil, black pepper. Skipped the salt b/c I figured the cheese might be very salty. Used cubes of halloumi, zucchini, grape tomatoes, and chunks of mushrooms. Skewered them, and like a genius, realized the skewers would not fit in the pan. Broiled them-- delicious!!!!! My 2 yo ate two skewers! Thanks again :)

Taleggio: Cheese of the Month (Mar 2013)

jpr54_1 — Sun, 12 May 2013 21:58:56 GMT

i cut off the rind. the cheese is good by itself but I have eaten it on carr cracker with shiraz/ cab.

Cambozola Black Label Question.....

paulj — Sat, 11 May 2013 03:55:34 GMT

cambozola - Camembert + Gorgonzola

Smoked cheese, where to begin!

HillJ — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:55:02 GMT

One of the cheese shops I purchase cheese from in NJ. It is delightful and educational!

Cream Cheese-Is there a World Beyond Philadelphia Brand?

njmarshall55 — Thu, 09 May 2013 23:46:40 GMT

In reading most of the posts, I'd have to agree that, in my limited experience tasting OTHER CC's, Philly is still the best. Now, ONE option may be to use something like the Italian Mascarpone for SOME opportunities...

Quiz: The Cheese Challenge in the LA Times

Sushiqueen36 — Thu, 09 May 2013 04:50:28 GMT

Yep - 60%. Did fine with the "true" cheese questions but the sports ones tripped me up!

Small brie wheel creamy outside sour middle?

Sushiqueen36 — Thu, 09 May 2013 04:41:24 GMT

I think you're going to have to be more specific. What exactly did you buy? Many people refer to anything small and cylindrical that's soft as a brie... do you have a picture of the label? Brie is generally sold in wedges but small 6" rounds in the US can be also labeled brie -those are actually a Camembert by definition. There are many small, artisan cheeses which ripen from the outside in that are pleasant in many stages. They start out in a cheesecake sort of texture all through then move to a pudding texture on the outside with softening cheesecake in the center then to completely pudding texture eventually. They won't ever get to the gooey brie texture you might be expecting. Once you cut into a soft-ripened or bloomy rind cheese, it will no longer continue to ripen.

MANCHEGO – Cheese of the Month (April 2013)

LindaWhit — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:37:43 GMT

They had that "aged" manchego out for sampling in my local TJ's this weekend. I tried it, and the woman offering the samples was doing a full-court press on selling it, but I agree - didn't have near the oomph that manchego should have. I passed.

Mozzarella di bufala

Ruth Lafler — Mon, 06 May 2013 23:45:24 GMT

So here I am in Campagnia, and of course I bought some mozzarella di bufala. I've had imported DOP mozzarella di bufala before, so I was surprised that this had a much stronger flavor than I'm used to. Not bad, just not the flavor profile I was expecting. Soooooo ... is this the way the "real thing" is supposed to taste? Was this just a different style on the part of this cheesemaker? I guess I'll have to do some more "research" but does anyone have any insight or experiences to contribute?

Collier's Powerful Welsh Cheddar

fldhkybnva — Sun, 05 May 2013 21:00:19 GMT

It's a sweet cheddar right?

Green Mountain Farms Greek Cream Cheese

HillJ — Sat, 04 May 2013 01:37:35 GMT

I gave the Basil Pasta Toss recipe a try a few weeks back and my family enjoyed it.

"Eating Cheese in China"

pdxgastro — Thu, 02 May 2013 23:54:29 GMT

Great article. Thanks for posting. "vegetable stinky foods are very clean and clear in the mouth (qing kou), and they disperse quickly, while milky foods are greasy in the mouth (ni kou), they coat your tongue and palate, and they have a long, lingering aftertaste." --They pretty much nailed it. Why cheese is loved and hated. :o)