Featured Cheese: Brie

According to Wikipedia, Brie cheese is named after Brie, the French province where it originated. It is a soft cow’s milk cheese that can be made from either whole or semi-skimmed milk. It is very soft and pale in color with a white moldy rind that is meant to be eaten along with the soft inner cheese.

Although many varieties are available today that are made all over the world, the French government officially certifies only two types of Brie to be sold under that name: Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun.

The Brie de Meaux , which is manufactured outside of Paris since the 8th century, was originally known as the “King’s Cheese”, but after the French Revolution it was enjoyed by the peasants, as well as, the nobility. However, some sources state evidence of its existence dates back to the time of Charlemagne.

It was granted the protection of the AOC in 1980 (much like Parmigiano-Reggiano was granted for the areas in which that cheese is made).

Brie produced in Australia and the United States are pasteurized (as mandated by law), while Bries produced in most parts of Europe are not. True French Brie is made from unpasteurized cow’s milk and is illegal to import to the United States. Cheeses made from raw milk must be aged at least 60 days to be legally allowed to be imported into the United States, this is too long for Brie, which would be overripe. Bries made from pasteurized milk have a milder flavor.

Typical aging time for this cheese is four to six weeks. It is aged in a cellar. French Brie has a lower fat content, about 40%, than Brie produced in the United States which has up to 60% fat content.

Purchase Brie rounds that are no more than an inch thick and should have a sweet odor. The outer portion should be firm and the inner portion should be soft but not watery.

Thicker Bries will be overripe on the outside and underripe on the inside. Under ripe cheese will probably not ripen once purchased.

Brie should be eaten within a few days and must be refrigerated. It should be brought to room temperature or warmed.

Ripe uncut Brie can be frozen for up to 6 months.

Brie is a perfect match for Champagne. A red Bordeaux or Burgundy is also an excellent choice. Chardonnay is another wine choice for this cheese…. because of its mild flavor, Brie goes well with most fruits, nuts, crackers or bread. When warmed, the center oozes a soft spreadable cheese. There are numerous recipes for heating Brie encased with dough to form a bread-like crust. It is also heated and served with fruit purees. See my Raspberry Brie Tarts recipe.

Sources: Wikipedia and
http://www.cheese-france.com/cheese/brie.htm and http://homecooking.about.com/od/cheeseinformation/a/brietips.htm .... see these sources for more information.

Recipe: Classic Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe for Macaroni and Cheese is one I have made for years. Admittedly, I always made it “by eye”….. you know the type of cooking I mean…. annoying cooks that don’t measure exactly and just go on their merry way…. making foods that turn out great every time and the same every time …. getting a recipe out of them is like pulling teeth…. well…. my Macaroni and Cheese recipe is a little like that.

One of the secrets to cooking “by eye” is that I use the same pot every time… I know how much should be in there…. and I just do it….. have no fear though…. I measured exactly so I could write the recipe for you. It actually was hard to do…. I’m so used to grabbing the milk container and pouring it right into the pot…. but measure I did.

Now doesn't that look yummy??

I wrote my recipe and then surfed the net to compare my recipe with other ones out there…. I was surprised to find very few that used the traditional roux (flour and butter or margarine) and milk to make the starter white sauce…. and the ones that did… didn’t use nearly as much cheese as I do….

Back in junior high, we had to take home ec (economics) where one semester was cooking and the other was sewing…. (I’m probably dating myself)…. I guess the school district felt obligated to make us into good little homemakers…. well… macaroni and cheese was one of the dishes we had to learn to make…. no shortcuts… we had to grate our cheese… and make our white sauce base and then make the cheese sauce…. etc…. so maybe my recipe has roots going back to junior high…. but in any case… my son had it often while growing up and always loved it…

Just look at that ooey gooey cheese...mmmm

TIPS

I love cheese… and my macaroni and cheese has a smooth cheese sauce… and the sauce is very cheesy… I used mostly sharp cheddar with some mild cheddar…  you can use only mild or a combination including Monterey jack cheese….

You can use different types of pasta…. elbows, bow ties, rotini, shells…. your choice…

Sprinkle some extra shredded cheddar on top for the last 10 minutes of baking and you will get a slightly crisp golden color... yummy too!








Recipe:  Classic Macaroni and Cheese

All you need:

1 pound macaroni, cooked according to package directions
4 cups skim milk (you can use 1%, 2% or whole also)
3-4 tablespoons margarine
¼ cup flour
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups mild cheddar cheese
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

All you need to do:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook macaroni to al dente (cooked but chewy) according to package directions. Drain.

Using the same pot, melt the margarine over medium heat.

Add the flour and mix… to make the roux...it will be very pastey….

Add about a cup of milk and whisk vigorously until lumps disappear… you may add a little more milk if the roux is too dry.

Slowly add about 2 cups of the milk…. whisking constantly and vigorously.

When mixture begins to thicken… slowly add remaining milk… the consistency will be a little runnier than cream…

Continue to whisk over heat until sauce thickens some more.

Gradually add handfuls of the cheese into the sauce… stirring constantly with a cooking spoon.. until all the cheese has been incorporated….

The sauce should be the consistency of heavy cream…. If yours is still too runny … (it shouldn’t be but if it is…) you can add more cheese or in a measuring cup mix 1 tablespoon flour with about ¼ cup of milk … whisk with a small for until smooth… add some of the sauce into the measuring cup and whisk… then add the mixture into the pot and whisk. Give it a few minutes and it should thicken the sauce a bit more... make sure you whisk constantly.

Add the macaroni to the pot and mix thoroughly.

Add the ham, if using, mix thoroughly.

Pour the mixture into a baking dish (13x9) or two smaller dishes.

Bake for 25 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and top is golden.

Now watch it disappear!

Featured Cheese: Emmentaler

Emmentaler cheese is a cheese from Switzerland. It is sometimes known as Swiss cheese in North America, Australia and New Zealand. Not all Swiss cheese is Emmentaler. Emmentaler cheese originally comes from the Emme valley in the canton of Bern. You will see it referred to as Emmental, Emmenthal or Emmenthaler… all refer to the same cheese.

Unlike Parmigiano-Reggiano, the name Emmentaler is not protected, so it can be produced outside of Switzerland and still called Emmentaler. Emmentaler from other orgins is widely available, especially France, Bavaria and Finland.

Emmentaler is a yellow, medium hard cheese with large holes. It has a distinctive flavor but is not sharp. The “original Emmentaler” has to be aged for a minimum of 4 months. It is produced in a round shape with a natural rind and aged in traditional cellars.

Just as aging varied with Parmigiano-Reggiano, aging times can be different with Emmentaler. Classic Emmentaler is aged for 4 months, reserve is aged for 8 months and Premier Cru is aged for 14 months.

Emmentaler is produced from fresh untreated raw cow milk and adding only natural ingredients… water, common salt, natural starters (selected bacteria) and rennet. Additives, preservatives, genetically-modified organisms, silage or animal meal as feedstuffs are not allowed.

According to Wikipedia, “Swiss cheese not made in Switzerland tastes considerably different, primarily because the raw milk to make the cheese should not be transported long distances, as the vibrations homogenize the milk, and thereby change the outcome.”

In the United States, Swiss cheese is a standard cheese used in sandwiches. When purchasing Swiss cheese at the deli counter, the customer is often asked, “domestic or imported”, the choices offering different taste and price., and imported may mean from origins other than Switzerland.

Emmentaler is used in cooking, it is included in gratin recipes and fondue, where it is blended with Gruyere cheese.

Featured Cheese: Parmigiano-Reggiano

Parmegiano-Reggiano is a hard, sharp dry Italian cheese made from cow’s skim milk. It is straw colored and has a rich fruity/nutty taste with a slightly gritty texture. It’s named after the Italian producing areas of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna in Emilia-Romagna, and Mantova, in Lombardy, Italy.

In Europe, the names, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Parmesan, are legally protected, it refers exclusively to the Parmegiano-Reggiano DOP cheese manufactured in a limited area in northern Italy.

Outside of Europe, the name Parmesan can be used to refer to similar cheeses produced elsewhere and is loosely used as a common term for cheeses imitating true Parmesan cheese.

The cheese making process is very interesting and can be found in a number of sources. I suggest reading about the process in Wikipedia.

According to Wikipedia, after the cheese is made it is put into a stainless steel round form that is pulled tight with a spring powered buckle so the cheese retains its wheel shape. After a day or two, the buckle is released and a plastic belt imprinted numerous times with the Parmigiano-Reggiano name, the plant's number, and month and year of production is put around the cheese and the metal form is buckled tight again. The imprints take hold on the rind of the cheese in about a day.

The average Parmigiano-Reggiano wheel is about 7-9 inches high and 16-18 inches in diameter, and weighs approximately 80 pounds. It is aged for a minimum of 12 months and up to 48 months. On average it is aged 2 years.

It is available year round and its uses include being grated over pasta dishes, soups and risotto. It can also be eaten in chunks with balsamic vinegar. It is a key ingredient in many sauces.