Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with cheese

dook day farmage?

cmoj — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:37:54 -0800

What's a good cheese-making book for me? A fairly recent question actually got me into making cheese, and I'm no fromagier, but after scouring Mr. Fankhauser's excellent information (and name) along with some other web resources I've dug up, I'm sort of at a loss as to how to learn more about all of this.

Looking at different recipes for different cheeses, I see that there's very little difference in the basic steps and all of the difference lies in the details, but at the same time there can be a wide variation among recipes for the "same" cheese.

So, I don't really want a cookbook with rote recipes, I want a cheese-making book (or website for that matter) that talks about the difference it makes to inoculate at 90 degrees versus 120 or to cut the curd versus stirring and breaking it. I'm looking for a book about the mechanics of making cheese, not just the recipes. A little chemistry wouldn't hurt my feelings either.

spechevrel delivery

ioesf — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:54:09 -0800

How do I mail soft cheese without it ripening? I'd like to mail some local cheeses from San Francisco to Philadelphia. It's summertime. I have access to the cheese inexpensively, so I don't want to order through a third party. How do I package it to keep it cool?

Help Me Make The Best Cheese Fondue I Can Make

ThePinkSuperhero — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:02:58 -0800

What's your secret for a delicious cheese fondue? I've made a few fondues at home in my crock pot, and I'm ready to take my fondue skills to the next level. Fondue lovers, please share your secrets. Is it the cheese? The liquid? The spices? Something else?

From non-vegan to vegan.

Gordion Knott — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 06:10:28 -0800

What's your favorite tasty, filling vegan snack? When it comes to dinner, I'm strictly small-portion and low-cal. Some lettuce, a handful of nuts, and a few pieces of dried fruit do the trick. But I tend to supplement this with a hot snack, generally a few slices of non-vegan cheese melted on toast. I'm anxious to convert this last dish into a vegan snack.

What filling, satisfying vegan snacks can you recommend as a substitute for the the toast-and-cheese? A hot snack cooked in the toaster or oven would suit my fancy best, but cold snacks are okay.

Also, if it's a vegan-cheese based snack, what vegan cheese would give me the best, most flavorful results when melted?

Indulge my turophilia.

arianell — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 02:54:13 -0800

What was this divine cheese, and where can I find it again? At a party back in January, I had a few bites of the most delicious cheese I've ever tried (it might have even been the most delicious food I've tried, period). It was a semi-soft cheese with a delightfully nutty flavor, and a slight tangy/grassy aftertaste that I usually associate with sheep's milk.

On the cheese plate, it was labeled like this: "Nesa, sheep, Spain." I've looked for it everywhere... the cheese plate in question was purchased from Cheesetique in Alexandria, Virginia, but they no longer carried it when I went in to ask. Google doesn't turn up much, either.

Any idea what kind of cheese this is? And does anyone know where I can buy some? Preferably in the Phoenix metro area, but I'd be willing to purchase it online as well.

Simple cheeses that can be made in a day?

amanda — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:30:20 -0800

Cheesefilter! Any home cheesemakers out there? What simple cheeses can be made in half a day? I've made mozzarella and ricotta and now I'd like to make another quick cheese. Any suggestions? I'm doing this with a group so it's been fun to just gather the ingredients and spend a day doing the cheese. However, I'm stymied as to the next cheese. Everything I've looked up seems to require many hours of setting and/or many hours of draining. I'd like something I can make and eat immediately.

I can get fresh goat milk as well as simple-pasteurized whole milk!

Help me convert an entire office into cheese fiends.

Xere — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 19:04:03 -0800

I've been put in charge of a workplace cheese lunch. Introducing the staff to the world of fancy cheese, hopefully to convert them away from the usual radioactive-orange ... stuff ... that's out there. But I have no idea what to prepare. French bread, I think? And sparkling cider because we can't have alcohol on the job? But the cheese? What cheeses are near-guaranteed winners, and won't be overpowered by sparkling cider? Help! I wish to go down in history as the awesomest cheese introducer ever. My work colleagues don't know much about cheese, and can't imagine what I could possibly come up with. They're telling me, Well, nacho cheese dips and mac-and-cheese are pretty ordinary, isn't it? WELL OKAY THEN LET ME BLOW YOUR MINDS.

So my idea is an expanded version of a fancy lunch basket. The wine/bread/cheese basket, except that I can't really have wine. Although I do think sparkling cider will kill the taste buds.

Workplace pays for this, so there's no budget!

Casein Allergy Solutions?

Texasjake987 — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 08:01:20 -0800

My girlfriend has recently formed as casein allergy as a young adult. She is not "lactose intolerant". Are there any solutions to dealing with this outside of cutting dairy and other casein rich foods out of her diet? more inside... While apparently common mostly in younger children, this allergy has afflicted her recently in her early twenties. Typically the common solution applies to the former demographic and involves removing casein from the diet, and gradually allowing your body to form a tolerance to it. However, because she's already been exposed to it for twenty+ years, doctors have simply recommended to just not consume casein. This is pretty tough, as it is extremely present in dairy foods. Red wine also gives the same allergenic reactions as well, and I recently read somewhere that casein is used as a binding agent in red wine.
Her reaction to casein manifests itself in her lungs and chest, causing wheezing and coughing not unlike the symptoms of asthma.
She typically tries to avoid taking antibiotics/medicine/etc... if there are other natural alternatives available. It would be nice if certain types of teas, herbs, spices, supplements or vitamins would help to address the problem.

So... are there any remedies for this allergy that anyone knows of that may help allow her to slowly leak more dairy, etc. into her diet?

Lactose intolerant folks have tablets they can take to allow them to eat dairy for a short window of time, or take other supplements....
is there anything similar for this case?

Tvorog / Farmer's Cheese

BlackStrapMolasses — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:53:25 -0800

Tvorog = farmer's cheese: any good recipes When I was in Moscow, Tvorog was a mainstay of grocery stores. It's not so prevalent here, and if you 'ask wikipedia' you see why. But I found a block recently at the grocery store. Does anyone have any very simple recipes including farmer's cheese? I have found some things online that I'm not really feeling, but I was wondering if anyone had any time-tested recipes or tips that they would "swear by"? Anything I'm missing, old family recipes?

Inflation Hits Parmigiano Reggiano; Film At Eleven

Robert Angelo — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:41:57 -0800

Is there an American-made product comparable to parmigiano reggiano? I went to the supermarket recently and found that the parmigiano reggiano had gone up from $11.99/pound to $14.99 just since the last time I bought. I imagine this is caused by the falling dollar and the rising cost of transport. I'm looking for a less expensive alternative that still has that distinctive taste, but I'm not having much luck.

American-made "parmesan" cheese typically doesn't seem to have the same tang and sharpness, if those are the right words. They seem tasteless compared to the genuine parmigiano.

I searched, and found it online for $11.99, but the shipping cost would more than wipe out my savings. So I'm looking for an alternative.

Is there some other less expensive cheese that has a similar taste? Or is there a particular brand or variety that I need to look for other than plain-bland-American-parmesan?

My next step is to buy both the Italian and the American products, then shred them and mix them, but I don't really want to go there. Help me find an alternative.

Making a better broccoli cheese soup.

mattbucher — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 11:23:36 -0800

I am looking for some tried-and-true broccoli-cheese soup recipes that don't include canned soup or evaporated milk. What are some traditional ways to make this soup fresh and natural? What are some off-the-wall ways to spice up this dish or make it more summery?

Roasted chèvre, please

gentle — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:44:24 -0800

Mmmm... cheese. I went to a tapas restaurant the other day and one of the things we ordered was roasted chèvre — essentially a sticky warm blob of goat's milk cheese in a dish. The edges were brown, perhaps caramelized, and it tasted deliciously sweet. How do I make it? And do I need a butane torch to do it?

Tools for making my own cheese.

NoMich — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:26:58 -0800

What are the essential tools needed in my kitchen for making my own cheese? Where did you get your cheesepress? Did you make your own? I want to make all kinds of cheese, but I especially like cheddar cheese, goat cheese and mozzarella.
Also, my stove is a flat top electric jobby. Will that provide me with extra challenges to overcome?

My Roommate's Junk Smells

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:27:55 -0800

My roommate smells, and it's not just typical BO. Help! I live in a typical (read: small) college dorm room with one other person.

In the past few weeks, I've noticed that my roommate has developed an odor. It's not bad breath, or typical BO. It smells distinctly... cheesy. In a really nasty "this isn't a good smell" kind of way. Specifically, I've noticed the smell when he removes his jeans as he is going to bed. My desk is very close to his bed, and after repeated instances of this, I can say with some assuredness that the smell is eminating from his pelvic area. It's very noticeable, and it can be pretty hard at times not to comment on the sudden foul odor that has started assaulting my nostrils immediately following the removal of his jeans.

What finally drove me to make the AskMe question I've been putting off about this is that I came back to the room after going to lunch, opened the door, and hit a wall of the odor. I discovered my roommate taking a nap in his bed, the air absolutely saturated with the repugnant smell in question. I opened my window and door to get air moving, went out into the hall, and found the smell was strong enough to seep into the hall and smell just as bad. I borrowed air freshener from the people in the next room, and even THEY noticed the smell coming from the hallway! That just isn't right!

He used to be pretty sexually active, with many a partner, due mostly to the lowered inhibitions/standards caused by drinking excessive amounts of alcohol (I'm not juding, really, he's admitted this to be the case multiple times). But I've noticed he has been completely abstinent lately (to my knowledge), and it coincides rather neatly with the debut of his new fragrance.

I have two main questions. First, what is up with my roommate's junk? Why does it smell the way it does? Answers from personal experience, educated guesses/conjecture from "I am not a doctor," "I'm a doctor but not YOUR (ROOMMATE'S) doctor," and the like are all welcome.

Second, what can I do about this situation? Should I put up with it since the end of the year is quickly approaching? Maybe a buy a ton of febreeze? Should I bring it up? If so, how?

I can be reached at anonymousmefi@gmail.com if you have any questions. If I have followups or new information I'll try and get in touch with one of the mods to have them post it in the thread.

Thanks for any and all help you can offer.

What should I eat for breakfast?

No-sword — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:04:42 -0800

Fill the gap between my toast and my cheese! I really like canned fish (tuna, salmon, etc.) and cheese on toast for breakfast, but I feel bad about the wasted cans and I've decided to try to move towards a topping I can prepare myself, from scratch.

I figure I'd be happy to spend 30-60 minutes every 3 or 4 days to prepare a bunch of something which I can put in the fridge and ration out in the mornings. Additional notes that might help narrow things down: I don't really like ham or other deli-style cold cuts; I am particularly but not exclusively interested in alternate ways to eat fish; I live in Japan and have access to tasty local vegetables and meats; I will not be giving up the cheese.

Any suggestions?

Cheddar? I barely know 'er!

Greg Nog — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:21:12 -0800

I would like sharp cheddar. The best sharp cheddar recommendations you've got. Complex, subtle cheddars are great, but I'm also feenin' for cheddar that is sharp beyond belief. So if you don't have the cheddar equivalent of a 25-year old Bowmore, a perfectly acceptable alternative is the cheddar equivalent of a ziploc bag full of Everclear. Let the cheese strike my taste buds, hard.

What do you do with your cheese?

forallmankind — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 09:07:38 -0800

You bought some cheese - let's say a wedge of brie - that's packaged super-tight with saran wrap and the store item/ weight/ price sticker; and it's now time to eat it. Do you (a) rip off saran wrap/ sticker as best you can and afterwards repackage with fresh saran wrap, (b) rip off saran wrap/ sticker as best you can and afterwards store unpackaged in a cheese tray, or (c) ever-so-carefully peel off the sticker, stealthily unwrap the saran wrap, save it, and then repackage using the same saran wrap and reseal with the store sticker? I do (c). I've always done (c). Last night whilst doing so I understood that this makes me a mental patient. Furthermore, if I'm eating a selection of cheeses, my kitchen table is covered in a selection of opened saran wraps waiting for their, uh, cheese babies to return to the fold.

I am single.

It's just that I like to open things carefully, and the wrap that comes off has a "shape" which matches that of the cheese. And clearly, doing so satisfies some anal region of my brain. That said, it's a royal pain in the ass to do, and oftentimes the wrap rips and then I'm screwed.

Anyway, I'd like to know (a) if I'm not alone, (b) what the consensus is for the best rewrapping/ packaging/ storing technique, and (c) if you do repackage with fresh saran wrap, do you then re-use that?

Bonus points for ingenious unwrapping techniques.

Mi amas vin

Pallas Athena — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:49:40 -0800

Esperantists: I want to send a friend a valentine in Esperanto. What should it say? Also, what design should I draw on the card? So. He's male, I'm female; we're friends, I'm ridiculously in love. In the course of one of our long, rambling, drunken conversations he let slip that he was fluent in Esperanto as a teenager. Instantly I thought "Aha! I am so sending you a valentine in Esperanto!"

Since then I've been looking at the general structure of the language; I speak French, Italian and German so Esperanto seems fairly intuitive to me. However, I know there are better Esperantists on MeFi, and I hope you will help me out.

I'm planning to do this with brush and ink on a blank card from the art-supply store, so just a sentence or two will do. (My default phrase would just be the words "gusta kiel vi estas" with a circonflex over the G; is this correct?) Extra credit if you can suggest an appropriate or cool design to paint on the reverse.

Where can we learn to make cheese near Chicago?

melodykramer — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:38:49 -0800

Where should we go for a long weekend within a few hours of Chicago to learn the art of cheesemaking?

Does grilling change cheese?

indienial — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:31:48 -0800

My SIL insists that cheese somehow gains more fat when it is heated, because "the fats are unstable and more fat is released when cheese is grilled". Therefore, according to her, a grilled cheese sandwich is more unhealthy than a plain cheese sandwich. I think this is bonkers, but can't find any evidence to wave in her face. Any ideas?

Eat it or no?

T.D. Strange — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 01:00:19 -0800

I left my blue cheese in the fridge for a month- will eating it kill me? It's moldy already, right? When I got home from extended christmas break, I found a half hunk of blue cheese that I left in the fridge since Dec 15th or so. It was unwrapped, in a Glad-lock container.

I realize eating it probably isnt a great idea, but OTOH...it's supposed to be moldy anyway right? What's more mold? (It's moldier than usual, there's mold spots on the outside that aren't there usually.)

Eat it? Trash it? Let it grow into sentience and teach it tricks?

What is Sicilian Table Cheese?

unknowncommand — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 18:28:47 -0800

Russo's Mozzarella & Pasta Corp. in Park Slope (NYC) makes an awesome "Sicilian Table Cheese." It is a sheep's milk cheese, with the consistency of cheddar, and it is full of peppercorns. I can find no references to it on Google. It is *amazing*. I'm wondering if they have invented it, or whether it has an Italian name that I don't know. Ideas?

Help me select Spanish wine and cheese combinations.

slimepuppy — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 08:56:33 -0800

Help me select Spanish wine and cheese combinations. Help! All I know about Spanish wine and cheese is that most red Rioja is nice and that manchego goes down nicely as tapas with a cold Mahou.

I need recommendations for good Spanish wine & cheese combinations. One for red and another for white. I looked at some of the previous wine and cheese questions but most questions mixed and matched from different countries. I'm looking for individual wine+cheese combinations that would set me back around 50€ or less.

Bonus slimepuppy points if you can name a place in Madrid where I can get the aforementioned queso & vino.

¡Gracias por adelantado!

Brie to bake

melangell — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 17:56:40 -0800

How do you bake a brie? I just bought a brie from the local European grocery. I remember my friend used to buy bries and then just warm them in the oven and serve them to guests with crackers, but I do not know how to do it myself. When I tried looking for recipes online, they were all more complex than temperature, time, and type of baking dish needed. Please help, MeFi friends.

P.S. If it helps, it is a Martin-Colet Petit Brie (soft-ripened cheese double creme; 17 oz.)

What's so bad about cheese?

pompomtom — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:25:45 -0800

What's so bad about cheese? If anyone remembers the Pursuit of Happiness's "I'm an Adult Now", there's in a line in it:

"I'd sure look like a fool, dead in a ditch somewhere with a mind full of chemicals like some cheese-eating high school boy."

So, is cheese a big feature of Canadian high schools? Is this an insult? To my ears, it's a bit random. What if he were dead like an apple-eating high school boy - would that be preferable?