Cheese 101

[Laura B]

My husband and I pretty much don't eat cheese unless it is on pizza or in a pasta dish. I want to start trying some gourmet cheeses and have no idea where to start. My husband had brie the other day on bread and came home raving about it. So, I bought some brie today, but am too scared to try it! Any suggestions for good cheeses to start out with for someone who is afraid of cheese?

Oh, I like gouda - I have had it baked in crescent roll dough and it is absolutely yummy.

[Natasha]

Hi Laura,

Cheese is such a huge topic and there are SO MANY kinds that it's hard to even scratch the surface, but here are a few random comments. (Don't know if any of these qualify as "gourmet" http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif...)

If you like gouda, you will probably also like Edam (another semi-soft Dutch cheese). You might also like mild hard cheeses like Emmental, Swiss, and Jarlsberg - they don't tend to offend because they're so mild (some would say bland).

Since you like gouda, which can be quite salty, I'd also recommend Havarti (semi-soft). It's also on the salty side, but is creamy and usually quite good.

Do you know if you like Cheddar? There are many good cheddars from Vermont, N.Y., etc. They range from old (sharp) to mild, and can be white or orange.

If you've had cheese on pizza and pasta, you know all about mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella and smoked mozzarella are wonderful too.

Mascarpone is terrific for cooking (think tiramisu) and there was an awesome recipe for Cheesy Apple Pie in a Glass in a CL issue from 1997 (as part of a whole article on Cooking with Wisconsin Cheese).

Hope this helps. Why not also check out the web site http://www.cheese.com that (I believe) Deanna mentioned a little while ago?


[This message has been edited by Natasha (edited 07-19-2000).]

[MrsReber]

Laura, I am a cheese fanatic. Unfortunately, with mitral valve prolapse, it's bad for me to eat too much aged cheese. Brie is my absolute favorite- it should be served at room temperature, all nice and gushy. You can eat the outer part of it, too (the hard white part). My husband is still afraid to try it! Camembert is very much like brie. I think it is a little milder. Beware there are different kinds of brie. My husband loves pepper jack (monterey jack with hot peppers in it) and he is not a very big cheese fan. If you like spicy things, it's a very good choice. Regular monterey jack is good, too. If you like gouda, you can try smoked gouda. There are many many different kinds of cheddar- I prefer white sharp cheddar, but you can get mild as well. There are just so many to choose from. I used to go to a great little cheese store and they would let me sample cheeses before I bought them. I was in heaven! Wow, I didn't know there was a cheese website! Even better. I'll have to check that out myself.

[Gail]

Muenster, mmmm.... kind of a buttery, mild taste. Easy to love.

If you're not too into cheese, I suggest you stick with mild-flavored stuff to begin with, unless you've already tried the mild variety. If you've had Swiss and hated it, try Baby Swiss or Jarlsberg, which tend to be a little milder. As for your brie, do me a favor and sniff it. I had one that had a really strong smell and flavor-- almost like a goat cheese. Not all bries are that way, some are really mellow. When in doubt, sniff. (Yes, you'll look ridiculous.) But I find things taste exactly the way they smell. I don't taste my cooking, I cook by aroma. Let's see... what else? Tried mild provolone? There's also smoked. Gloucestershire...mmmm. Bel paese is a nice, mild, softish cheese. Like garlic and herbs? Does your store carry Rondele? It's a creamy cheese spread for appetizers, another way to enjoy your cheese. Jack cheese (I'm going to go Californian here and push Sonoma Jack's cheese, 'cause in my estimation it's the only Jack cheese-- way better than Monterey Jack, I think.) Gosh, there are so many really good cheeses to try. Do you have a cheese shop or delicatessen? A lot of them will give you samples, so if you hate something, you don't even have to buy it-- great for beginners. Gosh, I've had cheeses I can't remember the names of... Also, if you have a choice, don't buy the packaged stuff. It's seldom quite as good as what you get fresh sliced off a big wheel. (Although you can buy soft cheeses at the market that are usually good.)

Good luck!


[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 07-19-2000).]

[Laura B]

Thanks for the info, ladies.

I tasted the brie. Not sure I'm going to like that. I smelled first and don't think it is a very strong one. Just didn't like the taste. I'll have to give at another try.

I also bought some boursin cheese flavored with garlic and herbs and LOVE it! Now, I thought boursin was a brand name and gournay was the cheese type because it says at the bottom "spiced gournay cheese with garlic and fine herbs." But, I went to cheese.com and there was no listing for gournay, but there was boursin. Anyone know about boursin/gournay cheese?

(Woohoo! I'm a member now! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif)

[This message has been edited by Laura B (edited 07-19-2000).]

[lorilei]

Laura -

I must begin by saying that I am by no means an expert with regard to cheese. However, I have an interest in cheese http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Here's what I've found.

Gournay is a rindless, white to ivory interior cheese. It is soft, smooth and spreadable, delicately flavoured. (NDCC definition)

Boursin cheese
Definition: [boor-SAHN] White and smooth with a buttery texture, this triple-cream cheese is often flavored with herbs, garlic or cracked pepper. It's wonderful with dry white and fruity red wines. See also cheese.
--Copyright (c) 1995 by Barron's Educational Series, from The New Food Lover's Companion, Second Edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst

I believe these two are essentially the same cheese -- Boursin, however, originated at the Boursin Dairy at Croisy-sur-Eure, which probably explains the name.

[Gail]

Originally posted by Laura B:
Thanks for the info, ladies.

I tasted the brie. Not sure I'm going to like that. I smelled first and don't think it is a very strong one. Just didn't like the taste. I'll have to give at another try...

I also bought some boursin cheese flavored with garlic and herbs and LOVE it...(Woohoo! I'm a member now! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif)

[This message has been edited by Laura B (edited 07-19-2000).]

About the brie-- know what? The amount of brie you use and the kind of cracker it's on will make a big difference, too. Certain cheeses taste only so-so on certain crackers, find the right cracker and whoa! what a difference! Then again, you just may not like the stuff-- that's how I felt about Camembert when I first had it.

Glad the boursin worked for you. Close enough idea to what I was going for.

And congrats on making member. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif(Ironic my saying this to you since you were the person who answered my very first post!)

[CATHIEA]

Laura-If plain brie tastes too bland for you, try spreading some pesto or apricot jam on top and microwaving until the cheese just starts to melt (slivers of apple with cinnamon and sugar are good too). Serve with Carr's waterbiscuits for a real treat! Since you like the Boursin, you may like other flavored, brie-like cheeses. There's a soft mushroom cheese that I often find in the same section as brie that my huband likes a lot.
CathieA-Who is a Cheesehead from Wisconsin

[Laura B]

Originally posted by Gail:
And congrats on making member. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif(Ironic my saying this to you since you were the person who answered my very first post!)

Gail - We must have come on the board at the same time, because I always remember you being around. How nice that you remember it was me who answered your very first post http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif . I don't remember my first post at all!

Thanks for the cheese advice. I'm thinking maybe I will choose a new cheese each month and take notes on it so I can remember what I liked and what I didn't. I keep sneaking back to the fridge to eat some boursin on a little piece of toasted italian bread (from a bag). Gosh that stuff is good, but it is evil fat-wise!

[MrsReber]

The best brie I ever had was an appetizer at Friday's- they had baked brie with roasted garlic and they gave me crusty bread to spread the cheese and garlic on. My mom once brought brie back from France. Wow, did that ever smell bad! But it tasted so good. It's almost an aquired taste. I don't know many men who will eat it. Yes, the crackers do make a big difference, too.

[Danielle]

Laura, I just had to comment. I'm afraid of cheese, too! Everyone gives me such a hard time about this, since I was born and still live in Wisconsin. When I went to Paris there was cheese around every corner (lots of Chambert served with every meal) and I didn't try a smidge of it. Let me know if you find a successful way to love and embrace cheese. Beyond eating it melted on pizza, casseroles, pasta, and bread, I won't eat it. Free me from my fear! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

[Ohioan]

I'm going to take a real chance here. If you like cheese melted on pizza, etc., you might actually prefer a sharp cheese to all the mild ones being suggested. Don't yell! My rationale is that the melted cheese takes on a sharpish taste from the hot oven and from the surrounding spicy flavors of the pizza toppings. And some have a sharp grating cheese sprinkled over them before they're put in the oven. So it may be the spiciness that you miss. (Or maybe not. Remember, I'm guessing.)

I myself love sharp cheeses but find mild cheeses overpowering (a paradox, but true). So maybe you might try one of the sharp ones, like an aged Provolone or Asiago (make sure it's aged, not the young, soft variety used sliced in sandwiches; a good aged cheese should crumble a bit when you try to slice it). Or maybe an extra sharp Vermont Cheddar; or a Spanish Manchego; or a Pecorino Toscano; or even one of the blues, like a Danish bleu or an Italian Gorgonzola. (Roquefort and Stilton may be a bit too strong -- but then again, we're going for strength here, aren't we? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif)

Do you have a specialty food shop nearby, where they'll give you slivers of cheese to try? That's really the best way to find a cheese you like. (I routinely test every new Provolone I buy, because even the same cheese can vary according to the region where it's produced, the amount of time it's aged, etc.)

Oops, sorry, folks, didn't mean to ride away on my hobbyhorse. But I do love a good sharp cheese, and one of my passions is the quest for the perfect Provolone. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[Laura B]

Just an update - I tried the brie again and I don't like it. When my husband came home I had him taste it and he said he loved it. It tasted just like what he had had before. THEN, I got him to taste the boursin. I was so excited about it. He doesn't like it. Go figure. More for me! And he can keep the brie.

[Gail]

Originally posted by Laura B:
Just an update - I tried the brie again and I don't like it. When my husband came home I had him taste it and he said he loved it. It tasted just like what he had had before. THEN, I got him to taste the boursin. I was so excited about it. He doesn't like it. Go figure. More for me! And he can keep the brie.


I'm curious, Laura-- what was it about the brie you don't like? The taste? The texture? The rind? All of the above? The only reason I'm asking is because perhaps if you isolate what it is you DON'T like, you can look for cheeses that don't have that characteristic.

Anyway, at least you tried. I also think Ohioan has an interesting theory. Maybe you should give it a try. If not, well-- there's always boursin! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif



[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 07-21-2000).]

[Laura B]

Originally posted by Gail:

I'm curious, Laura-- what was it about the brie you don't like? The taste? The texture? The rind? All of the above? The only reason I'm asking is because perhaps if you isolate what it is you DON'T like, you can look for cheeses that don't have that characteristic.
[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 07-21-2000).]


You know, I think it is just the taste. I tasted it plain and on a couple different kinds of crackers. I didn't eat any of the rind (or did you mean something else by not liking the rind?) and the texture seemed fine. I guess I'm just not a brie person. I won't say that I'll never try brie again though. I'm thinking next month I'll try muenster. I have had several recommendations for that, including the cheese guy at my grocery store. He saw my look of bewilderment as I pondered what to buy and he is the one who told me to try the boursin. He said he loved it. So if he loves both the boursin and the muenster maybe I will too!

I will print this page so that I can remember all of the cheeses mentioned for future purchasing. And my hubby and I will head over one day to the Wellspring where I think we should be able to taste the cheeses on the spot.

Thanks for the help!

[Gail]

Thanks, Laura.

I'll be interested in seeing what you think of the muenster when you try it. That's my favorite cheese! On our wine and cheese nights,I love roast beef, muenster, and dijon mustard on some good sourdough or Italian bread. And of course the wine! Real light, huh? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Deanna]

Again, I would suggest your local Wild Oats Market (if you have one!)

The guy at the cheese island and I are becoming fast friends. He is very knowledgable about the different cheeses and suggestions for accompaniments. They always have cubed samples for you to try, and if there don't happen to be samples of one you are interested in, he will open a package and cut samples for you!

There are some wonderful cheeses from England...strong flavored, mostly, some delish creamy Amish cheeses, and all kinds of blue cheese from mild to S-T-R-O-N-G. The Maytag blue cheese is to-die-for, and if you've never considered it, is very good with beef.

So my advice is, find a supermarket with a really great cheese island...and make friends with the guy who staffs it. This young man is so fun to visit with on my weekly trips to W.O.

P.S. Gail...have you made the trip to the Olive Bar yet? I'm telling you, those garlic-stuffed green olives are "muy bueno" as our friend T.D. (Taco Dog) would say!

http://www.everwonder.com/david/tacobell/yoyo.gif

[This message has been edited by Deanna (edited 07-21-2000).]

[Gail]

Originally posted by Deanna:
P.S. Gail...have you made the trip to the Olive Bar yet? I'm telling you, those garlic-stuffed green olives are "muy bueno" as our friend T.D. (Taco Dog) would say!



Funny you should mention that. Wild Oats isn't anywhere near where I live. Today I had to go out that way with the intention of stopping on the way home-- only I got caught in a traffic jam on the Santa Monica Freeway and got so annoyed I forgot all about it! Ah, the joys of Southern California living...

PS Can you change that caption on your canine friend to, "¡yo quiero aceitunas!"
(I want olives!)

[melisa]

This is my favorite Brie recipe: Cut out a "top" of a roung sourdough loaf, hollow out the inside and creat "cubes: with the extra bread, place Brie with the skin cut off in the center of the "bread bowl" pour a jar of quality preserves over the Brie (my favorite is blackberry) replace "top" andbake in a 350 ovenforabout 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Use the cubed bread (toasted or not) to dip into the cheese preserve mixture. It is wonderful and goes great with champagne!
Melissa

[MrsReber]

melisa, that sounds wonderful! I will have to try it, except I don't know enough people who eat brie. Well, maybe that's a good thing! More for me!!

[lorilei]

I've covered my slab of brie with a paste of freshly minced garlic and cracked pepper and then baked it and eaten it with a loaf of french bread... mmm...

As for other cheeses, definitely give each one a try. Although we tend to group cheeses together, many of them differ just enough that you may like one cheese, but not another.

Everyone's given great advice. Do make friends with your local cheese boy http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif And don't be afraid to squeeze the Charmin!

[Kristilyn1]

I have to add my .02

I don't like brie either--it tastes too...I'm not sure what I mean here, but buttery maybe? The consistency seems not quite "right" to me either. Otherwise I do enjoy cheese. I like boursin too. Spread it on a roast beef sandwich, yum.

Kristi

[Kristilyn1]

I was just starting to get ticked that I wasn't a member yet.

Everyone else is!!! <pout> and then I notice, I am a member!

Kristi

[Katrina]

I think Ohioan may have a good point. Go to your local deli/cheese shop and sample a few sharp cheese varieties.

[MrsReber]

Okay, now I wonder why I was in my local supermarket at 9:00pm last night buying brie? I just could not get it off my mind!!! It was nice and mushy when I got it home. I think it really is an acquired taste, though.

Muenster is a very good mild cheese to try. I bet you have some luck with that one.

My sister in law has a cheese aversion. She won't eat any of it at all, yet my brother and his daughter will eat grated romano cheese by the spoonful.

[cookgirl]

FIELD TRIP:
If you can at all, I recommend you visit a dairy (okay, I'm obviously not a cheese genius. What I'm referring to is the place where cheese is made/kept.)
I had the pleasure of visiting a very small, privately owned place in lower Alabama on the way to the gulf.
It was so neat! The couple started the business after they received (I kid you not) a COW for a wedding gift. The place you can visit is actually about 100 feet from their house.
It's just a very quaint little shop, with cheeses galore to choose from, all made there...by the couple (I recall that they did not have other employed "cheese-makers".)
They also imported a nice variety of wines to purchase or taste with the cheese. It was fantastic!!
Gouda....blue cheese...goat cheese... butter cheese..jalepeno jack...oh my gosh...and my absolute favorite: CHOCOLATE GOUDA yummmmmmmm!

[Katrina]

I can't believe no one's mentioned this one yet, and I can't hold my tongue any longer. Laura B, if you take Ohioan's advice and sample a few sharper, saltier, hard cheeses rather than creamy ones, you must try the undisputed king of all cheese (in my humble opinion): real Reggiano Parmesan. No, not the stuff in the green can!! Find the real stuff imported from Italy with the Parmigiano-Reggiano consortium's stamp of approval on the outer rind. It is expensive, but worth every penny. After you've tried this grated fresh over pasta, you'll never go back to anything else that has the name "Parmesan" slapped on its label. They even have an official website: www.parmigiano-reggiano.it (http://www.parmigiano-reggiano.it)

[CATHIEA]

COOKGIRL-
Where in Alabama? Being from Wisconsin, I've visited many a cheese factory when touring im my own state, but I will be driving along the gulf coast this autumn with a group from Wisconsin and a "foreign" cheese factory might be a fun stop.
Thanks,
CathieA

[CLustik]

OK, first of all,
Brie with roasted garlic - is amazing. I make that all the time and I just roast the garlic with alittle olive oil and fresh ground pepper and put it next to the cheese. I also prefer a nice crusty baguette for this spread.

Secondly, also being from WI, I am a bit of a snob about cheese and don't understand how anyone can not like cheese. But this is probably good for me as there is always plenty when I go to the store.

Laura,
As you develop cheese tastes please try the sharper cheeses (Aged chedders), so much more taste and this is for everyone. If you are lucky enough to visit a cheese factory or store on the right day, try the cheese curds! I get happy just thinking about them.

[cookgirl]

Originally posted by CATHIEA:
COOKGIRL-
Where in Alabama? Being from Wisconsin, I've visited many a cheese factory when touring im my own state, but I will be driving along the gulf coast this autumn with a group from Wisconsin and a "foreign" cheese factory might be a fun stop.
Thanks,
CathieA

Oh I KNEW I would be faced with this question! I don't remeber! I'm not familiar with that area. Um I think it was about 2 hours north of the Alabama Coast. (I know, wow cookgirl, that is so helpful!)
I'll look into it Cathie!