Album 'Survivor' Destinys Child
Yes its not easy being 'Independent Women' when you listen to Charlie? Don't throw your hands up at me, just expensive cheese.
Tummy is ready for lunch and I have quite a few cheese options on my shelf. What you thinking?
Sharing a fridge is not convenient and I cannot wait to get a place of my own, when one big union jack Smeg fridge will be all mine.
I've really got into cheese this year, I was not really fussed about it before and just waited until the board came out at Christmas.
What is it about it that makes me melt? Maybe when it's hot and oozing from a sandwich, or the texture of it as it sits on my pasta.
Noticed how Cheddar takes a lot of space on the supermarkets and I don't get it. It's good on most things but aren't we forgetting the other types of cheese which are slightly neglected. OK yes they are a lot more expensive but add something cheesalicious to your dish. Not sure if I got away with 'cheesalicious' in that sentence, forgive me 'Bootylicious' is on and my shoulders are wanting me to get up, dance and cook.
Brie Happy
A soft cow cheese, named after the French region where it is made. Now made all over the world, also coming in different flavours.
Beautiful in cooking because it melts so well and looks sexy on burgers and in risotto's. Stuff it and slice it will pleases me.
Pass me a brie and cranberry panini, it will be gone in 2 minutes.
Much Feta Now
A Greek cheese made from a mixture of ewe's and goats milk.
If you see something similar called 'white' cheese in the supermarket its not Feta, this was produced outside Greece.
The original feta is fantastic and gives me a happy face when on the table.
You don't have to do much with it actually, it does enough all on it's own. Just look at it...dreamy.
Crumbles when handled roughly but has integrity even when baked, I love cheese that has integrity.
Great in salads, baked, marinaded and stuffed.
I want it heavily visible in a salad with vegetables and a sweet dressing.
Parma Karma
Didn't get a shot of this hardcore cheese because I used what was left in a risotto.
I think this cheese can take time to love, at first I wasn't a fan and had to have it IN dishes.
When it is added into foods, it changes a dish completely and this is because so much care and patience has gone into the process. It takes between 18 - 48 months to mature the cheese, and when I think how many album or songs I have downloaded in that time I don't mind buying it.
Stir it into a hearty risotto
Shave it into a salad
Use it in your lasagne
Mascarpone
This tub doesn't have a picture because I used it in a cake. This gloopy, thick soft Italian cheese has a high fat content. Perfect for a cheesecake and as a sweet filling with fruit in a cake.
Try stirring black cherry conserve through and adding it in an almond sponge.
Fancy Cheddar?
Possibly the most popular cheese you will see and use. It's so versatile and the traditional types are made using raw cows milk and matured for about 18 months. Through the process of 'cheddaring' the pressure from the slabs of curd squeezes out excess whey.
I could type for a very long time and suggest countless recipe ideas but you cannot beat a cheese on toast.
Mozzarella Di Buffala
Yesterday I tasted the most heavenly slice of mozzarella with a 52% fat content.
This is an unripened cheese made from water buffalo's milk towards the Naples area. It's packed with water to keep it fresh.
Another gorgeous cheese that melts nicely and stretches perfectly for pizza. To be honest I love it torn on sun dried tomatoes with basil.
Goats Cheese
If you are not fan of cows milk then grab a tub of this cheese. Apart from the French, the English and Welsh have introduced some younger varieties so you know its sort of local!
It can be used like cheddar and goes well with most things. When I first bought a pack I wanted to spread it on some pastry and bake it, that went down really well :)
This is the end of my cheesy rant, other favourites of mine are Gorgonzola, Manchego and Wensleydale.
More on these soon, need to have a break and eat.
xx
