Cheese in the kitchen

Cheese can make a mediocre meal memorable, revive a lifeless salad or flavor a bland soup. Does your apple pie need a little zing? Try grating some sharp cheddar into the crust dough. Your guests will never know what hit them. Cooking with curds is easy; just follow a few rules of thumb I eat by:

Best melting cheeses
Not all cheeses melt equally. Cheeses born to melt are typically made from cow’s milk. Alpine-style (think Gruyere) or cheddar cheeses are perfect for a grilled cheese sandwich or melted over potatoes. While sheep’s milk cheeses (like Manchego and Pecorino) tend to separate out when heated, with the fat permanently separating from the solids, goat’s milk cheeses don’t get gooey at all, so shy away from those when it comes to melting.

Cost-effective cooking
Cooking with real artisan cheese can burn a hole in your wallet, so look for the appropriately priced option. If you want to crumble goat’s cheese on your salad, look for a bulk chèvre, rather than the perfectly mold-encrusted and pricey artisan cheese. Great cheeses can be expensive and should saved for the cheese board.

Cheese staples for your fridge

1. Parmigiano Reggiano should be a fixture in your fridge. Not only can you grate it over pretty much anything, but it also can be stored for about a month before it begins to head south (also see my Keep the Rind kitchen tip).

2. A melting or sandwich cheese is great to have on hand for an emergency grilled cheese or the munchies (I’m partial to Comté).

3. Lastly, a fresh sheep or goat’s milk cheese, like a briny feta or marinated labneh (kefir) balls, is versatile enough for omelettes, salads, sandwiches, the possibilities are endless.

This post was developed for Restaurant Girl's Cheese 101 series. Stay tuned for more kitchen tips and recipe ideas.

Comments

[Silverstone Ranch real estate]

I agree with you! Cheese can definitely mix it up a little. They can make boring food into special ones. They are just that good. It's my secret ingredient in some of my recipes. :)