When cooking with cheese, keep in mind that
high temperatures or prolonged cooking may toughen the cheese or cause
it to look stringy or curdled. For this reason, cheese should be added
near the end of cooking. Process cheese is somewhat more tolerant of
heat than the natural forms. Remember that once a cheese is melted, it
is cooked.
The mold which may develop on cheese is not
harmful. Scrape mold off surface before using. Grate ends or hard pieces
of cheese and store in tightly covered jar. Use for garnish or in
recipes calling for grated cheese. For peak flavor, let all cheeses (except
cottage cheese and cream cheese) stand at room temperature 30 minutes
before serving. Discover the flavor delights of a variety
of cheeses. One of the best ways to do this is to adopt the European
custom of fruit and cheese for dessert. For a start, try some of the
following combinations:
String cubes of brick or muenster cheese
with balls of cantaloupe or honeydew melon on skewers. Spread cream
cheese on crackers and top with slices of preserved kumquats. Cheddar or Swiss cheese can be teamed with
fresh apple or pear wedges or fresh cherries. "Sails" of Camembert and
wedges of Gouda pair with orange sections, peach slices, or tart plums.
Leiderkranz and blue cheese accompany Tokay and seedless green grapes.
Pass assorted crackers.
Cheddar Cheese - Made from English cow's
milk. It is available in mild and mature flavors. The mature cheese is
best used for sauces, and should be grated for melting on toppings.
Gruyere Cheese - From Swiss cows' milk.
Excellent for melting. It adds a nutty taste to sauces and can be used
as a topping.
Parmesan cheese - An Italian cheese which
is granular and used for grating in cooking. Excellent in sauces. It may
also add flavor to dried mixtures.
Different Types of Cheddar Cheese
