What's a good cheese? I've tried many of the popular kinds (well, at least what they CALL cheese here in the states), and want to know a good one. I've been grabbing a small chunk of whatever looks good every time I go to the city, but haven't gotten anything that great in a LONG time. I've even tried Stinking Bishop (I liked it), Jarlsburg (Meh). Paneer (Ok, a bit bland). Anyone know of some good ones, or better yet, any good cheese sampler packs?
If you prefer a spicier cheese I'd urge you to try pepperjack. :thumbup:
Quote from: bob on April 11, 2011, 01:06:34 AM
If you prefer a spicier cheese I'd urge you to try pepperjack. :thumbup:
I'm WAY beyond pepperjack, pretty much everything that can be found in a basic grocery store, I've tried. Thanks though.
Ever try camembert? Not sure about the availability in certain parts of the U.S. though I was told it can be found sometimes at the gourmet section. Its pretty good, has its own unique taste and goes great with crackers and lingonberries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camembert
Edam and red leicester has been a favourite.
(http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/may2009/6/9/edam-cheese-pic-rex-features-862302803.jpg)
(http://store.delphminiatures.co.uk/images/uploads/F158.jpg)
I like those grated on pasta.
A simple but tasty snack. :thumbup:
I'll try and get a hold of some camembert and red leicester, I've tried edam before, but I don't specifically remember it. Perhaps I'll try it again. Thanks.
Brie?
How about Colby or Muenster?
Limburger is very good, especially on a sandwich with sliced onions.
How about goat cheese? Or head cheese?
I've tried Brie, didn't like it. Colby and Muenster I've tried, both are pretty good IMO, and I've tried Limburger, it was OK, not worth the stink though. I've not tried it on a sandwich, I'll give that a try sometime. I've not tried any goat milk cheese, but want to. I've tried head cheese, and didn't care for it.
Quote from: ghouck on April 11, 2011, 02:30:00 PM
I've not tried any goat milk cheese, but want to. I've tried head cheese, and didn't care for it.
Warm goat cheese on a salad with walnuts is REALLY good.
Well, head cheese is not cheese.
Edam has been mentioned. I like the nutty flavor of it.
If you like cheese with a bite, you might want to try the Irish or Vermont chedder. It's white rather than yellow/orange and quite sharp.
I also like Gorgonzola, the Italian version of blue cheese.
Have you tried Gouda?
Quote from: El Toro Loco on April 11, 2011, 04:30:52 PM
Have you tried Gouda?
Oh yea, that's a fairly common one here. There's several different versions I've tried. Not a bad cheese at all.
I found one in a local health food store called Drunken Goat Cheese. It's really very tasty.
My favorite is Dill Havarti. It's fairly easy to find though, so you may have already had it...
Try chevre if you are interested in goat cheese. It can be found rolled in various herbs and such for flavor but plain has a nice creamy texture that is very enjoyable. I think the french have nailed goat cheese with this one.
Gorgonzola is also great as you will commonly see covered in a little honey on bread with some fruit.
For something different try pasta with spinach, onion and feta. It is a nice pasta take on spanakopita.
Queso Fresco is also great if you are looking for a more authentic mexican food experience. I like it crumbled on tortillas with chorizo and eggs in the morning. It is very similar to feta but not as hard. It is classed as a farmer's cheese. Fresh (less then a few months old), light if any pressing.
Quote from: JayJayM12 on April 11, 2011, 08:41:02 PM
My favorite is Dill Havarti. It's fairly easy to find though, so you may have already had it...
I've tried a few of the Havartis, and liked them quite a bit. There's one, 'spiced Havarti' that is one of the best for baked potatoes.
Have you tried cheese curds? I have found that if you like a cheese, it's 10x better in curd form.
Isn't Infogeek from Wisconsin? I think it's his duty to post a lengthy response to this.
Quote from: Couchtr26 on April 11, 2011, 08:53:05 PM
Try chevre if you are interested in goat cheese. It can be found rolled in various herbs and such for flavor but plain has a nice creamy texture that is very enjoyable. I think the french have nailed goat cheese with this one.
Gorgonzola is also great as you will commonly see covered in a little honey on bread with some fruit.
Chevre is great. Like cream cheese, but firmer and more tangy. I use it a few different ways. Nice in sandwiches and salads, on crackers, or throw a few chunks of it on a plate of your favourite pasta and tomato sauce.
Cambozola is another very tasty cheese, kind of a cross between Camembert and Gorgonzola. It's rich and creamy like Camembert, but has the blue mold giving it some Gorgonzola sharpness.
You've probably had MOZZARELLA, but have you ever tried buying balls of mozzarella and heating them on the grill until they get warm and a bit melted? This is a popular snack in Brazil that people generally eat before they bring out the meat. It's really tasty.
South Africa has a biltong (jerky) flavoured cheese: delicious. :cheers:
Quote from: Trevor on April 12, 2011, 09:42:56 AM
South Africa has a biltong (jerky) flavoured cheese: delicious. :cheers:
What exactly does this cheese do to one's underpants?
Quote from: The Burgomaster on April 12, 2011, 10:02:47 AM
Quote from: Trevor on April 12, 2011, 09:42:56 AM
South Africa has a biltong (jerky) flavoured cheese: delicious. :cheers:
What exactly does this cheese do to one's underpants?
It jerks them all out of shape. :buggedout: + :teddyr:
I really don't want to hear about Trevor jerking his underpants.
Quote from: AndyC on April 12, 2011, 10:38:30 AM
I really don't want to hear about Trevor jerking his underpants.
:teddyr: :teddyr: :teddyr:
[Trevor pleading with a mod] No, it's not like that........ oh never mind. :wink:
Quote from: AndyC on April 12, 2011, 10:38:30 AM
I really don't want to hear about Trevor jerking his underpants.
The nights can be lonely in South Africa...
:wink:
Umm... this topic reminds me of something very familiar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3KBuQHHKx0
Anyway.
Sorry, but every time I see the title of this thread I hear the melody for Huey Lewis and the News' "I Need a New Drug."
Quote from: Flick James on April 12, 2011, 01:23:18 PM
Sorry, but every time I see the title of this thread I hear the melody for Huey Lewis and the News' "I Need a New Drug."
As intended. . .
Quote from: The Burgomaster on April 12, 2011, 08:48:16 AM
You've probably had MOZZARELLA, but have you ever tried buying balls of mozzarella and heating them on the grill until they get warm and a bit melted? This is a popular snack in Brazil that people generally eat before they bring out the meat. It's really tasty.
I think I've had those, but I thought it was bread with cheese baked in it. Does it kind of look like little round buns when it's done? Man. Those are good.
Smoked mozzarella is good too.
I tried some goat cheese, it says 'peppadew' on it. Damn good cheese.
My hands down favorite cheese is Havarti, though that has been mentioned, with one exception, and that is the only way to eat Muenster is an end slab with a salty orange rind still on it. Of course with the delis disappearing in the grocery stores and everything being pre-packaged, it's hard as hell to find Muenster in slabs.
They used to carry various cheeses in different weights at the grocery stores, and cuts and and sharpness could vary.
An interesting cheese, though pretty much disappearing around here (don't you just love Walmart :lookingup: ) is variously known as Farmers Cheese and Amish Farmers Cheese; kind of a middle ground between Havarti and Baby Swiss.
A cheese spread which is native to Kentucky, and pretty much has to be special ordered anywhere else, is Beer Cheese. Of course it varies in sharpness and beer flavor, which has actually decreased over the years, but local varieties are far superior to what few regional or national emulations there are.
Actually, for the longest time, Walmart stores did not carry beer cheese around here because they do not deal with small local companies. They now carry two brands, and both of them suck, comparatively. Kentucky Beer Cheese and Copper Kettle are two good varieties. Hall's Beer Cheese is a local favorite, though it has changed over the years and is now one of the two sucky varieties Walmart carries, and I'd rather have the other sucky variety from Southern Salads than that crap they call Hall's now.
Quote from: Paquita on April 11, 2011, 10:28:01 PM
Have you tried cheese curds? I have found that if you like a cheese, it's 10x better in curd form.
Isn't Infogeek from Wisconsin? I think it's his duty to post a lengthy response to this.
I wouldn't say that cheese is 10x better in curd form because a lot of what is interesting about cheese occurs in the post-curd phase.
However, if you haven't experienced curds, it's something to seek out. They're delicious and easy to steal from little girls afraid of spiders.
Quote from: The Burgomaster on April 12, 2011, 08:48:16 AM
You've probably had MOZZARELLA, but have you ever tried buying balls of mozzarella and heating them on the grill until they get warm and a bit melted? This is a popular snack in Brazil that people generally eat before they bring out the meat. It's really tasty.
I love the fresh Mozzerella that's packed in brine. It's a whole different animal than the shredded stuff in the plastic bag.
Of course, there's always Casu marzu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casu_marzu).
Quote from: Mofo Rising on April 13, 2011, 01:49:01 AM
However, if you haven't experienced curds, it's something to seek out. They're delicious and easy to steal from little girls afraid of spiders.
:bouncegiggle: :bouncegiggle: :bouncegiggle:
Quote from: Paquita on April 12, 2011, 09:32:47 PM
Quote from: The Burgomaster on April 12, 2011, 08:48:16 AM
You've probably had MOZZARELLA, but have you ever tried buying balls of mozzarella and heating them on the grill until they get warm and a bit melted? This is a popular snack in Brazil that people generally eat before they bring out the meat. It's really tasty.
I think I've had those, but I thought it was bread with cheese baked in it. Does it kind of look like little round buns when it's done? Man. Those are good.
No. You are thinking of "Pao de Queijo" (cheese bread), which is generally served as a snack or even as a breakfast food. I'm talking about a plain hunk of mozzarella shaped into a bite-sized ball. You just plop it down on the grill for a few minutes and then eat it. Delicious.
Mizithra's not bad, if it hasn't been mentioned yet.
The thread title makes me think of..
I want a new cheese
One that stays cold
One that won't smell too bad,
One that won't grow much mold.
I want a new cheese
One to put on my bread
One that I can dip crackers in
Or on toast I would spread
One that's not high in calories
And doesn't look too weird
One that goes quite well with soup
Or maybe with a beer
I'd eat anytime of year
Oy vey, I'm bored..
Quote from: The Burgomaster on April 12, 2011, 08:48:16 AM
This is a popular snack in Brazil that people generally eat before they bring out the meat.
Is that what they call foreplay in Brazil? :teddyr:
Quote from: Trevor on April 15, 2011, 03:04:17 AM
Quote from: Mofo Rising on April 13, 2011, 01:49:01 AM
However, if you haven't experienced curds, it's something to seek out. They're delicious and easy to steal from little girls afraid of spiders.
:bouncegiggle: :bouncegiggle: :bouncegiggle:
No whey!
(https://www.dcicheeseco.com/imagesSITEDYNAMIC/images/products/Store_BD2yrWhiteCheddarStick.png)
This is the best cheese I had in the past year. Black Diamond white cheddar, aged two years. Extra sharp and tangy, the way it should be.
Call me crazy, but sometimes I buy a wedge or Romano and just nibble on it until it is gone. Asiago, Romano and Parmesan are about as exotic as I go. But that black diamond stuff above looks tempting!
Quote from: Bmeansgood on April 17, 2011, 08:15:40 PM
Call me crazy, but sometimes I buy a wedge or Romano and just nibble on it until it is gone. Asiago, Romano and Parmesan are about as exotic as I go. But that black diamond stuff above looks tempting!
Actually those are great munching cheeses, good texture and flavor. Spanish Manchego is great, and I love aged gouda.
-Ed
I also love high-quality bleu cheese. The best I ever has was in a restaurant in Spain. We had it with fresh, crusty bread and a bottle of wine.
Gouda as mentioned is good, but gouda aged 5 years is spectacular if you haven't tried it and "need a (not so) new cheese". It's crumbly, grainy, nutty and a bit salty, and intensely flavorful.
(http://www.gourmet-food.com/ProductImages/Vintage_Gouda_5yr_Uniekaas_P093010.jpg)
Quote from: The Burgomaster on April 18, 2011, 03:19:11 PM
I also love high-quality bleu cheese. The best I ever has was in a restaurant in Spain. We had it with fresh, crusty bread and a bottle of wine.
Try this if you can find it:
http://www.roguecreamery.com/
Their rogue river blue and Oregonzola is the best