Cheese

[Mikey]

Smackoholic's inspired comparison of cheddar vs. whiz on a cheesesteak sammich got me to thinking about cheese.

I figure that if you're in the U&R you pretty much stick to cheddar and whiz, unless you're in an Eyetalian neighborhood in which case your choices are prolly somewhat expanded.

Off the top of my head tThese are some that I've been using lately or always liked:

Havarti - a lot like jack. Great on almost any sammich and melts really well in an omelette. This has become sort our go-to for sammiches. You can get it pre-sliced at Costco.

Gruyère - The French (Gruyère is actually Swiss by definition, but WGARA) did something right when they put some thinly sliced Gruyere, shaved ham and some butter in a sliced baguette. An alltime classic. Slightly nutty flavor, it also goes well in omelettes, baked dishes and grilled cheese sammiches.

Manouri - a fresh sheep's milk cheese from Greece. Sort of like feta but much creamier and sweeter because it has little or no salt. I buy this stuff weekly at the farmer's market. Combined with some Greek olives, heirloom tomato slices, fresh sourdough or country style French bread, some EVOO and maybe a dash of balsamic vinegar, this makes a lunch to die for. Good crumbled on a salad too.

Parmigiano-Reggiano - the real "parmesan" cheese. Great for grating on salad or pasta, or just eating by itself or with crackers. Basic ingredient in Caesar salad and pesto sauce. Always keep a chunk in the fridge.

Cheddar - always like a nice sharp cheddar.

Port Salut - soft mild cheese. Great with crackers and fruit and/or prosciutto.

Roquefort - Just awesome.

Anybody else want to talk about cheese?

[ppanther]

I love the stilton-type cheeses with fruit in them that are so popular these days. Whenever I make a cheese board, I always include one of them, preferably the blueberry kind. It's always the first to go.

Also love drunken goat cheese, though I haven't had that too often. A friend brought some over with black pepper crackers and fig spread and the combination was one of the best things I've ever tasted in my life.

Brie is great on a picnic -- good loaf of bread, prosciutto and maybe some good salami, grapes, smoked almonds, dark chocolate and red wine. I'll be having this kind of picnic ASAP when I am no longer pregnant. (the meats don't work with the pregnant approved foods list. sigh.)

[Mikey]

Never heard of drunken goat cheese. I just looked it up and think I will have to try it.

Brie is good. Camembert is also good in many of the same situations.

At the Stone Brewery World Bistro, where we sometimes go on special occasions, they serve a "Really Soft and Stinky Cheese Plate" that comes with 4 or so kinds of cheese, with some fresh and dried fruits and nuts and various toasts. Really good stuff.

I just found this site that carries dozens of French cheeses. I may have to sample some of their offerings.

http://www.fromages.com/index.php

P.S...hope you get better soon, pp. What's the ETA?

[indyfrisco]

I think it would be easier to make a list of cheeses I don't like rather than a list of ones I do like.

Brie - just don't like it.
What the fuck ever is in that laughing cow cheese. [80s]Gag me with a spoon[/80s]
Ricotta - tastes like paste, don't put it in my lasagna.

Bout all I can think of now. Pretty much all cheese kicks ass. Classic sharp cheddar on top with gruyere a close second in my book. A huge chunk of stinky bleu cheese comes in third.

[ppanther]

P.S...hope you get better soon, pp. What's the ETA?

T-minus 32 days. Not that I'm counting. (HA)

[Mikey]

That will be two, right?

Then you'll have caught up with me. Planning on any more?
You need one more to catch up with my wife.

[ppanther]

That will be two, right?

Then you'll have caught up with me. Planning on any more?
You need one more to catch up with my wife.

Nope. I am NOT doing this again. I hate being pregnant. Love the outcome, hate everything else!! We have a boy, we're having a girl, that is IT!

[Mikey]

That will be two, right?

Then you'll have caught up with me. Planning on any more?
You need one more to catch up with my wife.

Nope. I am NOT doing this again. I hate being pregnant. Love the outcome, hate everything else!! We have a boy, we're having a girl, that is IT!

LOL. Wait for a few years and reconsider.

My wife waited for about 21 years between her first two. Of course by then there was a different partner involved.

[Mikey]

So, 18 and 39?

Pretty close.

[Mikey]

Awww, shucks.

[smackaholic]

Ricotta - tastes like paste, don't put it in my lasagna.

If you said that in front of my dago grandma, you'd get one serious wooden spoon beatdown.

And mikey, yes, freshly ground parmesan is sooooooooooooooooooooooo much better than the pre ground stuff. But, being a lazy bastard, I usually have a container of the sawdust pergrated stuff in the fridge.

[indyfrisco]

So, 18 and 39?

Pretty close.

I could not imagine doing this at that age. We'll have one more I'm guessing around August of next year and we're done. I'll be 34. She'll be 31. That's it. Props to you. My best bud said he would have his first kid when he was 45-50. I told him he was a dumbass. Luckily for him, he just had his first at 33. Girl so knowing him he'll go for one more and try to get a girl.

[indyfrisco]

If you said that in front of my dago grandma, you'd get one serious wooden spoon beatdown.

And I'd put that WOP 6 feet under if she isn't already. I already got Motz and Parm Reg in my top 5. Fuck a guido if they can't take competition.

[Mikey]

So, 18 and 39?

Pretty close.

I could not imagine doing this at that age. We'll have one more I'm guessing around August of next year and we're done. I'll be 34. She'll be 31. That's it. Props to you. My best bud said he would have his first kid when he was 45-50. I told him he was a dumbass. Luckily for him, he just had his first at 33. Girl so knowing him he'll go for one more and try to get a girl.

I had my first at 35 and my second at 37. My wife had her first at 17 and her second at 39.

I guess she's like the original "cougar" or something.

[Mikey]

And mikey, yes, freshly ground parmesan is sooooooooooooooooooooooo much better than the pre ground stuff. But, being a lazy bastard, I usually have a container of the sawdust pergrated stuff in the fridge.

Yeah, I keep plenty of the stuff in the green can around too. Gotta be Kraft and not the cheap imitation generic stuff though. It's a necessary ingredient in my famous baked chicken. Sprinkled on chicken before baking it will crust up instead of melting like the real parmigiano would.

[indyfrisco]

I put the green can shit and the bagged shredded parm in my red sauce that I use for pizza and pasta. On the pasta though, once i mix the red sauce with pasta and top with motz, i grate fresh parm reg on top to crust up while baking in the oven.

[ppanther]

And mikey, yes, freshly ground parmesan is sooooooooooooooooooooooo much better than the pre ground stuff. But, being a lazy bastard, I usually have a container of the sawdust pergrated stuff in the fridge.

Yeah, I keep plenty of the stuff in the green can around too. Gotta be Kraft and not the cheap imitation generic stuff though. It's a necessary ingredient in my famous baked chicken. Sprinkled on chicken before baking it will crust up instead of melting like the real parmigiano would.

I made your famous baked chicken recently, to rave reviews. Can of parm is in the kitchen waiting for the next time.

[Mikey]

And mikey, yes, freshly ground parmesan is sooooooooooooooooooooooo much better than the pre ground stuff. But, being a lazy bastard, I usually have a container of the sawdust pergrated stuff in the fridge.

Yeah, I keep plenty of the stuff in the green can around too. Gotta be Kraft and not the cheap imitation generic stuff though. It's a necessary ingredient in my famous baked chicken. Sprinkled on chicken before baking it will crust up instead of melting like the real parmigiano would.

I made your famous baked chicken recently, to rave reviews. Can of parm is in the kitchen waiting for the next time.

Cool!!



I'll be making it tonight myself.

[indyfrisco]

I did that low carb diet a few years back. One thing I remember I LOVED was the parm reg chips. Just took a block of parm and processed in the the Cuisinart. Scooped about 1 tablespoon amount sizes onto cookie sheet and baked in the oven. Frickin awesome dipping those in bleu cheese dressing.

[ppanther]

Indy, that wasn't a very nice thing to do to a pregnant woman on a hot day. Now I really want those chips, but I am in no mood to turn on the oven. Hmph!!

[JMak]

Perhaps Mikey would be gracious enough to share his recipes for guvment cheese? :paul:

[indyfrisco]

Not here dude. Leave that shit at the door.

[JMak]

Not here dude. Leave that shit at the door.

Oh, it's in good fun.

Besides, for me...provolone is the best cheese for snadwiches. Goes with anything, got a mild taste to it...

On burgers, though, gotta go with the jack.

[smackaholic]

If you said that in front of my dago grandma, you'd get one serious wooden spoon beatdown.

And I'd put that WOP 6 feet under if she isn't already. I already got Motz and Parm Reg in my top 5. Fuck a guido if they can't take competition.

Gramma's deader than ted kennedy. Since 1990, I think. Good thing for you. There's not a more formidable foe than a pissed off little old sicilian woman with the big long wooden spoon. Those things are pretty long and they've got impressive range with it. If you did get in close, she'd pummel you with her "wings". That's the loose upper arm skin flaps that are standard equipment on dago grannies.

[Mikey]

It seems to be gone. I'm not sure when or where I actually posted it last, but here are the basics.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Arrange chicken parts in a glass baking dish or dishes. Any or all parts of a cut up chicken will do. I usually look for Foster Farms "best of the fryer" on sale. Sometimes just thighs and drummies when they're going for $1.00/lb or less. Anyway arrange them in a single layer, skin side up.

Season with salt and pepper, or whatever seasoned salt mixture you like. I sometimes use Lawry's, sometimes Jane's Krazy Mixed up Salt.

Sprinkle liberally with dried minced garlic.

Sprinkle until coated with Kraft grated parmesan cheese. It has to be Kraft because the generic brands don't crust up like the Kraft stuff does.

Bake in the upper part of the oven at 400 degrees for one hour. The cheese should be nice and brown and will make a delicious crust on the skin. Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Remove the pieces and place on a couple of paper towels to drain some of the fat off the bottom.

If you have a convection oven you can reduce the temperature to 380 or so and cook it on the middle rack. I haven't done too much experimenting because I just got the convection oven. But if you're using a conventional oven make sure you put the rack near the top. If you try to do more than one rack the one underneath won't get browned enough.

Optionally, sprinkle some paprika on top of the cheese before cooking.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Ricotta - tastes like paste, don't put it in my lasagna.

Finally, somebody who gets it. Ricotta is great if you're looking to screw up a perfectly good lasagna.

[Dinsdale]

Putting ricotta in lasagna is a good way to keep me from eating it.


Seriously... why?

What the fuck went wrong with your upbringing to make you think that shit tastes good in any way, shape, or form?

[Mikey]

Perhaps people put ricotta in their lasagne because it's a standard ingredient in lasagne napoletana and in the sicilian style?

In the tuscan or bolognese style it's not.

I guess you lose the ricotta as you go north.

[smackaholic]

Malnorished limeys can feel free to STFU when it comes to discussing how to properly make a lasagna.

You can't appreciate a good ricotta dish 'cause you weren't lucky enough to have a short fat siciliana for a granny.

Sucks to be you.