Cheese

1. Cheese “Just a little slice of Heaven”

2. Cheese Are 60% water & contain fat, high in protein & calcium Types: • Fresh cheese • Soft, rind-ripened cheese • Semi-soft cheese • Hard cheese • Blue-vein cheese • Grating cheese • Processed cheese

3. Fresh Cheeses • Moist, soft cheeses that typically have not ripened or significantly aged. • Used as spreads, with fruit, or in cooking & baking • Are highly perishable • Include: cottage cheese, cream cheese, farmer cheese, fresh goat cheese, mascarpone, fresh mozzarella, feta, fresh ricotta

4. Soft, Rind-Ripened Cheese • Soft cheese that has been ripened by being exposed to a spray or dusting of “friendly” mold • Aged until the rind (outer surface) develops a soft, downy consistency • When fully ripe it should be nearly runny • Includes: Brie, Camembert, Pont l’Eveque

5. Semi-soft Cheeses • More solid than soft cheese and retains its shape and comes in 3 types • Rind-ripened: rind is washed with grape juice, beer, brandy, wine, cider, or olive oil which penetrates and flavors the cheese • Include: Muenster, Port-Salut • Dry-Rind: rind is hardened natrually through exposure to air so it is firm • Include: belpaese, Monterey Jack, Morbier, Havarti

6. Waxed-Rind: wax is applied to form a solid shell around the cheese as it ripens • Include: Edam, Fontina

7. Blue-Vein Cheese • Needles are injected into the cheese to form holes in which mold spores multiply • Salted and ripened in a cave • Include: Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Maytag Blue • Young blue-vein cheese are mild in comparison to the aged versions

8. Hard Cheeses • Has a drier texture and firmer consistency • Slice and grate easily • Include: cheddar cheese, Emmenthaler, Gruyere, Cdolby, Jarlsberg, Provolone, Manchego

9. Grating Cheese • Solid, dry cheese that have a grainy consistency • Used mostly grated or shaved, but can be in bite-size chunks for cheese platters • Often produced in 75-80 lb. wheels • Include: Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino-Romano, Sapsago

10. Processed cheeses • Made from one or more cheeses that have been finely ground, mixed together with other non-dairy ingredients, heated, and poured into a mold • 51% must be cheese • Additional moisture can be added to processed cheese food to make it spreadable.

11. Buying Cheese • Buy only as much as you need • Once cut, cheeses lose quality and freshness • Examine the label for information • Best source of information is the supplier • Examine the Rind - the color should be natural • Examine the interior - shouldn’t be holes or off-coloring • Taste if possible to know what you are getting

12. Handling Cheese • Cut off only as much as you need • Mold does not contaminate the entire cheese, so trim it away • Grate cheese only when you need it • Use proper sanitation practices

13. Storing Cheese • Whole cheese keeps longest • Hard cheeses keep longest • Wrap cheese in waxed paper or butcher paper and store in a cool place. Plastic wrap does not allow cheese to breathe. • Or Place in a container with a tight-fitting lid. • Don’t reuse storage wrappings

14. Serving cheese • Fresh cheeses are best purchased on the day they are to be used. • Serve cheeses at room temperature • Served as appetizer - alone or as part of a composed salad • Served following a meal in European tradition - with fruit before the dessert

15. Cheese as a separate course • Individual cheese - allows eater to focus on just the cheese • Multiple cheeses - several cheeses offered at once (flight of cheeses) which offered the eater a variety • Cheese Cart - allows eater to choose what they want • Served with bread, crackers, and fruit

16. Cheese Board • Flat platter on which cheese is served • Cheeses may be place on individual cheese boards or on one large cheese board. • A separate knife should be provided for each different kind of cheese. • Foods paired with cheese include bread, crackers, fruit, cured meats, roasted pappers, & cut-up raw vegetables

17. Cooking with Cheeses • Heat will alter the flavor • High heat causes cheese to be tough & rubbery • Use of low heat is recommended • Cheeses can be used in dishes, as a sauce, or as a topping or garnish

18. Cheese in dishes • Semi-soft cheeses are ideal • They should be shredded for easier & more even melting • Cheddar, Gruyere and Fontina are especially good for melting • Fondue: melted cheese with a thick, creamy texture used for dipping cooked or raw vegetables and bread

19. Cheese sauces • Cheese can add both body and flavor to sauces. • Cheese should be stirred into sauces at the last minute • Fondue – dish prepared by melting cheese that is then used for dipping raw vegetables and bread. • To make use: Emmenthaler, Gruyere, Fontina, cheddar

20. Cheese toppings or Garnishes • Cheese complements or offsets the flavors and textures of other ingredients • Can use soft or hard or combination in baked dishes • Mozzarella is excellent for melting • Grated cheese provide a flavor boost on salads, meat, or vegetables