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What's a healthy lifestyle without cheese?

2008-08-27

In a world of low-fat brownies and imitation butter, many people deprive themselves of the joys of cheese for health reasons. Banning brie, boycotting roquefort, abstaining from aged cheddar. But let me ask you this, what's life without occasional slabs of fresh mozzarella drizzled with olive oil and vinegar? And is this cheese self-deprivation really all that necessary? Is it impossible to think that cheese might have some positive health benefits? I think we need to ask...

Is cheese good for you? Why or why not?

Jeff from Boston believes, "Yes, in moderation. Protein and calcium and fats (which get a bad rap). Too much will destroy you though...I'm told." Taryn from Atlanta says, "YES!!! It goes with everything! Growing gals need calcium! Life isn't worth living without baked brie on a wintry night in front of a fire! Not that we have many of those in Atlanta, but the imagery is nice." Linnea from Minnesota thinks, "In moderation. Millions of svelte French women can't be wrong! Enjoying a wonderful cheese with a good wine is definitely good for you, emotionally speaking! Those of us with borderline cholesterol have to have cheese in small amounts. It becomes important not to waste the opportunity to eat cheese on an inferior product."

The general consensus, which I wholeheartedly agree with, is that, all other factors aside, cheese is good for the soul. It makes us happy, brings us pleasure, gives us something delectable to look forward to. Cheese is most definitely good for us, as Linnea says, "emotionally speaking!"

What some people don't realize, however, is that cheese actually is good for you, at least in moderation. One ounce of cheese contains about twenty percent of the calcium an adult needs in a given day. Cheese is also high in protein, an especially great thing for vegetarians who can't get their protein from meats.

But the key thing, as with everything, is moderation. What Linnea's "svelte French women" know is that having a healthy heaping of delicious cheese, along with plenty of vegetables, fresh breads, and exercise, is part of a good happy lifestyle. As I mention in my cheese health article, I look at cheese the same way I see brownies. What's the point of eating low-fat brownies if they don't taste all that good? It's better to eat brownies less often but go for the really good fatty stuff! They do make low fat cheese alternatives, but that's just not real cheese! So moderation is the plan, and I think it may be time for some of that "eating cheese in moderation" RIGHT NOW!

As I wisely and health-consciously indulge in a moderate amount of delicious cheese, I will contemplate next week's question, "What's the best type of cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich?"


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Wouldn't you rather have the cheese plate?

2008-08-20

Have you ever been teased because you ate cold pizza for breakfast? Or maybe because you secretly yearn to eat a chocolate hostess cupcake (you know...the kind you ate as a kid with the white scribble of frosting on top?) about once a year as a nostalgic dessert?

Well, as far as I'm concerned there's no shame in whatever you enjoy eating (except for that one incident in which my mom was caught slurping whipped cream from the container while hidden behind the refridgerator door! sorry mom!), and there is certainly no right or wrong as to when is the appropriate time to eat it. You want cake for breakfast (and salad for lunch perhaps?), more power to you.

Of course, we do all have our food eating habits and preferences, which hints at this week's question.

When is the best time to eat cheese (appetizer, dessert, by itself, as dinner, breakfast, etc...)?

Jennifer from Boston believes the best time for cheese is, "breakfast. So many options: cheese blintzes, omelettes, breakfast sandwiches, scrambled eggs..." Mr. Cheez-Whiz from New York suggests eating cheese, "by itself with wine." And Strah9 from Boston comments that the best time to eat cheese is, "All the time!"

I sure do love cheese for breakfast as Jennifer does. That's one thing the Germans have right, eating cheese (and lunch meats) with bread for breakfast, so much better than cold cereal! Besides the traditional cheese-filled items like omelettes and breakfast sandwiches, there's a restaurant in Boston called Brownstone which makes jarlsberg pancakes. It may sound weird, but the combination of sweet pancakes and maple syrup with salty jarlsberg cheese is heavenly! It's the same principle which makes me like chocolate covered pretzel (lots of sweet and salty goodness).

I think my favorite way to appreciate cheese, especially a nice strong cheese, is as Mr. Cheez-Whiz recommends, alongside a glass of wine. Although, the scene just wouldn't be complete without some wonderful fresh bread to go with it. Limiting a meal to bread, wine and cheese, for me, really helps to isolate and savor all the flavors (but especially the cheese). Wine is great and all, but it's a side dish for the appreciation of cheese!

Cheese Plate

Of course, who can argue with Strah9? I'll take a good cheese anytime...well, most anytime. There was the one incident of The Cheese Plate (**dum dum dum**)! I was traveling in France with my Aunt Jill and we were eating dinner at a really nice gourmet restaurant in Paris. When it came time for dessert, as much as I love cheese, I opted for the decadent chocolate cake instead of the cheese plate. If I could have eaten both, I would have, but I'm just not "mature" enough to skip the chocolate dessert. My silly aunt, on the other hand, tried to be the sophisticated one and went for the cheese plate.

By all accounts, it was delicious cheese, but the thing we both remember most is how amazingly, singularly, give-up-your-first-born-for-one-more-bite scrumptious my chocolate dessert was. I was in dessert bliss, while my aunt got to be the mature one with the cheese plate. Moral of the story? Maybe it isn't always the right time for cheese!

Now ends today's cheese lesson! Come back next week for ruminations on, "Is cheese good for you?"


Vera said: (2008-08-26)

I'm in love with Cowgirl Creamery's Drake aged cheese which only comes out a couple times a year...therefore, any chance I get my hands on this most elusive and coveted cheese is a good time to eat cheese!!

Resident Cheesemonger said: (2008-08-27)

Sounds good to me! I'll have to keep my eyes (or tastebuds?) open for it.

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Whether your cheese is blue or orange, can't we all just get along?

2008-08-13

Are there really "bad" cheeses out there? I feel like a true cheese purist, lover of all things curd and whey, would have some appreciation for all dairy delights. I, unfortunately, do not live up to this high standard. While I fancy myself a cheese lover, I just don't like everything! I want to; I really do, but haven't quite gotten there yet.

My shameful secret (shh- don't tell anyone!) is that I generally don't like goat cheeses as a rule. Sure, I can appreciate feta in a recipe, but I just can't seem to like the goat cheeses. Although, to my credit, I am desperately trying to improve my cheese repertoire by trying more goat cheeses! That being said, let's see which cheeses are less favored by our friends and blog readers.

What is your least favorite cheese and why?

Orange american cheese slice

Taryn from Atlanta says, "Not a fan of gorgonzola, and I get irrationally angry when gorgonzola appears on my salads in restaurants. Maybe because it's too close to bleu cheese, which tastes moldy. (I know some people like that taste, but I can't fathom why!)" On the opposite end of the cheese taste spectrum, Kevin from Boston chooses, "Monterey Jack cheese- kinda flavorless, but I end up buying it now and then because the name is great, which inevitably leads to disappointment." And of course, let us not forget the opinion of Glenn K. from Atlanta who says, "Kraft American 'singles.' It's such a processed jumble of chemicals I'm not sure it's even cheese and tastes no Gudda."

"Tastes no Gudda," touches my cheese joke funny bone. No gudda, no gouda. Who can beat cheesy jokes like that (pun intended!)? hehe

On to more serious thoughts...yeah right. I must say that the overwhelming majority of people who answered the question of their least favorite cheese pointed the finger at the blue cheeses (the poor, unsuspecting blue cheeses!). Now I guess I can understand this as they can be quite pungent, an acquired taste for sure (and, as I am not a fan of goat cheeses, who am I to throw stones?), but what would a cobb salad be without some odiferious gorgonzola?! To each her own I guess. Taryn can have caesar salad with goat cheese and I'll stick to cobb, making everybody happy!

On the not-so-pungent side, I can understand Kevin's perpetual disappointment with monterey jack cheese (especially given its totally cool, bushwhacking cowboy-esque name!). Monterey jack certainly has its uses (paired with tomatoes and bacon on a grilled cheese perhaps?), but I agree that it's a difficult stand-along cheese.

Glenn K. was good enough to point out my first thought on this question, a cheese that baffles and yet fascinates me, orange processed american cheese, particularly the ones individually wrapped in plastic. Not to be a snob, as I know many people who are quite the cheese aficionados actually grew up with the stuff, but come on. It's neon orange!

Stepping back, however, I feel as though I have to play the cheese relativist. If you like a given cheese, whether neon orange or stinky blue, then it's a good cheese. Who cares what the cheese elitists think! (Are there really cheese elitists?? I find most cheese lovers to be quite down to earth despite the fact that they have refined cheese palattes!). That being said, whichever cheeses you find less than delicious, never fear as there are so many more good cheeses yet to try. A worthwhile cheese mission for us all.

P.S. If anyone could recommend some good goat cheeses to help poor cheese-disadvantaged me get to know this wonderful branch of the cheese family, I'd be eternally grateful!

And come back next week as we answer, "When is the best time of day to eat cheese (ie. breakfast, snack, dinner, dessert, etc.)?"


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Ode to the Cheesemonger

2008-08-06

Did you know that burgermeister (actually "bürgermeister") is a real word? It means "mayor" in German. I just never believed it was an actual, real word that people used because it sounds so silly to me! And how about antidisestablishmentarianism? This extremely long word of 28 letters and 12 syllables is often brought up as the longest word in the English language, but did you know it actually means something? It refers to a political philosophy in 19th century England.

And then, of course, there are other great funny sounding words like "cheesemonger," which are in fact real words! In the case of "cheesemonger, we asked our cheese site readers the following question, requesting specifically that they not look anything up.

What do you think a cheesemonger is?

Julie from Washington D.C. says, "I took the cheese quiz on your website and I've already forgotten. A person who makes cheese for a living?" Strah9 from Boston guesses, "An artisanal cheesemaker who sells cheese." Taryn from Atlanta states, "I assume it's someone who sells cheese? Along the lines of a fishmonger?"

Julie's answer is pretty typical. Before I discovered the wonders of really good gourmet cheese and started to learn the lingo, I probably would have guessed the same thing. It seems logical that a cheesemonger would be someone who has their hands in the cheesemaking process. Cheesemonger sounds to me like a medieval profession, along the lines of a blacksmith or tanner, close to the salt of the earth (or in this case the milk of the animal?).

Strah9 comes a bit closer, knowing that a cheesemonger is in fact someone who sells cheese, but still falls prey to the notion that it's someone who makes cheese, artisanal cheese in this case. The mention of artisanal cheese, to me, indicates that she may hold the notion that perhaps a cheesemonger is a specialist of some kind, as artisanal cheese is like a specialist among cheeses.

Finally, Taryn comes up with the right answer, that a cheesemonger is someone who makes cheese. She was one of several people to get at the right answer by way of knowing what a fishmonger is. Those are some good SAT/GRE skills right there! And don't even get me started on the humor of the word "fishmonger!"

Once you put all the answers and analysis together, you may realize that a cheesemonger is not just someone who sells cheese, but that they are super knowledgeable cheese experts who sell cheese. If ever you have cheese questions you can't find the answer to here, it's always a good idea to ask your local cheesemonger. Most of them are a veritable cheese encyclopedia!

And next week, come on back as we explore the question, "What's your least favorite type of cheese?"


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Cheese-Wine Pairings

2008-07-30

After last week's discussion of stinky cheese and the difficulty of pairing it with other foods due to its sometimes delicious but often overpowering odor, it seems only right to talk about some cheese pairings that go blissfully well together. Beyond peanut butter and jelly, cookies and cream, chocolate peanut butter ice cream and chick flicks (oh yeah), there are some cheese matches that can't be beat.

And so today we touch upon a couple of the wonderful ways to artfully and tastefully consume our favorite...cheese.

What's your favorite wine-cheese pairing?

Here's what our cheese blog readers have to say. Glenn K. from Atlanta suggests, "Mozzarella with good croustinis, fresh tomatoes, olive oil, and basil and a nice earthy red wine." Mr. Cheez-Whiz from New York, who seems to have a more sophisticated palate than his name would imply, says, "There are many, but aged gouda with a margaux or a parmesan with a chianti is good." Lady Lilikins from Boston gives an interesting example stating, "Red port wine '83 with queijo de azeitão or queijo da serra."

I must say that there really is nothing better than a nice, fresh mozzarella cheese with a consistency like butter alongside tomatoes and fresh, fragrant basil. Add some red wine and I'm in heaven. Mozzarella is such a funny cheese to me because it's extremely common, occupying a central role in our favorite late night snack, pizza, but on the other end of the spectrum there's fresh mozzarella. And if you look and you're lucky you can sometimes find some amazing, fresh, melt in your mouth mozzarellas that make you want to give up eating anything else. I think I need to pause here to regain my compusure! Mozzarella and a hearty, earthy red wine is definitely a winning cheese-wine pairing.

Next on the list is aged gouda with margaux, and parmesan with chianti. Margaux is an under appreciated wine from south-western France. It seems only fitting to pair it with a cheese which is often overlooked due to the popularity of its younger smokier cousin, smoked gouda. And of course, parmesan and chianti are a perfect Italian pairing for those too rare, romantic occasions.

Queijo da serra cheese

Finally, the pairing of port wine with queijo de azeitão or queijo da serra (also known as serra da estrela and pictured here) is a very note-worthy suggestion. Queijo, for those who don't know, is the portugeese word for cheese (it's very important to be able to request cheese in any language!). These two particular portugeese cheeses are both semi-soft, sheep's milk cheeses with a lovely buttery taste, a perfect pairing with a lovely dessert wine or port.

If our lovely cheese readers' suggestions have got you craving more great cheese-wine pairings, check out our article on cheese and wine pairings. We aim to please! ;-)

On a closing note, I just wanted to share a great blog find I've made recently. If you're hungry for more fabulous gourmet experiences designed to tantilize all of the senses, check out Seduction Meals. Your taste buds, as well as the loved ones in your life, will thank you!

Next week we test our readers' cheese knowledge asking, "What do you think a cheesemonger is?"


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