Self Serving Cheese Thread

When it comes to cheese, what do you like? Are you strictly a Krafts singles on a casserole person, sliced cheddar on rye, or maybe you like to use parm rinds in soup? Is there a cheese that you've seen in a case, but cant get yourself to try, or know nothing about so you skip it? Do you pair cheese with wine or beer?

SWMBO and I will be starting a cheese blog (perhaps) in the next few weeks, and I would love to get a pulse on what people like and dont like. We could both go on and on about the health benefits of cheese, and rant about how raw milk cheeses are not the devil, or about how the idea that pregnant women will birth flipper babies from eating cheese during pregnancy is utter tripe, but no one really wants to hear a bunch of cheese rants. What I'm hoping for is a sampling of data from across the country and maybe come to the conclusion that... say... lots of people in Wyoming are curious about sbrinz, but won't buy it because it looks just like parm and costs more. Or maybe Texans like the idea of fondue, but are tired of using the same 3 cheeses. I don't know, whatever. I'm sure I'll get a lot of joking responses, which is fine, I have a sense of humor, but SOME serious replies please.

In the immortal words of Steve Urkel, "got any cheeeeeese?"

PS.... I'm expecting cheezydemon to chime in, because duh... and I know Yooper doesnt like cheese, so she gets a pass

I like cheese. All I have in my fridge right now is a Rogue Smokey Blue and a Sartori Reserve SarVecchio.

And some generic American singles and some whipped cream cheese from a local place.


My wife likes cheese somewhat, but she doesn't eat it often, and because she's Japanese she cannot tell the difference between cheddar and swiss, or American and cheddar, etc. So most of my cheese tasting ends up being over at friends.

There is a (free!) beer and cheese pairing thing at the LA Beer Week Festival every year, and we always make it a point to go sign up for that as soon as we get in the gate because it's so awesome, and you get to try a bunch of really expensive and delicious cheeses that would otherwise be impractical to try individually. In fact that's where I first tried the Sartori parmesan. I loved it so much that I bought a huge block of it and have been using it in my recipes for months now.

I'm sorry, but from your title I have the image of a hunk of cheddar walking up to me, taking a knife and slicing himself, saying "I'm cheddar, have some." Shades of Douglas Addams' book The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

I enjoy most cheeses, and like to sample new ones when available. No real favorites except for a good brie, aged swiss and Doubliner.

Haha! I can totally see that. Do you like to eat these cheeses as/is, or do you cook with them? Any pairings?

ChuckO said:

I'm sorry, but from your title I have the image of a hunk of cheddar walking up to me, taking a knife and slicing himself, saying "I'm cheddar, have some." Shades of Douglas Addams' book The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

I enjoy most cheeses, and like to sample new ones when available. No real favorites except for a good brie, aged swiss and Doubliner.

Click to expand...

I like me some harvarti, gruyere and gouda on butter crackers.

There's also this cheese my father in law brings back from the UK. Super expensive and nearly impossible to find in the US (I think he once found it in a shop near Redondo beach in cali...we're in NY) It's this orangey colored cheese thats very, very dry, not quite a hard cheese, and sharp. Wish I could remember the name.

Edit: So, I talked to my father in law. Apparently, it's a French cheese that he buys in the UK. It's called mimolette. Wegman's actually sells it, but unfortunately being in capital district area, there's only Hannaford and price chopper. Boo!!

I love cheese. I especially like good parm and the rest of the italian cheeses, but my absolute favorite is Vermont sharp cheddar. And not the kind made in Wisconsin. I have not been able to find a good one here in Michigan. A close second is Red Dragon which is a Welsh cheese that is made with beer and spices. It's really expensive but worth every penny.

I have also started making my own mozzarella from milk that I get from a local dairy. In MI, it's not legal to sell raw milk, so what I get is low-heat pasturized and non-homogenized. It makes wonderful cheese altho I've not got the process down exactly yet.

Good luck on the blog!

Hey there this is SWMBO or AKA- Cheesy Goodness. Creamy has relinquished his keyboard! First of all it is so great to meet you all. He talks about you all the time and I feel like I know you guys. Please advise him on how to clean up after a mead explosion as that usually falls upon ME....the ceiling will never be the same.

So I work for Murray's cheese, the oldest cheese shop in NYC and I just want to thank you on all the feedback regarding our upcoming blogity blog. I just wanted to let you know that:A. Sarvechio is amazing- support Sartori cheeses! I met those producers last year and they saved their town in Wisconsin. When the processed cheese factory was being shutdown and their small town that depended on it was in jeopardy, the workers united, bought the factory and started making that cheese! So cool! About five years later Sartori came in and helped them really take off. Those guys totally rule. Also fun fact: while the brine they used is cleaned like clockwork it is NEVER changed. That makes it like a great patina on a grill!

Mimolette is also fantastic. That cheese is sold at varied age levels. At Murray's we sell it about 12-18 months old and it is a ***** to cut as it is round and covered in craters like the moon. Mimolette gets those craters by the encouragement of the largely DIScouraged but mighty cheesemite!

I won't bore you with more cheese info here but thank you so much for your support and we will be exploring everything from our cheddars to our blues when this is up and running....and if you dont think MEAD will be involved....think again.

Thanks folks,
Cheesy Goodness

I bought a cheese in cheese/wine shop in CA and it was the wettest, smelliest blue cheese type cheese I ever tried. At first I wasn't sure about it but then I became addicted to it. Problem was I never saw it again and don't remember what it was called. Smelled what a wart on an old man’s toe might smell like....I'm guessin'

My favorite cheese I guess is swiss.

You had me until the Steve Urkel mention...

Mmm I guess I love me some cheese mites

My parents have really gotten into wine and cheese as they have gotten older -- I love a layered brie with cranberries and/or nuts in it. Also smoked havarti and my all-time favorite is probably Gorgonzola.

SWMBO "Cheesy Goodness" here- we are so enjoying all your responses! I have a question for you. What cheeses do you prefer cooking with or using on prepared foods such as sandwiches vs.... cheese as it's own thing served with a little wine maybe....or a little honey?

OK first to the mr's question:

I like a good parm. A nice sharp peccorino Romano is right up there too, as is a nice sharp provolone. Vermont extra sharp cheddar rocks. (not NY or WI, Vt!) Smoked cheddar is awesome. Feta rocks. Not fond of most soft or mild cheeses, with the exception of mozz. cant stand blues or swiss.

As to what I cook with, most of all of the above. I love making a "Rubini" with pastrami, provolone and kraut and a nice coarse mustard on seeded rye. A great pizza is thin as all get out, brushed with garlic infused evoo, then topped with sun dried tomatoes, pitted sliced kalamata olives, feta, light sprinkling of fresh oregano, then covered with razor thin slices of mozz. bake till the crust just crisps up. nuggets of salty creamy goodness!

manchego or a good crystally crunchy parm are my current faves

I cook a lot with parmesan and gruyere. Not necessarily in the same dish, but I've done that, too. I also like to use soft cheeses a lot in sauces. Ricotta, cream cheese, chevre, cottage cheese, etc. can really kick a dish up a notch by adding a depth of flavor and mouthfeel that is hard to get otherwise, although sour cream, yogurt, or creme fraiche can work too. I especially like it added to a spicy dish like a curry or chili where if you do it right, it just adds a bit of flavor and thickness to the texture, but nobody can figure out why it tastes so good.