r/Cheese

I'm used to eating pollyo string cheese and I just had 3 oz of cabot seriously sharp white cheddar and it tasted soo good. Then i tired these Frigo cheesehead string cheese and they tasted sooo goood too. That's enough cheese for me for tonight . lol. Seriously cheese is so addictive.

I mean I expected it to be nicer than the stuff you get in a supermarket but not this much nicer. I'm just gutted I stupidly had breakfast before going so was too full to get the cheesy afternoon tea.

Sainte Maure de Touraine

Tomme de Savoie,

24-month Comté,

Langres

Bleu d'Auvergne

Happiness and great accompanying items, Baguette, Crackers. Chutney & Spiced Walnuts.

(The candle was due to the occasion, it's not standard)

The Sainte Maure de Touraine, Langres and Bleu d'Auvergne were highlights but there were no losers here.

I’ve been looking forward to this since my wife and I visited a local cheese shop here in upstate SC for the first time. We sampled a Red Leicester and it was amazing.

So, I decided to give it a try. Today, the wheel has aged 2 months and we broke it open for a sample. It was pretty spot on for the mild, cheddar-like flavor. It’s a young cheese, so it still has a creamy and buttery texture.

If you try to make it, I will warn you. The counter top will look like a crime scene with all the anatto that is required! 🩸🤣 But, that’s why they call it RED Leicester.

Pronounced (LESS-ter) btw…

You will need:
12 oz.(~345 g) thick cut bacon
1 lb.(454 g) tubular or shell pasta - the classic is elbow macaroni, but I've grown really fond of this cellantani
8 oz.(227 g) Brie cheese
8 oz.(227 g) smoked Gouda
8 oz.(227 g) smoked Gruyere
8 oz.(227 g) fresh mozzarella pearls(this is an approximate; I had some left over in my fridge and didn't weigh them)
Some freshly grated Parmesan
2-6 tablespoons(30-90g) butter(depending on whether you use it or bacon grease to build the sauce)
About 4 cups(~1 L) whole milk
About 1/4 cup all-purpose flour(not pictured)
1 cup(50 g) Panko bread crumbs(not pictured)
Salt, pepper, and MSG(not pictured)
Some Dijon mustard(not pictured)

Begin by boiling a tubular or small shell pasta to just al dente(if you like it softer, it will be by the time we bake it). Remove the rind from the Brie and cut into 1/2" cubes. Shred the Gruyere. Cut the Gouda into 1/2" cubes. Cover and refrigerate your cheeses. Cut the bacon into 1/2" wide strips in a cold pan. Heat over high heat and stir frequently. Cook until all water has evaporated and the bacon has become browned and slightly crisp. Remove from heat. Pour the bacon and grease into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve. Reserve the grease; it is the reason for the variation in the amount of butter. Return the pan to high heat and heat either 4 tablespoons bacon grease or 4 tablespoons butter. When completely melted, add enough flour just to absorb the fat. Whisk and cook about 2 minutes. Add a small amount of milk and whisk in, adding more when the liquid evaporates. Do so until the roux has been fully hydrated. Cook until thick. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, the Brie, and half the Gruyere. Mix until the cheese is fully melted and the mixture is smooth; now you have a Mornay sauce. Taste, adjust for salt, MSG, and pepper and set aside. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small frying pan over high heat. When melted, add the Panko and toss constantly until golden-brown. Remove from heat and set aside. When the pasta is done, drain and return to the pot. Add the Mornay sauce, the Gouda, the fresh mozzarella pearls, and the bacon. Stir well to combine. Pour into a 13"x9" baking dish. Cover with the remaining Gruyere. Spread the panko evenly over the top. Give a generous grating of fresh parm. Place on a baking sheet and bake on the middle rack of the oven until the sauce bubbles, about 25-30 minutes, before broiling until the top is as golden-brown as you like. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

So good.

Henning aged cheddar cheese

The cheese is Wilde Goat from High Lawn Farm in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts. It is an aged cheese made from both Jersey for milk and Nubian goat milk. The rind is washed with a local IPA.

This is a case where I think their own description is pretty spot-on. It is similar in ways to an aged cheddar, but the texture is much more fudgy and less grainy than a typical aged cheddar. The rind's aroma contributes both hay and hoppy notes. I get both the mild richness of the cows' milk and the bright assertiveness from the goats' milk.

I love local cheeses. I enjoy savoring a moment with a unique food, knowing that it can only really exist at that specific place and moment in time.

It is doubly fun when you forget about a wedge of the good stuff and find it in the back of your cheese drawer weeks later!

I dream about it