Growing up I never dreamed there would be so many cheeses for me to discover when I ventured out on my own. I consider myself fairly adventurous but I completely understand that haven't even touched the surface with how many I've tasted. Until I was about thirty, there were three cheeses in my life, American, Mild Cheddar and Parmesan. Even the Parmesan wasn't the wonderful salty goodness I've come to love, but rather the amazingly shelf stable white powder in a green cylinder.
I still enjoy all of those cheeses and other than the green cylinder, I still keep them all stocked at nearly all times. American is great on sandwiches, cold or warm; Cheddar goes well with any Tex/Mex or Mexican food I make; and Parmesan is still an excellent cheese to toss on the top of a pasta with sauce. But this is about Gourmet, fake or not! So I will give you five of my top eight, knowing that those staples already mentioned are like work clothes, everyone needs them, but on one brags to their friends about them.
It was really tough for me to put these in any kind of order, so they are not in order of preference or utility or cost. They are just the five favorite cheeses I have outside the standards of the American Kitchen. I also include a little description and ideas of how I use them.
1. Asiago - This is a drier white Italian cheese that visually looks like Parmesan, but has a much more pungent taste. This is an excellent cheese to toast onto bread to give your plain Italian bread a face lift. It is also good in any "three cheese" arrangement, for pizzas or pastas.
2. Stilton - This is a softer sweeter white cheese which usually comes with candied fruit bits in it. This is an excellent snacking cheese. Also a wonderful cheese to include on either an appetizer or dessert tray for a party or just you and your bestie.
3. Manchego - This is a firm white cheese that melts really well. I am slowly moving towards using Manchego instead of Cheddar in my Mexican food. First it is more authentic but second it brings a slight punch itself which holds up better to the spices. Also works VERY well when making Quesadillas.
4. Provolone - This is another firm but not dry white Italian cheese. This is also a very versatile cheese which is great for eating alone, mixed in a three cheese for pizza or sliced on top of a sandwich. Provolone melts well but doesn't stretch like Mozzarella so pizza is easier to eat.
5. Gorgonzola - That's right, BLUE cheese. I personally love the stuff, but I know it freaks lots of people out. I think Gorgonzola is also available without the mold, but that just seems silly. So what do I do with it you ask? To be honest, I don't directly cook with it, although I'm sure there are recipes that call for it. I like it on salads or sprinkled on a steak. The extra pungent flavor wakes up your tongue and reminds you you're alive!
So there you have my five favorite, plus 3 staples. I actually regularly purchase a dozen or so other cheeses and maybe some day in the future I'll directly blog about the wide range of cheeses. Until then, I can't wait to hear what other people have as favorites.
I still enjoy all of those cheeses and other than the green cylinder, I still keep them all stocked at nearly all times. American is great on sandwiches, cold or warm; Cheddar goes well with any Tex/Mex or Mexican food I make; and Parmesan is still an excellent cheese to toss on the top of a pasta with sauce. But this is about Gourmet, fake or not! So I will give you five of my top eight, knowing that those staples already mentioned are like work clothes, everyone needs them, but on one brags to their friends about them.
It was really tough for me to put these in any kind of order, so they are not in order of preference or utility or cost. They are just the five favorite cheeses I have outside the standards of the American Kitchen. I also include a little description and ideas of how I use them.
1. Asiago - This is a drier white Italian cheese that visually looks like Parmesan, but has a much more pungent taste. This is an excellent cheese to toast onto bread to give your plain Italian bread a face lift. It is also good in any "three cheese" arrangement, for pizzas or pastas.
2. Stilton - This is a softer sweeter white cheese which usually comes with candied fruit bits in it. This is an excellent snacking cheese. Also a wonderful cheese to include on either an appetizer or dessert tray for a party or just you and your bestie.
3. Manchego - This is a firm white cheese that melts really well. I am slowly moving towards using Manchego instead of Cheddar in my Mexican food. First it is more authentic but second it brings a slight punch itself which holds up better to the spices. Also works VERY well when making Quesadillas.
4. Provolone - This is another firm but not dry white Italian cheese. This is also a very versatile cheese which is great for eating alone, mixed in a three cheese for pizza or sliced on top of a sandwich. Provolone melts well but doesn't stretch like Mozzarella so pizza is easier to eat.
5. Gorgonzola - That's right, BLUE cheese. I personally love the stuff, but I know it freaks lots of people out. I think Gorgonzola is also available without the mold, but that just seems silly. So what do I do with it you ask? To be honest, I don't directly cook with it, although I'm sure there are recipes that call for it. I like it on salads or sprinkled on a steak. The extra pungent flavor wakes up your tongue and reminds you you're alive!
So there you have my five favorite, plus 3 staples. I actually regularly purchase a dozen or so other cheeses and maybe some day in the future I'll directly blog about the wide range of cheeses. Until then, I can't wait to hear what other people have as favorites.
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