What is a cheese curd? Recently I went on a tour of the Tillamook cheese factory in Tillamook, OR. Part of the tour
included an area where you could eat samples of their cheese. Included in the various samples were fresh cheese curds. Before this I had never eaten a cheese curd. What seems to look like a rubbery yellow ball turned out to be a tasty bite of cheese, which squeaked as I chewed.
So what is a cheese curd? Cheese curds are basically small chunks of cheese solids which have been separated from the natural whey present in milk. Their flavor is mild with about the same firmness as cheese but has a rubbery texture. Fresh curds squeak against the teeth due to air being trapped inside its porous body. Cheese curds are sometimes referred to as “Squeaky cheese”.
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By Mr. Cheese on Jan 29, 2010 in Featured, Know Your Cheese
Did you know cheeses can absorb other aromas and can change taste over time? Do you hate it when your exposed cheese in your refrigerator starts to dry? The first rule to good cheese storage is to know that all cheese are not created equal. Semi-soft to hard cheese should be wrapped in foil to prevent mold. With soft cheeses like Brie and Camembert, plastic wrap is acceptable. Shredded cheeses work best in airtight containers. The more exposed surfaces areas you have, the more likelyhood of mold developing.
Pungent cheese like Blue Cheese or Limberger should be double wrapped to avoid having aromas fill your refrigerator. For extra assurance against aroma leakage, an airtight container should do the trick. Hard cheeses can keep for months and can be frozen for up to eight weeks. Soft cheeses can last between one and three weeks if stored properly in airtight containers. Read the rest
By Mr. Cheese on Jan 6, 2010 in Cheese News, Featured
Ring in a new year and (unofficially) a new decade with an ancient foodstuff. Celebrate with cheese. 
More and more people are getting turned on to cheese. Cheesemakers are popping up around the country. New cheese books are being published seemingly every week. The first consumer cheese magazine, a quarterly called Culture, debuted a year ago. And shoppers can increasingly find and buy all sorts of cheese at area farmers markets and in ambitious cheese stores and even the dairy and deli cases of their local supermarkets.
Clark Wolf, the author of “American Cheese,” said people turn to ages-old basics when life gets complicated. That’s why cheese, particularly American-made cheese, is surging in popularity during these hard economic times.
“We re-entered the macaroni-and-cheese economy in a good way,” he said. “There’s nothing kitschy about this stuff. It’s heartfelt and real. They’re using ancient wisdom and new ways, and that’s just good.”
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By Mr. Cheese on Dec 31, 2009 in Featured, Sandwiches
Inside-Out Cheeseburgers
These are very good!
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Combine cheeses in a small bowl. Mix beef, Worcestershire, paprika and pepper in a large bowl. Shape into 8 thin patties. Mound 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture on each of 4 patties, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Cover each with one of the remaining patties. Crimp and seal the edges closed.
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