If you love macaroni and cheese, you’re in good company. Thomas Jefferson and Ronald Reagan had their own recipes for the “best” macaroni and cheese. In fact, while Jefferson was not “the father of our country,” he was most likely the father of mac and cheese! Here, some history and historic recipes for one of our favorite foods.

Who knew that Thomas Jefferson had his own pasta machine!

Read the full story and find Ronald Reagan’s Macaroni & Cheese recipe here.

Former record label exec Chris Gray enjoys cheesemaking because, unlike music, cheese can’t be pirated: “I decided to get into something that you can’t download, and you can’t digitally replicate. Everything we do here is handmade. And so there’s something eternally unique about what this is. And it’ll always be valuable, as long as we keep making it delicious.”

Chris used to develop artists; now, he develops unique batches of artisanal cow’s and goat’s milk cheese as co-owner of 10-year-old Consider Bardwell Farm. He’s a character in a larger story that takes place in West Pawlet, Vermont, on a gorgeous 300-acre dairy farm. The tale begins in 1864, when a man with a curious name—Consider Stebbins Bardwell—founded the first cheese-making co-op in Vermont. Cheesemaking of the Colby/cheddar style may have ended there in the 1930s, but firmly established on this gorgeous estate was a name and a reputation for quality cheesemaking.

Read the whole article: Cheese is not Downloadable: Consider Bardwell’s Unique Fromage

At some Super Bowl in the future, will Michiganders be the ones called cheeseheads?

If some Michigan cheese makers have their way, you’ll be whittling those Wisconsin hats into Michigan-shaped mittens before you know it.

Eleven creameries, including two in Washtenaw County, have formed the Michigan Cheese Makers Cooperative — with the goal of going head-to-head with Wisconsin.

Specifically, the coalition wants to market members’ artisanal cheeses. Those cheeses, which can cost as much as $20 a pound, use only Michigan milk, are produced in small batches and are primarily handmade.

The whole effort has become easier, thanks to Gov. Rick Snyder’s emphasis on agriculture and the growth of the buy-local movement.

“We are going to beat Wisconsin,” said Matt Birbeck, supply chain and marketing specialist at Michigan State University’s Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, who helped create the co-op.
Dairy is a $5.9-billion business in Michigan, according the state Department of Agriculture.

Many see promise in Michigan’s growing artisanal cheese industry

When Anne Hoyt and her husband, John Hoyt, first started making artisanal cheese in the northern Lower Peninsula more than a decade and a half ago, few people knew what they were doing. She remembers having to continually explain to people that all cheese isn’t orange.

Read the whole article: Michigan creameries team up to try to grab a slice of cheese industry

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.—State health and agriculture officials have halted production and distribution of a Missouri-made cheese after traces of bacteria were found in cheese sold in California.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture says it learned Thursday of the results of tests done in California on cheese made by Morningland Dairy, in the south-central town of Mountain View.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture informed Missouri officials that tests on Morningland Dairy cheese contained traces of Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus.

To read the rest of Production of Missouri dairy’s cheese stopped

Sections include:

Cheese Whiz – Cheese 101
Uncorked – Wine and Cheese
Locally Grown – Artisan Cheese
Cooking With Mom – Cheese Soufflé
How To…Make Cheese Sauce
Well Balanced – Busting the Cholesterol Myth
In The Details – Throw a Cheese Party
Hop Talk – Beer & Cheese Pairing
Last Call – Cheddar

You’ll find these articles plus lots of recipes that include cheese as an important ingredient.

Read these articles in Tastebud Magazine – Cheese, Please

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.”

Consumer demand is fueling the boom in the American artisan cheese production, said Jeanne Carpenter, founder of Wisconsin Cheese Originals in Madison, Wis., which spreads the word about new cheeses and their makers.

Only 20 of the state’s dairies produced a specialty cheese in 2004, she said. Now 88 of 127 cheese plants are making at least one type of specialty cheese.

“Many cheesemakers are developing innovative American originals, which are rivaling the great European cheeses in flavor, quality and popularity,” Carpenter said.

Yet this burgeoning supplycan be daunting to the average consumer. Here are some ways to grapple with the choices.

“View it as an adventure,” Carpenter said. “Visit a cut-to-order cheese shop so you can taste any cheese before you buy it. If you’re not sure where to begin, tell the cheesemonger some of your favorite foods. This will give him or her a direction for your palate, and you can start with flavor profiles you know you’ll like.”

Be willing to go outside your comfort zone, she added. “You may discover a new favorite.”

While artisan, locally made cheeses are the rage, Elaine Khosrova, the editor of Culture magazine, said don’t give a cold shoulder to cheese made by big companies. “Just because they’re big doesn’t mean they aren’t high quality,” she said.

Conversely, just because a cheesemaker is small doesn’t guarantee the cheese will be delicious. “You have to taste your way around,” Khosrova said.

When you do bring the cheese home, take steps to make it accessible to guests.

Allison Hooper, co-founder of the Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery in Websterville, Vt., said some cheese boards can look scary all festooned with big hunks of cheese that people are reluctant to cut into.

“Get a cheese started,” said Hooper. “I think it’s OK to cut up some of the cheese so it’s a little more inviting.”

And don’t put out too much.

“Even for a party of 15 people, two signature cheeses are plenty,” Khosrova said. “Go for something special.”

These days, that’s easier to do than ever.

Source: islandpacket.com

15-year-old cheese is selling briskly – and for $50

A smooth and tangy 15-year-old cheddar unveiled last week by a Mineral Point cheesemaker is grabbing international attention. And it’s selling faster than cheese mongers can cut it – even at $50 per pound in a bitter economy.

The 1,200-pound stash of what’s believed to be the oldest cheddar on the U.S. market is selling so quickly for holiday gift-giving and entertaining that it may be gone by the weekend, one week after its release, said cheese maker Tony Hook, who co-owns Hook’s Cheese Co. with his wife and fellow cheese-maker, Julie Hook.

“For all the hype about the bad economy, we were having a good year even before we released this cheese,” Tony Hook said Tuesday. “The response to the 15-year-old cheddar has been unbelievable. We’re getting phone calls and e-mails from all over the country and the world. It’s beyond ridiculous.”

Among those placing orders: Wisconsin soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan who plan to be home for the holidays, and want to share the cheddar with their families, Hook said.

This is the single malt scotch of cheddar.

Older cheddars might exist, but they’re the stuff of private stashes in cheese-maker cellars – not sold to the general public, according to John Umhoefer, executive director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, which hosts national and international cheese competitions.

Read the rest of the story: From Wisconsin to the world

Self.com, which shares this little slice of information, says that conjugated linoleic acid found in whole dairy may actually fuel the metabolism. One ounce — a 1-inch cube or a piece about the size of your thumb — may not seem like enough cheesy goodness, but Self offers the following ways to enjoy a smaller portion of some of your favorite full-fat cheeses (No more of that reduced-fat cheese imposter!):

Goat cheese
One ounce of this creamy choice contains 76 calories and 6 grams of fat (4 g saturated) and boasts 5 g of filling protein. It’s also a good source of copper, which keeps your immune system humming. Swap out mayo and smear goat cheese on a wrap or mix with chopped nuts and dried fruit for a filling toast topper.

Parmesan
At 111 calories per serving, it seems like a splurge, but Parmesan comes with loads of needed nutrients: A single ounce contains nearly as much bone-building calcium as a glass of milk and 10 g protein—more per ounce than chicken breast. Grate and sprinkle over a bowl of salad greens for a punch of flavor.

Cheddar
It’s easy to warm up to this classic queso: It gets perfectly gooey—not greasy—when heated and has 6 percent more calcium than American cheese. An extra sharp cheddar adds zing to favorite foods like tacos and veggie burgers.

Monterey Jack
Nosh on Monterey Jack and a piece of fruit for a salty-sweet balance of carbs, fiber, protein and fat that can tide you over until your next meal. In the mood for something spicy? Choose pepper Jack cheese, a twist on Monterey Jack that includes hot peppers such as jalepeños. Eat 1 ounce of either to secure about 20 percent of your daily requirement of calcium and 6 g protein for 110 calories.

Ricotta
Good news, lasagna lovers! Even full-fat ricotta is a low-cal wonder: It weighs in at a scant 49 calories and 4 g fat (2 g saturated) per ounce and has the lowest amount of sodium of any cheese out there. For a decadent-tasting dish, toss ricotta with pasta and fresh herbs or stir into jarred tomato sauce for an easy upgrade.

Provolone
This mellow, firm cheese is versatile enough to go with most deli meats. One slice offers 21 percent of your daily requirement for calcium, along with other bone-building minerals phosphorus and selenium. Layer it on top of lean meat for 100 calories and 7 g fat (5 g saturated).

Mozzarella
Net 22 percent of your daily calcium with one serving of this luscious pick. Mozzarella contains 85 calories and 6 g fat (4 g saturated) per ounce. It’s an ideal fit for omelets because it won’t overwhelm the mild flavor of eggs and meshes well with most vegetables. Cheese for breakfast? Yes, please!

Source: Orlando Sentinel

“A kilogram of cheese is more expensive than a kilogram of steak. A litre of milk is the same price as a litre of orange juice from Florida,” said Garth Whyte, president and CEO of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association.

“They now call cheese white gold,” he said. “It’s very, very expensive. I saw it today. A 500 gram brick at an [Ottawa] grocery store was on sale — $2 off. It was $6 for 500 grams, so it was $12 a kilogram. A top sirloin steak was on sale for $9 a kilogram,” said Whyte in an interview with CBC News Monday.

The association has called for a 16.5 per cent reduction in the price of industrial milk at a meeting Monday with the Canadian Dairy Commission in Ottawa.

“That is what we need to be competitive,” said Whyte.

The association is concerned because restaurants have been particularly hard hit during the recession.

Food-service businesses like restaurants, pizza chains and caterers are not able to pass on the increased cost of dairy because they’ve already seen a drop in business, said Whyte.

Since 1994, the price of dairy has jumped by 60 per cent, twice the rate of inflation, he said.

The Canadian Dairy Commission, a Crown agency, manages the price and supply of the nation’s dairy production to ensure milk producers remain healthy.

Last week, a report by the Conference Board of Canada criticized the dairy industry’s supply/management system, saying it hurt dairy farmers’ ability to compete globally.

The Dairy Farmers of Canada responded to the conference board report by saying that milk producers in other countries have been devastated when forced to compete in the free market.

‘There’s a tipping point’

However, Whyte said food processors and restaurants are hurting the most under the current system. People are staying at home to eat and fewer people can afford to buy dairy products, like ice cream, cheese and yogurt.

“Look at the price of cheese strings, even a quart of milk. A friend of mine who has three young kids pays $50 a week for milk. Who can afford that?” he said.

Whyte noted that some food processors, like frozen-pizza makers, have managed to secure exemptions allowing them to purchase cheese for 30 per cent less. The reduction allows them to export to the U.S. market where they would otherwise not be able to compete. Fresh pizza makers, meanwhile, pay 30 per cent more for cheese, and that’s not fair, said Whyte.

Whyte said that if something doesn’t change, it could become cheaper for food processors to purchase milk from the U.S.

“There’s a tipping point, that would be a problem,” he said.

Source: CBC News