"Bro Tip: Best Cheeses in the World Power Ranking!"
Source: Youtube video by ThinkTank
"Top 10 Iconic Cheeses"
source: Youtube video by WatchMojo.com
It’s the holiday season and there are a lot of festivities that involve a lot of food. Of course, we love food.
By the time I get to finish this draft, I am guessing the incoming new year is about to begin. The very thing that is in my mind right now (majorly, I mean) is none other than the New Year’s Eve. And I tell you, one thing that has probably never failed to be at most dishes served during this special time of the year is CHEESE.
Yes, cheese. And even though I know there are people around the world who do not find cheese as appealing as I do, and this is something I cannot totally relate, I would still take this opportunity to write something about this star of the New Year’s Eve and all food-related gatherings during the holiday season… and that’s according to me.
"Cave of Cheese market shop in Lille, France"
source: Wikimedia Commons, free to use photo
As far as what most introductions I know, they would often start out with simple definitions of the stuff or topics they write about. I’d love to adopt that. And so, let me begin this cheese-inspired blog by telling everyone what cheese is.
What is CHEESE?
According to the ever-handy website wikipedia.org, Cheese is as follows:
a food derived from milk that is produced in a wide range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, the milk is usually acidified, and adding the enzyme rennet causes coagulation. The solids are separated and pressed into final form.
With the fact that cheese comes from milk, I would assume everyone who digs milk (by that, I mean wants to drink milk) digs cheese too. That is, logically speaking. Although, yes, I also acknowledge and take into consideration the fact that there are those who want milk but are sensitive to the smell of cheese and find it really foul to the point of not being able to eat it (which again, I cannot relate), so I still understand that there are people who want milk but not cheese. But that could never be me… because i love milk and cheese!
source: Wikimedia Commons, free to use photo
There is one website I found so visually appealing and rather useful in learning things about cheese, specifically Wisconsin cheese. It is actually dedicated specifically to this kind of cheese. Click here to get redirected to the website.
You can get a brief and yet informational walk-through on how cheese is made. It also has other information regarding cheese. Plus, you can browse through a lot of choice of recipes involving Wisconsin cheese which I guess can make use of other kinds of cheese too. Warning: do not browse when you haven’t eaten yet or you might swallow your computer screen.
source: original image, screenshot of the website
What are the Health Benefits of Cheese?
It appears that cheese is not only delicious. It is also great for our body as it has many vitamins and minerals. According to organicfacts.net, cheese contains vitamins C, B6, B12, A, D, E and K. Other vitamins are also found on different types of cheese. Also, it can supply our body upon consumption some vital minerals like calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc.
source: Flickr, free to use photo
Some of the notable health benefits of eating cheese are dental care (due to calcium content), bone health (due to calcium content and vitamin B which aids in the absorption of calcium), osteoporosis (again, due to calcium content) and weight gain (due to protein, fat and other nutrient contents). For a more thorough reading about the health benefits of cheese, please click here.
Some Facts about Cheese
Just like what I did to my christmas-inspired blogpost recently, I’d also like to include some snippets of the article I read about facts involving cheese. I have linked the original article to the highlighted mini-titles of the following topics concerned regarding cheese facts. You may click them if you want to read on them further.
Regarding serving and storage of cheese:
I have noted two really noteworthy tips regarding storing and serving cheese. First is never store cheese together with strong-smelling foods because cheese might absorb the aroma of these foods and might cause spoilage. Another one is take out chilled cheese out of the refrigerator at least an hour and half before serving it.
Regarding perfectly cutting cheese:
source: Pixabay, free photo
This, I think, may sound too elementary but still might be worthy to take note of. When slicing a cheese, do not cut-saw it. Instead, slice it through consistent and fluid motion. Also, if the cheese is chilled, let it assume its room temperature first before proceeding to slice it. This will help ease the cutting process, and the cheese won’t look too ruggedly sliced.
For soft cheese, it is better to use wired cutters to slice them. For those which are far softer in texture, it is recommended to place them in jar and use spoon to take them off.
Regarding pairing cheese and wine:
Source: Pixabay, free photo
Did you know that cheese and wine come together? Of course, you do, probably except those who do not fancy eating cheese.
According to some sort of rule there is, this is the perfect cheese for the perfect wine: fresher and whiter cheese is to crisper and fruitier wine. Sounds pretty accurate, right?
Several other principles that come off with cheese and wine matchmaking are listed in the link provided above. One thing that might be of help the next time you grab some cheese and a bottle of wine is this: white wines, as compared to reds, tend to go better with many different types of cheese. So, the next time you shop in your favorite grocery store and unsure of your cheese and wine, just remember this and have it as your guide. There is a probable less chance of getting disappointed.
All Things Cheese
Did you know that cheese is so pop, as in popular, that there are a lot of things the are basically made as inspired by it? Probably yes, you know that. Just like in the famous classic animation Cheese Burglar back in 1946 which starred Herman the mouse and revolved around the plot of the mouse trying to break the solid friendship of the two guards of the cheese in the refrigerator which are a cat and a dog. So, guess who’s the real star in here? My pick is the CHEESE in the refrigerator!
source: North Carolina Digital Library, 2017
Anyway, let’s move to the main topic and discuss all things that are about cheese. By that, I mean different stuff that are either made of cheese or have cheese in it. I have three picks that are real personal favorites.
~~CHEESE DIP~~
Others call it cheese sauce. And, I would safely say that I also accept others having all-processed cheese spreads referred to as cheese dip. Actually, most of the time I had cheese dip, what I had are plain commercial cheese dip so it’s all good I guess.
However, with all honestly, I never liked any commercial, ready-made cheese dip. Not that I dislike them all but I just find that every single one of them lacks the tastefulness of real cheese. And, even with occasional bucket of tasty chips or nachos, I still want them overpowered by my cheese dip. So, at some occasions that I get lucky to have opportunity to make myself a cheesy cheese dip, I grab that and ace it.
source: centercutcook.com, 2011-2017
Basically, my personal formula for it is more cheese, more variety and less of anything else. That makes sense because I prefer it really cheesy and the most raw as possible. Generally in cooking, I always tend to google for some help over recipes. Making cheese dip is nothing different. What I just do when I already have decided on the recipe to use as guide, I make few to several tweaks.
Here I tried to get at least three of the available recipes online which I believe would make really great-tasting cheese dips. Click on the highlighted keywords to get directed to the recipe site.
1. 5-Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce from budgetbytes.com
2. Hot Cheese Dip Recipes from allrecipes.com
3. Cheese Dip Recipes from foodnetwork.com
~~CHEESECAKE~~
This dessert of creamy top and buttery biscuit taste is a seriously irresistible delicacy to be served with. Although it is not basically all-cheese made dessert, from just the name you can tell that the major player of an ingredient here is none other than cheese.
source: cookdiary.net, 2016
Honestly, I cannot remember cheesecake being a major trend from years back. Yes, from what my memory can serve right now, I can say that cheesecake had only been a talk of the town in the recent years. Not that it has been discovered very recently, but more like it made the real buzz just a few years ago… at least in the entire network area I can have personal interactions.
Anyway, forget all that I’ve just said because it just sounds like I have less love for cheesecake, which is a complete wrong information to send out to everyone. I love cheesecake. And I am pretty sure more than half of the population of bitlanders, the majority as one might technically say, love it too as much as I do.
I cannot share any personal experience of making cheesecake because, surprise, I haven’t made a cheesecake yet… in my entire existence. All I do is either buy, or receive cheesecake as treat from family, friends and loved ones. Am I not lucky? However, I still made the effort to look after recipe websites that provide a list of cheesecake recipes to choose from if you are going to make one. I cannot fully guarantee what it would turn out though, but I can somehow use my innate *coughs* skills to select at least three. I would not only look on the photos as basis. I will try.
And here you go:
1. Cheesecake recipes from bbcgoodfood.com
2. Cheesecake recipes from allrecipes.com
3. Cheesecake recipes from foodnetwork.com
~~CHEESECAKE COOKIES~~
If you’re thinking cheesecake cookies are basic cookies made with cheesecake, then you’re half right half wrong. Half right, because they are really cookies with cheesecake in it. Half wrong, because they are far from basic. I’m really overhyping, but still... Trust me, never underestimate the food art that is cheesecake cookie.
What I love about cheesecake cookies, to begin with, is the very fact that there is not a single simple way to make them, unlike cheese dips and also cheesecake, in its simplest consumable form. There are cheesecake cookies I have tried that are made with cheesecake batter and baked as cookies that tasted really great. But there are a lot of things going on with the batter. Also, there are cheesecake cookies that have lit top-ups, fillings, and other tweaks. I don’t know if you can picture that. A friend of mine made sometime ago a bunch of cheesecake cookies with strawberry jam on it and a layer of blue cheese filling. Ask me if that tasted good.
Here are several recipes I saw on the internet of cheesecake cookies. I tried looking for those that I refer to in the previous paragraph. Just click on the highlighted texts to get directed to the website.
1. New York Cheesecake Cookies from kitchme.com
2. Another form of New York Cheesecake Cookies from foodnetwork.com
3. 5-Ingredient Oreo Cheesecake Cookies from bakerbynature.com
source: heatovento350.com, by Nicole
And there you go! Those three are my favorite all things cheese picks. For all my cheese people, feel free to voice out your love for cheese and tell me what are yours. I hope you enjoyed this blog, even just the cheese photos I attached.
Thank you for reading!
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