Neufchâtel Cheese

My mom is definitely one of those people who buys products that are labeled as healthy,or in this case healthier. She always buys food products that say "low-fat, fat free. or x% less fat." She also loves to bargain shop, so buys a lot of our everyday food items at Price Right.

I went home this weekend and for breakfast wanted a bagel with cream cheese. I opened the refrigerator and reached for the cream cheese and was shocked when I saw what I grabbed. The box looked like a Philadelphia cream cheese box, I opened it and the cheese looked like cream cheese, but the label on the box said "Neufchâtel Cheese."

I actually called my mom into the kitchen to confront her about this. Her only rationale was that it had less fat than cream cheese. Well I thought, does it taste like cream cheese? Will I like it? ...I tried it. It was good and was really not that different from cream cheese at all. I looked it up at epicurious.com ...

Neufchâtel cheese
[noo-shuh-TELL, NOO-shuh-tell]
1.The French original, hailing from the town of Neufchâtel in the region of Normandy, is a soft, white, unripened cheese. When young, its flavor is slightly salty but delicate and mild. After ripening, Neufchâtel becomes more pungent. It's made from cows' milk and the milk fat content varies widely (from 20 to 45 percent). Neufchâtel is available in a variety of shapes — square, rectangular, cylindrical and the special heart-shape variety called Coeur de Bray . 2. For information on the American version of Neufchâtel, see CREAM CHEESE. See also CHEESE.

Well, apparently it is the American version of cream cheese. I recommend you try it, after all it is 33% less fattening. Bonne Apetite!

American Cheese Wins

These are the results of a survey/poll I took in a previous post...

What kind of cheese do you prefer on your sandwich?

American (50% / 6 votes)
Provolone (25% / 3 votes)
Swiss (16.7% / 2 votes)
other (0% / 0 votes)
none (8.3% / 1 votes)


The results are just about what I expected them to be. I have always thought of American cheese as the most popular cheese in sandwiches. In any elementary, middle, or high school I have been in, it was the only cheese choice offered. I think it is the cheese kids grow up eating the most. I did not experiment with other types of cheese in my sandwiches until I got older. It is something a whole family can agree on and enjoy. I bet it also costs less than other types of cheese as well. That is something I will have to look into.

The Prophecy has come true!

About a month ago, my class was discussing food scares and my professor asked us to imagine a mozzarella cheese scare. I wrote about it on February 26, 2008, in a post titles "Oh, hell no!" Well, the unthinkable has happened.

There have high samples of dioxin found in samples of Italy's famous buffalo mozzarella, recently. "Dioxin, a chemical environmental pollutant, can be hazardous even in small amounts. When it accumulates in the body, it can be linked to cancer, birth defects and organ failure." The toxic cheese is said to come from a few buffalo dairies in southern Italy and are due to garbage that is months old. The product is now held under strict health and chemical controls. There are investigations being held on the link between the garbage and the toxins. The garbage dumping is said to be mafia related.

I find this very interesting and some what scary. Read more at http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/03/21/italy.cheese.ap/index.html

Olive Garden

Last night I was treated to dinner at the Olive Garden. The Olive Garden is a chain restaurant that serves Italian cuisine. I am not sure about its authenticity, but I am sure that their food is delicious. Well, my purpose of this post is to mention the cheese they use to top your soup, salad and pasta dishes.
At the Olive Garden, your waiter or waitress will always ask you if you would like some cheese on whatever dish you happen to be eating. You can have in on your appetizer or your entre. I always get cheese, lots of it, on my salad and pasta. The waiter (or waitress) grates it right at the table, over your dish, until you tell him (her) that's enough.
I always thought that cheese was Parmesean. After all, that's what I use to top my salad and pasta dishes. Well let me let you in on something I learned last night. ...They use Romano cheese to top all of their delicious food! I never knew that and I was kind of shocked. I even came home and asked my mom what she thought the olive garden used. She answer, "Parmesean."
Is anyone else suprised by this? Well, what I now know is that I'm gonna look into buying Romano cheese for my house. It is really good!

Cheesecake Recipe

I decided to look up a recipe for those cheesecake lovers who wanted to take their chances and make one. After extensive searching I could not find a recipe on The Cheesecake Factory website. I guess they want to keep their secret to deliciousness well, a secret. Here is one a found on the Food Network website, foodnetwork.com

Cheesecake From Food Network Kitchens
Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
Filling:
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream

Serving suggestion: Fresh or Marinated Berries, or Raspberry Sauce

-Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
To make the crust: In a small bowl, mix the cracker crumbs with the melted butter and the sugar together until evenly moistened. Press the crumb mixture onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake the crust until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool the pan on a rack.
-Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held mixer, cream the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. (Stop mixing and scrape down the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed.) Beat in the sour cream. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and cream. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
-Bake until the top of the cheesecake is lightly browned, but the center still jiggles slightly, about 45 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before serving.
-To remove the cake from the pan, run a knife or offset spatula around the edges to release the edges from the pan. Open the springform pan and remove the ring.
-Cut the cheesecake into wedges and serve with berries or a raspberry sauce if desired.

Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

Cheesecake

What I am about to say always makes jaws drop and people gasp, but I'm going to say it anyway. I do NOT like cheesecake. I think it is the texture that displeases me. Anyway, because the base of this desert is cheese, I felt it was worth mention.

Cheesecake, as far as I know, is a very popular desert (maybe the most popular?). It is served at large gatherings and family parties. It appears on the desert menus at chain restaurants across America. There is even one chain restaurant named for their famous desert. The Cheesecake Factory is well known for its large selection of delicious cheesecake. You can buy whole cheesecakes or or individual slices. Many people go there just for the cheesecake. I was browsing their website and found out you could order slices via internet and that there are 25 different types to choose from. I had no idea that one desert could have so many variations.

Sometimes the different flavors sound so good and the pictures look so appealing that I wish I liked cheesecake.I hope this is something I will grow to like. For now, I'll just have to enjoy the descriptions and pretty pictures.

Chocolate Mousee Cheesecake "Our smooth Chocolate Cheesecake topped with a layer of Chocolate Mousse and baked in a Chocolate Crust. Finished with Chocolate Shavings and Whipped Cream."

Caramel Pecan Turtle Cheesecake "A Caramel Fudge Swirl Cheesecake, Topped with Caramel Turtle Pecans and Chocolate all on a Pecan Brownie Crust."

What do you prefer?

When I am at school, I always find myself eating the same thing for lunch, sanwiches. My sanwich selection is very limited. I always get turkey and provolone on sourdough. Sometimes, it will be with lettuce and tomatoes, but usually it is with pesto and roasted red peppers.

My friend noticed this habbit and asked me "Why provolone?" I told her it was because "I like it, why else would I put it on all of my sanwiches." Well I don't put it on all of my sandwiches... When I am home, I use American cheese, but that's only because my mom does not buy Provolone.

So I started to think about what kind of cheese other people put on their sanwiches... All the delis on campus have American, Provolone, and Swiss. So, I put those along with "other" and "none" on my poll.

What kind of cheese do you prefer on your sandwich?

American
Provolone
Swiss
other
none

(View Results)

Create a Myspace Poll

La Vache qui Rit

La vache qui rit is french for 'the laughing cow.' It is the name of a brand of cheese that was introduced to me during my years of high school french. The kind I tried was a Swiss cheese spread packed into bite size wedges. It comes in various flavors, one I've tries is garlic and herb. It so delicious! The Swiss spread is really on fresh warm bread, toasted breads, bagels, crackers and more.

The cheese is produced by a french company, whose headquarters is in Paris, France. The french are very famous for the fine cheeses. I was able to try a few different kinds in high school french classes and The Laughing Cow cheese was my favorite!


This company also makes a few other products which I have tried on my own. One of my favorites is the Gourmet Cheese and Baguettes. They are these little crunchy bread sticks packaged with some of that Swiss cheese spread. I like to think of it as a fancy gourmet style of the popular Handi-Snack crackers and cheese by KRAFT, which I also enjoy. I prefer to eat the Swiss cheese spread at a cold temperature, but I know people who like it at room temperature. I suggest you try it and decide for yourself what it best. Many of these products can be found in the cheese section of your local supermarkets.

Raw Milk Cheesemakers' Association

In a blog I have been following, I read a post about an association called the Raw Milk Cheesemaker's Association, RMCA. It is an association dedicated to raw milk cheese. Raw milk cheese, according to the RMCA website, is "cheese produced from milk that, prior to setting the curd, has not been heated above the temperature of the milk at the time of milking." So it is basically cheese made of unpasteurized milk. The association promotes raw milk cheese and provides education on how to produce high quality, safe raw milk cheese. Anyone who make raw milk cheese can apply for membership.

Raw milk cheese is thought of as unsafe and disgusting for the obvious reason that it is made with unpasteurized milk. Actually, 10 years age, the FDA tried to ban all raw milk cheese. That did not happen. The law is that in order for raw milk cheese to sold, it must have aged for at least 60 days. The aging makes it safe to eat. I think that people may also not want to try raw milk cheese for the fear that it is disgusting. Do NOT be afraid, it's actually VERY GOOD!

My family has been making raw milk cheese forever. Most of that family lives in the Azores islands of Portugal. Whenever I travel to visit that family they always provide me with tons of the delicious cheese. I like to eat it on as a spread on some type of warm bread. Often I sprinkle some salt or crushed red pepper on the cheese.

Here in the U.S. I have an aunt who makes the cheese in the same process, but without the raw milk. It is still very delicious but does not taste the same. Because she uses pasteurized milk, the cheese does not have to age for 60 days. Raw milk cheese on warm bread is my family's favorite Sunday morning breakfast. If any of you ever get the chance to try it, I recommend that you do. You have no idea what you're missing!

Read more about the RMCA at http://www.rawmilkcheese.org/index.htm