Cooking with Cheese
@belindayhughes (1096)
United States
January 31, 2013 11:44am CST
While I am trying to go vegan, I still cook with cheese at the moment. It fascinates me how many different kinds of cheese there are. I love to throw extra sharp cheddar in grilled cheese sandwiches. On a salad, I might sprinkle pepper jack. For baked potatoes, my preference is colby jack. And of course, what's pizza without melted mozzarella? I haven't tried bleu cheese, as I'm not that big on salad dressing. Once, while away on a professional trip, a colleague and I discovered smoked cheddar. It was marvelous! When visiting Houston, I once found chocolate cheese at Cracker Barrel. I remember my mom making cheese balls with chopped nuts for club meetings and parties, but I don't know what kind of cheese she used in them. My favorite appetizer at an art gallery crawl was a board of mozzarella slices alternated with sliced tomatoes and fresh basil leaves, drizzled in extra virgin olive oil. Cheese can do so many lovely things. I recently learned that Daiya has a line of dairy free cheeses that look, act and taste just like regular cheese, in a variety of flavors. I'm very much looking forward to trying them.
4 responses
@echoforever (5180)
• United States
1 Feb 13
I'm a huge cheese fan 
I don't get to try new flavors or dishes with it in there though, I wouldn't mind doing that one day when I have a chance. Hope you find more you like. 
I don't get to try new flavors or dishes with it in there though, I wouldn't mind doing that one day when I have a chance. Hope you find more you like. 1 person likes this
@belindayhughes (1096)
• United States
1 Feb 13
Hey echo, my friend. I hope you get to have a cheese cooking and tasting day sometime soon. It would be fun, I think, just to celebrate cheese for a day, to have all your activities center around it. Perhaps a cheese making or cheese tasting tour? They have those in some places.
@echoforever (5180)
• United States
1 Feb 13
Oh that's far for me I am in California but there is probably one closer, somewhere.
1 person likes this
@belindayhughes (1096)
• United States
1 Feb 13
I think the one I saw was called The Cheese Makers, possibly in St. Louis area.
@Pegasus72 (1898)
•
4 Feb 13
I have nothing against being vegan but it bothers me that people try to get things that taste like meat when they are vegan. To me that says something. You like cheese as you have said but will use vegan cheese that tastes like cheese. We know people who get a tofurkey. I think I spelled that wrong, but they get it for thanksgiving. If people don't want to eat meat they shouldn't look for things that resemble or taste like it. Just my opinion. By the way up our way they make a delicious vegan pizza that I like more then most regular pizza's.
1 person likes this
@belindayhughes (1096)
• United States
5 Feb 13
Hello, Pegasus, and thanks for your response. I think my preference for cooking with the flavors of cheese stems from associations with family traditions, comfort, celebrations, as well as the texture, appearance, flavor, fragrance of different cheeses. Growing up there was pizza at birthday and slumber parties, after church, at report card time and graduations, after competitions and at school holidays. Then I worked for three major pizza chains and got crew pie bonuses when working a certain minimum of hours. That's a lot of cheese! And that's not counting casseroles, quesadillas, pasta, garlic bread, grilled cheese, scrambled eggs, egg & cheese biscuits, string cheese and other dishes that I enjoy(ed). Suffice to say that cheese is an indelible part of my life, I just want to do it dairy free and vegan now.
@Pegasus72 (1898)
•
5 Feb 13
Good luck to you, I know our family are big cheese eaters.
1 person likes this
@belindayhughes (1096)
• United States
1 Feb 13
Hello, Raine, hope all is well with you and yours. There are so many cheeses I still don't know and/or haven't yet tried, so don't feel bad. The cheese with chili, I think, could be Pepper Jack, which is absolutely marvelous. The square cheese slices would be American, either white or yellow. My grandmother enjoyed snacking on those, too. Next time you have room in the budget for a little treat, try some smoked cheese from the gourmet section. They are heavenly.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
2 Feb 13
Here in Mexico we have many kinds of cheese the most popular for us here here fresh cheese or queso fresca.... We use it for tostadas, tacos, enchiladas, spaghetti, pasta salads , we also put it on refried beans here.
1 person likes this
@belindayhughes (1096)
• United States
2 Feb 13
Thanks for that lovely post, maria. What does it taste like, compared to, say, cheddar? How is it made, do you know?
