Cheese, Cheese, and more Cheese

The other day in Culinary, as you all may know, we started the Cheese unit. On the first day we were suggested to try sixteen different types of cheeses, describe their tastes, and pick three of our favorites that would work to make the perfect homemade mac and cheese. Before this, I could honestly tell you that I could probably name about four different types of cheeses. This lesson opened my eyes to all of the foods that are out there that I could have no idea about. I proudly tasted everyone of the sixteen cheeses and can say that although some of them were very good, others could have been the worst thing that I have ever had, leaving a putrid taste in my mouth. I am a big fan of cheese and I thought that tasting all of these different types was extremely interesting. I think that it is cool that cheese is mostly made out of the same ingredients, but aging and storing it differently creates a whole new texture and or taste than the original. Tasting the different types of cheese also brought out many cultures. We tried cheeses from many different places around the world such as France, Holland, Italy, Mexico, and many more. In these different places, different types of cheeses are used for different things. For example, mozzarella and ricotta are used in many Italian dishes such as baked ziti and stuffed shells while pepper jack and cheddar are used in many Mexican plates such as quesadillas and enchiladas. When we tried the cheese one of my favorites that I had never heard of before was Camembert which is similar to Brie cheese with its smooth texture but doesn’t leave a big ammonium taste in your mouth afterwards. Also, doing this unit made me realize how big a part of my life cheese really is. Cheese can also work with any meal of the day. You can put cheese on omelets for breakfast or on your turkey sandwich like me for lunch. You could have a cheese stick for a small snack during the day and then finish off with lasagna for dinner. One of my all time favorite things with cheese in it is nachos. I eat them so often and they are so simple to make. The warm, stringy texture laid upon the salty chips is the perfect combination and just melts in my mouth, flawless. Nachos are pretty much the easiest thing to make, but without cheese they would not be nachos. They could be served as a small snack or appetizer or piled with other ingredients on top and serve as a proper meal, shown at many Mexican restaurants all around the world. Cheese is a lot of people’s favorite addition to almost any meal. You don’t notice how much it’s in your life until you eliminate it. My mom is lactose intolerant and cannot eat anything with cheese in it. This is hard when we make dinner because we always have to make an option for her that does not have cheese. The only downfall of cheese for many people is its fat content and price. The fancier the cheese the more expensive it is. I always wondered what makes one cheese more expensive than another since they all use similar materials. No matter the price, cheese is a staple in my diet.

Lindsey J