Active Low-Carber Forums
Atkins diet and low carb discussion provided free for information only, not as medical advice.
Home Plans Tips Recipes Tools Stories Studies Products
Active Low-Carber Forums
A sugar-free zone


Welcome to the Active Low-Carber Forums.
Support for Atkins diet, Protein Power, Neanderthin (Paleo Diet), CAD/CALP, Dr. Bernstein Diabetes Solution and any other healthy low-carb diet or plan, all are welcome in our lowcarb community. Forget starvation and fad diets -- join the healthy eating crowd! You may register by clicking here, it's free!

Go Back   Active Low-Carber Forums > Main Low-Carb Diets Forums & Support > Low-Carb Studies & Research / Media Watch > LC Research/Media
User Name
Password
FAQ Members Calendar Mark Forums Read Search Gallery My P.L.A.N. Survey


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1   ^
Old Mon, Aug-18-03, 11:42
gotbeer's Avatar
gotbeer gotbeer is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 2,889
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 280/203/200 Male 69 inches
BF:
Progress: 96%
Location: Dallas, TX, USA
Default "Saying Cheese in Hundreds of Ways"

Saying Cheese in Hundreds of Ways

Posted: Monday, August 18, 2003

By Robert Wemischner


Link to article

Unless you have been hiding out in a cave for the past 30 years, you couldn't fail to notice that American cheese does not mean Velveeta anymore. In its 20th year, the American Cheese Society is celebrating the impressive rise of cheeses made at farms or dairies from coast to coast, which are challenging what has traditionally been the turf of European cheesemakers.



The trend dates back to the l970s, when Laura Chenel applied the lessons she learned in France about how to make goat cheese to her own cheeses. But now hundreds of dedicated cheesemakers in more than half of the 50 states are crafting cow's, goat's and sheep's milk varieties in all shapes, textures and sizes. The range of flavors and personalities is astonishing, from rich and floral to pungent and brash.

"The artisanal cheese scene now is very similar to the wine industry 30 years ago when it was at a fever pitch of experimentation and growth," said Peggy Smith, a partner in Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes, Calif. The producer's organic Red Hawk took "Best in Show" honors this year at the American Cheese Society's annual conference, held in San Francisco from July 31 to Aug. 2.

The washed-rind Red Hawk -- a triple crème cheese with a pungent exterior and a complexly flavored, creamy heart -- beat out more than 600 cheeses entered in the society's annual judging -- an increase of more than 35 percent over the number of entrants in 2002.

Those cheeses, along with wines, could be sampled by the public at the conference's Festival of Cheeses tasting. Tony Princiotta, cheese and wine buyer of The Cheese Store, in Beverly Hills, Calif., noted a move toward cheeses with a stronger nose and more layered complexity of flavors. He found that dry, minerally rosés made perfect warm-weather partners for many of the offerings. "Rosés made from Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache opened my palate to appreciate the freshness of many of the cheeses," Princiotta said.

The visibility of artisanal cheeses has been increasing in specialty-food stores, farmer's markets and dining venues all over the country. Even more-casual restaurants are putting cheese courses onto their menus, offering diners a reason to order another glass of wine for a special pairing.

"The growing interest among diet-conscious Americans in a low-carbohydrate diet dovetails nicely with the tremendous surge in homegrown cheeses," said conference speaker Laura Werlin, author of two books about cheese, including her latest, The All American Cheese and Wine Book (Stewart, Tabori & Chang).

Among the developments evident at restaurants is the addition of textural interest to the cheese course by juxtaposing the cheeses with, among other items, Spanish and Italian fig and date pastes, nuts, a sweet, yet tart tomato marmalade or a swath of walnuts in lemon honey.

Bryan Moscatello, chef at Adega in Denver, typifies a growing trend at white-tablecloth restaurants, not only offering a cheese cart with up to three dozen options, but also creating composed cheese plates. His "Gorgonzola three ways" features the Italian blue melted in a soft brioche puff, set on crisped bread and melted into a crackling cheese tuile, set off with an aged balsamic-vinegar syrup.

Other chefs cooking with American artisanal cheeses include Cindy Pawlcyn of Napa Valley's Mustards Grill and Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen. Speaking at the conference, she touted the use of cheese throughout the meal, starting with a dab of a perfectly ripe goat cheese as an amuse-bouches, and then slipping it into salads, entrées and even desserts.

Jennifer Cox, chef at Citizen Cake in San Francisco, even makes good use of the imperfectly shaped leftovers from the restaurant's cheese cart, putting them into savory shortbreads, crackers and breads. She finds that the cheese course sells vigorously during all parts of the day when placed on the savory part of the menu rather than tacked onto the dessert list.

"American chefs are taking the cheese course, traditionally thought of as a European phenomenon, and making it their own," Werlin said.

Fourth-generation Wisconsin cheesemaker Sid Cook of Carr Valley Cheese Co. is one of many dairy producers providing the cheeses to help chefs accomplish just that. He has won numerous awards for his American originals, including Mobay, which is made in two halves, one goat's milk and the other sheep's milk, separated by a layer of ash. Unfettered by European traditions, Cook freely blends cow's, goat's and sheep's milk to create what he calls "new cheeses for the millennium and our next 100 years."

Judging by the creative ferment among America's cheesemakers, Cook's direction is right on target as the public's appetite for more distinctive taste experiences grows.
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
McCormick Three Cheese Chicken VickyRenee Main dishes 1 Sun, Dec-04-05 22:30
a question about cheese on induction Britgrl Newbies' Questions 7 Tue, Feb-10-04 10:57
How much cheese is enough cheese? Pamlyn Atkins Diet 13 Fri, Apr-11-03 15:36
fresh cheese vs aged cheese bluedragon Atkins Diet 2 Sun, Aug-11-02 23:12


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:32.


Copyright © 2000-2024 Active Low-Carber Forums @ forum.lowcarber.org
Powered by: vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.