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Feature Tips of the Month
March
Manchego Ages Manchego Spain's most famous sheep milk cheese is presented in three different states of maturity:
Sheep Milk Cheese and Osteoporosis Because of its high calcium content, sheep milk cheese is also very good for the prevention of osteoporosis and for those people already suffering from it.
Dairy Intolerant Friendly
Around 98% of dairy intolerant people can consume sheep milk, however it may cause severe allergic reactions in children affected and also not affected by cow's milk protein allergy.
February
Buying Gorgonzola
It is recommended that you buy only small quantities of Gorgonzola, since it is an "alive" food which seasoning never ends. Storing Gorgonzola If you need to exhibit a round or part of a round, wrap the "exposed" part with transparent cling film, otherwise the cheese will oxidise and an opaque yellow gloss that might damage the product appearance will be formed. Don't worry: you will only have to cut the interested part with a long-blade knife and Gorgonzola curd will shine again.
Gorgonzola Versatility
Besides traditional dishes, Gorgonzola may also be used for excellent sauces and creams with butter or cream. This is also a way to use gorgonzola when it was left in the fridge for too long.
January
Frozen Stilton Stilton freezes beautifully. Simply cut into easy to handle portions, wrap in cling film or foil and freeze for up to 3 months. De-frost slowly - preferably in the fridge overnight.
Storing Stilton
Stilton will keep quite happily in the fridge when properly wrapped for up to 2 weeks. During this period your Stilton will continue to mature and develop a more mellow flavour.
Stilton Versatility
Stilton crumbles effortlessly for use in salads, soups and dips. If taken straight from the fridge it slices easily for sandwich use. Grating straight from the freezer is also possible and a boon for last minute recipes.
Parmigiano-Reggiano (sur)names
There are various maturing stages for the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
The term
nuovo or
giovane indicates cheeses aged for at least six months.
Vecchio stands for those aged from 18 to 24 months,
stravecchio is 2 or 3 years old and
stravecchione identifies 3 to 4 years old. Younger cheeses are more suitable for cooking, while the older ones are best appreciated when pairing with wines or eaten as a dessert cheese.
Frozen Parmigiano-Reggiano
Cheese should never be frozen; however, it is possible to freeze grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Best grated parmesan
The best grated parmesanwill be obtainedby grating a piece of Parmigiano Reggiano, large enough to hold onto. Theleftover can be kept refrigerated in appropriate glass or plastic containers.
Another very practical solution is wrapping it in food-grade plastic film. Avoid anyparmesan that looks grey or waxy.
November
A suggestion to vary your dishes
When looking for a cheese for grating, you can make a change instead of the Parmigiano Reggiano you can try an Asiago or a Pecorino Romano.
An estimated amount of grated cheese
You can estimate the amount as 2 ounces=1/2 cup finely grated.
An ideal amount of grated cheese
Try to grate just the amount you need and also as close as possible of serving or adding to a recipe.
October
Are you going to a party?
Why not leave the bottle at home and offer to take cheese instead?
Whether served as a separate course at a dinner party or a snack at a house party the cheese never gets left on the side with all the unopened bottles.
We can put a selection together and send it to you, even at short notice. It needn't cost much more than a bottle of good wine.
Are you thinking to cook with cheese?
To keep cheese from becoming tough and stringy, cook it at low temperature and always add the cheese at the end of the cooking time.
Cheese microwaves well, but use lower power settings.
Are you a soup admirer?
You can easily enhance the taste of your soups by adding the ring of a hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano. Just clean and drop it into the soup, at the beginning of the simmering.
If previously cut in small pieces, it will become very soft.
September
Are you a beer enthusiast?
Lagers are the world's best-selling beer, and if you also enjoy it, you can combine it with some fantastic cheeses such as Camembert, Brie or aged Cheddar.
Are you thinking of a cheese platter?
We start by having at least three and as many as five varieties of cheeses, being from 2 to 3 ounces of cheese per guest. A good selection would cover different textures and flavors such as:
a-) Fresh soft cheeses : Brie, Camembert or Muenster.
b-) Semi soft cheeses : White Stilton with Fruit, Bel Paese or Jarlsberg.
c-) Harder cheeses as Gouda or Cheddar.
You can also have seasonal fruits for tasting and decoration as well.
You want from 3 to 5 different fruits.
Are you pairing wine and cheeses?
One of the best seller white wine is Sauvignon Blanc, for the red ones Syrah is the one selected, you can combine these wines with the following cheeses:
Sauvignon Blanc: Blue Castello, Cheddar or Gruyere.
Syrah: Aged Cheddar, Manchego, Parmigiano-Regiano, Mozzarela di Bufala or Humboldt Fog.
RESOURCES
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