Food For Thought

We’ve heard it all our lives and most often when someone is ready to snap our photograph, “Say Cheese!” There’s a lot to smile about because this super food comes from all sorts of animals, in all shapes, flavors and sizes. Since the first time cheese was created people have been experimenting with it and taking all sorts of liberties with its properties. They have done everything from promoting texture, color, age, portioning, enhancing its flavor, and even further modified it from its original complex innocence by creating cheesy meals, snacks, and so much more.

As I began my trek looking into this versatile and delicious member of the dairy group, I was first amazed by how many varieties there are from which to choose.  I was familiar with cheese from cows, goats and sheep, but it doesn’t stop there. Think outside the box: buffalo, camels, yaks, moose and reindeer! You heard me right. Who knew? Just about 10,000 years ago people began breeding mammals for their milk and turning it into cheese.  They watched their animals’ diet because it greatly influenced the taste of the milk and thus of the cheese.

Our ancestors found that when milk was churned into cheese, they could shape it and store it in cool dry places. That this food lasted longer and provided nutrition for their families was a real bonus. Over time they figured out many ways to add this precious ingredient to their meals, in-between their bread slices, as side dishes, or just ate it on its own. Cheese was definitely worth smiling about.

I bet I could spend years getting an education on this topic. It is so interesting that I encourage you to delve into this tasty subject, too. If you have children it would mean hours upon hours of family entertainment researching the many styles and varieties of cheese. There are dairy farms that offer tours to the public and it is a good way to taste test different cheeses. The next time you stroll down the cheese or deli aisles and focus on the dairy section you’ll know you’ve stumbled on to a huge subject. It is incredible how many choices we have right inside our grocery stores.

Eat some on its own, put it on vegetables, melt it in fondue pots, create a soufflé, cream it in icings, serve it with fruits or pair it with wines. Shred some on top of your pasta dishes, layer it between lasagna noodles, or toss some on scrambled eggs or on top of your pizza. It is astounding just how many ways we use this product without realizing it. Cheese has an almost perfect personality and likes to get along with most foods. It’s hard to go wrong by incorporating cheese in practically any meal and presenting it at table on special occasions. Just remember to “Say Cheese” and smile.

Here is a link to some of our member recipes using cheese.

* attribution Cheese Poster http://www.gmushrooms.com/Posters/Cheeses.jpg *