The newest gadget in our cheese arsenal: the Slicester™. Made by chef’n, and you can adjust the slice size. I got it at TJMax for $3.99.
Cheesy goodness with the slicester
Italian cheeses from Wegman’s
We went across town to Wegman’s, a very large grocery store in/near Lanham. It’s only 12 miles away, but with no easy way to get there, it takes a good 40-50 minutes from DC. It’s in a megamall area with a Costco, Best Buy, Petco and more. They had 28 checkouts, a cafe, live music, a bakery and more — but we particularly went for cheese. We’d also read the Washington Post article, “‘Club Wegmans’ in Pr. George’s: Smooth jazz and smoother pickup lines” and seen a special on TV (and then we ended up meeting the chef, Joe Serock, there). We didn’t eat there, though, we went to the nearby Levis Restaurant for BBQ.
Anyway, while we were at the cheese counter AKT turned her back on me and I was unsupervised for a while (probably not a good idea). I found 5 very nice Italian cheese for tonight’s tasting. Wegman’s has a huge cheese selection, including some of the biggest wheels we’ve seen. They have a tasting table, but don’t seem to let you taste the cheese like the Calvert Woodley cheesemonger. However, they did cut several of the large pieces into smaller pieces for us.
We had so many cheeses, we invited neighbor L, who we discovered was also with NC Stat’s Wolfpack. L is a goat cheese fan, and she likes the goat cheese brie from Brookville that AKT likes. She isn’t as much into hard, aged cheeses–we will need to get her a triple-cream next time.
Vento d’estate, a cow’s milk cheese from Monfenera, a historical mountain in Treviso, Italy. Rolled in hay and aged in oak barrels buried in hay and herbs. The name means “summer wind”.
Pecorino Toscano oro Antico, a semi-hard pecorino (sheep’s milk) cheese brushed with olive oil during aging. From the Tuscany region of Italy. Aged one year.
Pecorino Ginepro, made from unpasteurized sheep’s milk cheese from Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Aged for 4 to 6 months and rubbed with juniper berries and basalmic vinegar during aging.
Quadrello di Buffala, a washed-rind (stinky) buffalo milk cheese from Lombardia, Italy. Said to be like tallegio. We found it wasn’t that strong. It was good with the Olive Fougasse.
Gorgonzola mountain piccante is a cow’s milk blue produced in the Piedmonte and Lombardy regions of Italy. D.O.P Mountain Gorgonzola comes in two styles, the younger sweet, creamy Dolce, and the elder, stronger Piccante with its thicker, drier rind and punchier flavor.
Dreamy Dressing by Penzeys
Dreamy DressingBefore Christmas, we visited the Rockville, MD Penzeys to buy spices for gifts. Instead of their packaged sets, we made up sets of our own, and bought some fun bottles at World Market. We ended up with enough spice left that we got to keep some ourselves, including the Arizona Dreaming. It’s salt-free. Penzeys has some good spices, but some of their blends have too much salt and some of the soup mixes you may want to watch. The spices aren’t organic, but they are high quality. It’s fun to go into the shop and smell them all — oh, if they only had cooking classes…
This dreamy dressing was good, but we ended up more oil and vinegar–it was a bit thick.
Dreamy Dressing
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Salads & Dressings
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
1 tablespoon arizona dreaming spice
1 tablespoon water
1 whole jalapeno — finely minced
1/4 cup lime juice — fresh, 2 limes
1 teaspoon honey
1/3 cup canola oil — mixed with olive good, too
Seed and chop the jalapeno roughly; put in blender. Cover with spiece, water, lime juice and honey.
Mince in blender; slowly add the canola oil.
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 114 Calories; 12g Fat (92.8% calories from fat); trace Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; trace Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : A fresh and zesty salt-free dressing for all your favorite salads. For a creamy dressing, add 1-2 tablespoons sour cream. Penzey’s Arizona Dreaming spice has ancho chili pepper, black pepper, minced onion, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, cilanto, oregano, lemon peel, chipotle, coriander, fennel, anise seed, cayenne pepper, jalepeno, crushed red peppers, cocoa powder, korintje connamon, nutmeg, ginger, fenugreek, white pepper, cardamom seeds.
Valentine’s Day Carrot Menu
Each Valentine’s Day, WWT makes an entire meal–from appetizers to dessert–using carrots. This year he kept my classic carrot pudding, but there were many new recipes, too. The celebration wouldn’t have been the same without N.The cocktail was a mistic orange-carrot cocktail with vodka. Secret recipe, I guess, but what a pretty color. Not too sweet, but just right.
The Creamy Carrot Soup with Scallions and Poppy Seeds from Food and Wine 2010 was such a lovely shade of orange, too. He had it made up in advance, and we just re-heated and added some cream. (But it was fine without the cream, and I even made some chicken black bean soup with the leftovers later in the week).
NC N suggested the Prosciutto and Carrot Bundles, and oh, the basil and the marinated carrots were so fresh.
The main event: Carrot Macaroni and Cheese (also Food & Wine), with some changes: turkey sausage (about 1 cup) and gorgonzola and gruyere.
Carrot Pudding
Serving Size : 6
Categories : Desserts & Puddings
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
2 whole eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups carrots — finely shredded
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Beat eggs. Add sugar and milk and blend. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Pour into buttered baking dish and bake at 325 degrees for one hour or until firm.
If you use a bigger pan, it does change the texture.
Source: “Beth Tartan’s Cook Book 1964″
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 166 Calories; 9g Fat (47.8% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 92mg Cholesterol; 295mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : W made for Valentine’s Day 2008. Continued 2009, 2010, 2011.
Romao a different Manchego
Romao is a sheep’s milk cheese from La Mancha in Spain. Gourmet-Food.com says: “Romao is hand-rubbed with oil and fresh rosemary and aged in caves for 8 months. The oil and rosemary permeates the cheese and complements its full flavor.” It is related to Manchego, but I think I like it a bit better than Manchego – the rosemary taste is excellent. It’s a bit more expensive ($13.99 vs. $10.99 at Calvert Woodley) , but I’d pay it again. It was good to try the 2 sheep cheeses together so we could compare. It wasn’t in any of our cheese books – too new? Ignore the goat and cow head – those are both sheep cheeses in the photo.
Cowgirl Creamery Fondue
Cowgirl Creamery has assembled paper bag fondue kits for under $20. It’s easy to make your own, but it was nice to have all the rinds removed and just exactly what you need – with no preservatives.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound Cave Aged Gruyere
1/2 pound Wagon Wheel
1 clove crushed garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine
salt & pepper to taste
Dice cheese into small cubes. Heat fondue pot, add crushed garlic clove. Deglaze with white wine. Sloly add cheese until meled and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat.
Served with cubed bread or raw veggies for dipping. Nice if you have a small crockpot or fondue part to keep it warm.
It serves 4, so we split the recipe and did it a half at a time.
Cannoli Cheesecake by W
Great New Year’s Resolution: Learn to make cheesecake.
Cannoli Cheesecake Americano
Recipe By :Emmy Gold
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts & Puddings
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
8 ounces cream cheese
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon cointreau
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons orange zest
Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan. Coat the interior of the pan with nonstick cooking spray, then place the parchment paper circle in the pan. (or you can use a cheesecake pan.
In a medium bowl, using a mixer on low speed, combine the cream cheese and ricotta. Add the sugar and beat until smooth but not fluffy. With the mixer running, add the eggs one a time, blending after each addition, and then the orange liqueur, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Stop the mixer and add the chocolate chips, cranberries, and zest. Stir briefly to combine. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until the center sets and the edges just begin to brown, about 30-35 minutes.
If the cheesecake seems to be browning and cracking around the edges (a sign that it is cooking too quickly), reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. When done, it will be lightly golden on the edges and start to pull away from the pan. A little jiggle is fine as long as the cake feels firm in the center; it will continue to set as it cools.
Cool on a rack until room temperature, then refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Loosen the edge of the cake by running a hot knife along the inner perimeter of the pan, then remove the cake by inverting it onto a plate. Give the pan a firm tap if the cheesecake didn’t release from the pan.
Source: “Culture magazine Winter 2010”
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 214 Calories; 15g Fat (62.2% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 109mg Cholesterol; 114mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 2 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : Wendell 1/23/11. Cracked on top, but didn’t matter when you inverted.
New Year’s Eve cheese
The cheeses were all from Calvert-Woodley, a very nice local cheese & wine shop. (clockwise from lower left)
Fromager d’Affinois is a double-cream cow’s milk cheese. We’ve had it before, and it was still very good. Somewhat like the Saint Angel that we had last week, but milder.
Emmentaler, an AOC alpine cheese that was on sale. It looks like traditional “Swiss cheese” with the holes. It was a bit rubbery. Good for fondue (probably), but not the best for a cheese board.
Gruyere, also on sale. Another AOC alpine cheese, but a better texture, and no holes. Good for both a cheese board and fondue.
Maytag Blue – one that we’ve had before. Very good (for a blue), and featured in this month’s Culture magazine.
Christmas Eve eve pizza
On the day before Christmas Eve AKT made pizza in Burlington.
KST helped with the sauce.
And AKT did the toppings.
And then into the oven.
Concerned cooks watched.
The finished product was great!
Recipe:
Easy Pizza Dough
Recipe By : Fine Cooking
Serving Size : 12
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
2 1/4 teaspoons active-dry yeast — 1 package
1 1/2 cups water — very warm water; 110 degrees
18 ounces all-purpose flour — 4 cups
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Making and dividing the dough
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and set aside (a Pyrex 2-cup measure makes for easy pouring; be sure the cup isn’t cold). Meanwhile, put the flour and salt in a food processor fitted with the steel blade; process briefly to mix. With the machine running, add the water-yeast mixture in a steady stream. Turn the processor off and add the oil. Pulse a few times to mix in the oil.
Scrape the soft dough out of the processor and onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, quickly knead the dough into a mass, incorporating any bits of flour or dough from the processor bowl that weren’t mixed in. Cut the dough into four equal pieces with a knife or a dough scraper. Roll each piece into a tight, smooth ball, kneading to push the air out.
Rising and storing the dough
What you do next depends on whether you want to make pizza right way or at a later date.
If you want to bake the pizzas as soon as possible, put the dough balls on a lightly floured surface, cover them with a clean dishtowel, and let them rise until they almost double in size, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, turn your oven on, with the baking stone in it, to let the stone fully heat.
If you want to bake the pizzas tomorrow, line a baking sheet with a floured dishtowel, put the dough balls on it, and cover them with plastic wrap, giving them room to expand (they’ll almost double in size), and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight.
To use dough that has been refrigerated overnight, simply pull it out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes before shaping the dough into a pizza.
To freeze the dough balls, dust each one generously with flour as soon as you’ve made it, and put each one in a separate zip-top bag. Freeze for up to a month.
It’s best to transfer frozen dough from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before (or 10 to 12 hours before) you want to use it. But I’ve found that dough balls pulled straight from the freezer and left to warm up on the counter will be completely defrosted in about 1-1/2 hours. The dough is practically indestructible.
Shaping your pizza
Put the proofed or thawed ball of dough on a lightly floured wooden board. Sprinkle a little more flour on top of the ball. Using your fingertips, press the ball down into a flat cake about 1/2 inch thick
Topping your pizza
For some people, pizza isn’t pizza without the scarlet of tomatoes peeking through the cheese, but there are many delicious savory combinations that show off fresh seasonal produce. It’s better to use winter vegetables like greens or even canned tomatoes when fresh tomatoes are out of season.
To get you started, here are two of my favorite ways to top a pizza – plus lots of suggestions for combinations to inspire your own designs.
To make the Angeli Caffé’s favorite, Pizza al Caprino — Over the shaped pizza, scatter 10 to 15 cloves roasted or slow-cooked garlic, 5 to 6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (drained and sliced), 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese, a few capers, and a pinch of oregano. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.
To make a simple flatbread — Scatter sliced garlic (3 to 4 cloves), minced fresh rosemary (from 1 small sprig), and coarse salt over the dough. Make several 1/2-inch slashes to keep the dough from puffing up.
Drizzle with lots of extra-virgin olive oil before baking, and garnish with Parmesan. Serve this delicious “Pizza Aglio e Olio” with a salad or cheese.
To design your own pizza — Use any of these topping combinations to inspire your own creation. A generous drizzle of olive oil is a great addition to just about any pizza.
* Sautéed onions, fresh sage leaves, grated pecorino romano, grated Parmesan.
* Basil pesto, toasted pine nuts, slow-cooked garlic, grated Parmesan.
* Sautéed leeks, chopped artichoke hearts, a bit of crushed tomatoes, grated Parmesan.
* Italian Fontina, Gorgonzola, sun-dried tomatoes.
* Garlic, olives, capers, anchovies, and crushed tomatoes.
* Sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil.
* Thinly sliced prosciutto, ricotta, fresh basil, grated Parmesan.
* Cooked Italian sausage, sautéed onions, Italian Fontina, mozzarella.
* Sautéed mushrooms, thinly sliced cooked potatoes, Gorgonzola, crumbled cooked bacon or pancetta.
Baking your pizza
Put a pizza stone or unglazed terra-cotta tiles on the lowest rack of the oven and heat the oven to 500°F. Ideally, let the stone heat in the oven for an hour.
Shake the peel (or baking sheet) gently back and forth to make sure the pizza isn’t stuck. If it seems stuck, lift the edges up with a spatula and toss a bit of flour under the dough. Quickly slide the pizza onto the hot baking stone. Bake until the edges are golden, about 8 min. Using a peel, a wide spatula, or tongs, remove the pizza from the oven.
Source:
“Fine Cooking” Copyright: “Feb March 2002″
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NOTES : You can make the dough a day or a couple of weeks ahead. Put the individual balls in zip-top bags and refrigerate overnight or freeze for longer.Yields four balls of dough for four individual 8-inch pizzas; 1-3/4 pounds total.
Holiday Cheese in Burlington
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We also had pizza this night, so we ended up having more cheese — mozzarella and romano — so it was quite a cheese night. (Ricotta for breakfast made it an 8-cheese day). A 2005 survey carried out by the British Cheese Board reported that Stilton cheese seemed to cause unusual dreams when eaten before sleep, with 75% of men and 85% of women experiencing “odd and vivid” dreams after eating a 20-gram serving of the cheese half an hour prior to sleeping.[Wikipedia] We had a white stilton with apricots from P.U.C. (Pretty Unique Cheese) in the U.K. from Coombe Castle International. Cow’s milk. The T boys described it as “cookie dough” texture. Sweet.Cordobes. “Made from Merina sheep’s milk, this semi hard cheese is made specially for Whole Foods Market” — not really much about this. Good — a bit milder than manchego. Bavaria Blue: This is a mild and creamy German blue cheese. It’s good for crumbling on salads and snacking. Though KT still isn’t sure about blue. Saint Angel: St. Angel is a triple cream specialty cheese that has the delicate taste of cream. Because the curds are never drained with ultra filtration, more calcium, phosphorus, and milk protein are retained than in regular soft ripened cheese. The result is a unique creamy texture, unctuousness and a very healthy cheese (3 times more calcium than in regular soft ripened cheese). This was a hit from the cheese tasting til spreading it on breakfast muffins. Neal Yard Harves Wensleydale: |