Justin and I stay away from processed foods as much as we can, but sadly, I can not break up with cheese. Never could I ever. I love it too much. So…because of my undying love for cheese, we try to only eat it as a treat (and in recipes that wouldn’t be the same without it). We go grocery shopping every Sunday and over the last 5 months we have bought a new, different, small block of cheese from the under five dollar bin. So every week, we try a new cheese. This is part 3 in this series. Read about our first five cheeses HERE and our second five cheeses HERE. Enjoy!
Blue Castello
This brie-like blue cheese from Denmark is a distant derivative of Italian Gorgonzola but has a higher fat content and a milder flavor. It is a perfect blue for those who like a little blue flavor without being blown away. (info from HERE) Blue Castello pictured in front.
Irish Cheddar Marbled with Porter Beer
This cheese is made from pasteurized cow’s milk and is considered a vegetarian cheese because a vegetable rennet is used. It goes without saying that a dark beer is an appropriate accompaniment. Pebble-size curds are veined with dark-brown porter beer, creating a rich, marbled appearance. The porter does not overwhelm the cheddar. The fantastic looking gourmet cheese is a full-flavored and tangy cheddar with a firm texture. (info from HERE)
Chimay Belgian Beer Cheese with Edible Rind
Chimay is a semi-soft, beer-washed cheese made in Belgium at the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Scourmont. Once produced, the cheese is regularly washed with Chimay beer. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow’s milk and produced in a wide, flat disk format. It has a crusty thick rind that is bright orange and tacky to the touch. The interior paste is a deep lemon curd yellow. Chimay’s flavor is robust and lingers long after eating. (info from HERE)
Montegrappa
Montegrappa is an aged cow’s milk cheese from the Veneto region of Northern Italy; the cheese takes its name from a nearby mountain. The interior of this Italian gourmet cheese is firm, dense, cheddar-like, is somewhat dry with an ivory color and an occasional small eye. It smells faintly of brown butter and has a really nice flavor of toasted walnuts. Montegrappa is a great cheese to melt in a fondue or shaved over a salad. (info from HERE)
Mammoth Cheddar
Mammoth Cheddar is a very old traditional style of cheese. It is usually a 74 lb. wheel that is cellar cured. Native molds are grown on the surface of the cheese and then cured for 10 months. The flavor is very fresh and delicious with some fruity afternotes. This cheese won 3rd Place at the 2009 American Cheese Society Competition. (info from HERE)
“Nothing says holidays…like a cheese log.”
– Ellen DeGeneres