What are some good recipes for cheese soups?
Beer Cheese Soup
One recipe that tends to come to mind before all others when looking for a good cheese soup is the traditional recipe for beer cheese soup. Beer, along with mustard, Worcester sauce, and hot sauce give just the right bite to this delicious comfort food.
In a large saucepan, over medium heat, combine about a cup and a half each of diced carrots, celery, and onions, along with two cloves of minced garlic. Season to taste with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and about a teaspoon of hot sauce. Add three cups of chicken broth and two cups of beer; simmer mixture for ten to twelve minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
In the meantime, in a stock pot or large sauce pan, melt one third of a cup of butter. Whisk in an equal amount of flour and stir until it begins to turn light brown. Slowly add four cups of milk or half and half, continuing to stir briskly to prevent the milk from scorching. When the mixture begins to thicken, remove from heat and stir in six cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, adding gradually and stirring constantly to prevent clumping.
Add the beer mixture, and stir in a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, two teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, and a teaspoon of dry mustard. Heat to a simmer and cook for ten more minutes before serving.
Swiss Cheese Soup
This smooth, tasty recipe is not your typical cream soup recipe, but your family or guests will find it surprisingly creamy and delicious.
In a large pot, boil six cups of chicken stock with ten crushed cloves of garlic. Once your stock reaches a boil, reduce heat and simmer slowly to keep warm.
Over medium heat, combine one-fourth cup each of unsalted butter and flour in a large skillet and stir well until completely combined and thick. Add the chicken stock mixture, whisking briskly to combine thoroughly. Stir in one half cup of white wine. Bring stock mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken.
Remove soup from heat and stir in two and one half cups of shredded Swiss cheese until smooth. Serve soup immediately with a piece of crusty bread or a baguette. Do not continue to cook after adding the cheese or allow it to sit too long before serving, as this will cause the cheese to separate from the broth.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
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Tuesday, April 26, 2011
What cheeses melt best and what are the factors that affect this?
The word, “cheese,” refers to a wide variety of dairy based foods; these foods may differ greatly from one another in the way they taste and the way they behave when being cooked. For this reason, you may need to experiment a little when choosing the right option for your purposes and it is best to use exactly the cheese a give recipe calls for. Of course, each dish requires a different texture, so not every cheese will work with every dish.
When it comes to melting, cheese can be divided roughly into three groups: stringy and stretchy, smooth and flowing, and non melting. There are few standard rules to help you determine which is which; generally those with the lowest melting points are also the ones that melt to the smoothest textures.
Stringy and Stretchy
These options are great for sandwiches, pizzas, and nachos. They include, but are not limited, to the following:
Mozzarella
Provolone
Cheddar Curds
These alternatives are characterized by their tendency to remain all in one piece when melted; they do not become runny or liquefied, and they may form long strings when pulled.
Smooth and Flowing
Smooth and flowing choices are excellent for making sauces and soups, and Fondue dips. They melt to a liquefied form without clumping or separating easily. A few options for this category include the following:
Cheddar
Muenster
Gouda
Of course, there will be vast difference in the tastes and textures of your dishes, as some of these cheeses are quite viscous when melted, while others have very little substance when melted.
Non Melters
These will not change forms when heated. They may become softer, but they will maintain their flow when baked, fried, or grilled. A few of these options include the following:
Cottage
Goat
Feta
When working with cheeses, you will be at least as interested in the taste they will bring to a dish as the texture. If you have chosen an option that is not necessarily known as a naturally smooth melter, you can often get better results by cooking it in the presence of a starch like flour that will invite the alternative you have chosen to melt more smoothly. Also bear in mind that once a cheese has melted, cooled, and reformed, you will not be able to achieve exactly the same results a second time, as many of the natural moisture and oils will have leached out, changing the consistency of your dish.
The word, “cheese,” refers to a wide variety of dairy based foods; these foods may differ greatly from one another in the way they taste and the way they behave when being cooked. For this reason, you may need to experiment a little when choosing the right option for your purposes and it is best to use exactly the cheese a give recipe calls for. Of course, each dish requires a different texture, so not every cheese will work with every dish.
When it comes to melting, cheese can be divided roughly into three groups: stringy and stretchy, smooth and flowing, and non melting. There are few standard rules to help you determine which is which; generally those with the lowest melting points are also the ones that melt to the smoothest textures.
Stringy and Stretchy
These options are great for sandwiches, pizzas, and nachos. They include, but are not limited, to the following:
Mozzarella
Provolone
Cheddar Curds
These alternatives are characterized by their tendency to remain all in one piece when melted; they do not become runny or liquefied, and they may form long strings when pulled.
Smooth and Flowing
Smooth and flowing choices are excellent for making sauces and soups, and Fondue dips. They melt to a liquefied form without clumping or separating easily. A few options for this category include the following:
Cheddar
Muenster
Gouda
Of course, there will be vast difference in the tastes and textures of your dishes, as some of these cheeses are quite viscous when melted, while others have very little substance when melted.
Non Melters
These will not change forms when heated. They may become softer, but they will maintain their flow when baked, fried, or grilled. A few of these options include the following:
Cottage
Goat
Feta
When working with cheeses, you will be at least as interested in the taste they will bring to a dish as the texture. If you have chosen an option that is not necessarily known as a naturally smooth melter, you can often get better results by cooking it in the presence of a starch like flour that will invite the alternative you have chosen to melt more smoothly. Also bear in mind that once a cheese has melted, cooled, and reformed, you will not be able to achieve exactly the same results a second time, as many of the natural moisture and oils will have leached out, changing the consistency of your dish.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
What Are Some Nutritional Facts on Swiss Cheese?
What Are Some Nutritional Facts on Swiss Cheese?
With obesity on the rise in this country, more and more Americans are starting to watch what they eat. It is always good to check how the foods that you eat almost every day affect your body. Cheese has always been a big thing in America, and Swiss cheese is a favorite among Americans. While it is good for you, have you ever looked at what exactly you are taking in? The next time you pick up some Swiss, be sure to turn the package over to that little black and white box on the side. The Nutrition Facts will tell you what you need to know.
Basic Information
Let's take an ounce of your average Swiss cheese. An ounce is about 28 grams. In one ounce of Swiss, there are 95 calories. If you look on the other side of the line that tells you how many calories are in it, you will see how many of those calories are from fat. In an ounce of Swiss, 64 of those calories come from fat. Over 66% of the calories in an ounce of Swiss come from fat.
How Much Fat Is In That?
On average, there are about 7 grams of fat in an ounce of Swiss cheese. 7 grams is one fourth of an ounce. A quarter ounce of fat is in every ounce of Swiss. You should also look at the saturated fat content. How much of that fat is saturated fat? About 4.5 grams of those 7 grams of fat is saturated.
Cholesterol
America is also becoming more concerned about cholesterol. This is understandable, since heart attacks and heart related illnesses are growing more and more common among Americans. In an ounce of Swiss, there are about 24 milligrams of cholesterol. That is 8% of your recommended cholesterol intake.
Sodium
Sodium is another thing that people in the United States are becoming concerned about. Excess sodium intake can lead to high blood pressure. An ounce of Swiss has around 193 milligrams of sodium.
Protein
Let's move on to protein. There are about 7 grams of protein in an average ounce of Swiss cheese. Your body needs protein to function during the day. Without it, you may feel weaker than normal.
Vitamins and Minerals
Swiss also offers some vitamins and minerals; about 5% of your daily recommended value of Vitamin A, 22% of your daily recommended value of calcium, and also a little iron. Swiss is also free of carbohydrates for the most part.
With obesity on the rise in this country, more and more Americans are starting to watch what they eat. It is always good to check how the foods that you eat almost every day affect your body. Cheese has always been a big thing in America, and Swiss cheese is a favorite among Americans. While it is good for you, have you ever looked at what exactly you are taking in? The next time you pick up some Swiss, be sure to turn the package over to that little black and white box on the side. The Nutrition Facts will tell you what you need to know.
Basic Information
Let's take an ounce of your average Swiss cheese. An ounce is about 28 grams. In one ounce of Swiss, there are 95 calories. If you look on the other side of the line that tells you how many calories are in it, you will see how many of those calories are from fat. In an ounce of Swiss, 64 of those calories come from fat. Over 66% of the calories in an ounce of Swiss come from fat.
How Much Fat Is In That?
On average, there are about 7 grams of fat in an ounce of Swiss cheese. 7 grams is one fourth of an ounce. A quarter ounce of fat is in every ounce of Swiss. You should also look at the saturated fat content. How much of that fat is saturated fat? About 4.5 grams of those 7 grams of fat is saturated.
Cholesterol
America is also becoming more concerned about cholesterol. This is understandable, since heart attacks and heart related illnesses are growing more and more common among Americans. In an ounce of Swiss, there are about 24 milligrams of cholesterol. That is 8% of your recommended cholesterol intake.
Sodium
Sodium is another thing that people in the United States are becoming concerned about. Excess sodium intake can lead to high blood pressure. An ounce of Swiss has around 193 milligrams of sodium.
Protein
Let's move on to protein. There are about 7 grams of protein in an average ounce of Swiss cheese. Your body needs protein to function during the day. Without it, you may feel weaker than normal.
Vitamins and Minerals
Swiss also offers some vitamins and minerals; about 5% of your daily recommended value of Vitamin A, 22% of your daily recommended value of calcium, and also a little iron. Swiss is also free of carbohydrates for the most part.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
What Is Cheddar Cheese?
What Is Cheddar Cheese?
Have you ever just stopped and asked yourself exactly what cheddar cheese is? How do they make it? What exactly makes it more “cheddary” than the other cheeses? Just what exactly is cheddar cheese? Well, the answer really isn’t that complicated.
What makes cheese cheddar? Well, when the milk curdles (sounds yummy already, right?); the curd is heated and kneaded with salt. After that, it is cut into cubes to drain off the whey. The curds and whey are then separated with an enzyme that is normally produced from the stomachs of new born baby calves.
Cheddar cheese is one of the more hard cheeses and usually comes in a yellowish color. Most cheddar cheese is aged around six months before being considered ready for purchase. The mark of high quality cheddar cheese is its texture and taste. It should be more on the crumbly side. It should never have a soapy texture when you touch it or put it in your mouth. Cheddar is more brittle than most other types of cheeses.
If cheddar is made in the correct way, it should be firm in texture, but mellow in character or quality. It should be slightly rich and sometimes melt in your mouth. It would be a full bodied flavour which can be compared to hazelnut. IT should also have earthy hints to it.
Where did the name cheddar come from exactly? Well, it came from the homeland of cheddar cheese. Cheddar was first made in an English village of...well, Cheddar. It makes sense right? Almost immediately after its creation, cheddar gained wide spread popularity throughout the world. While it is now produced in a lot of countries all across the world, only cheese produced in the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Somerset can officially be called West Country farmhouse Cheddar.
Cheddar is very popular right here in the United States. In 2009, the United States produced more than 3,207,440,000 pounds of cheddar! It looks like the United States appreciates cheddar. Americans sure do love their cheddar, and for good reason. Cheese is good for you. It has everything that you need to support bone health. Cheese is full of calcium and other nutrients that people need. Children who eat enough cheddar grow up to be big and strong. So, get your fill of those billions of pounds of cheese that America makes every year. Your body will thank you.
Have you ever just stopped and asked yourself exactly what cheddar cheese is? How do they make it? What exactly makes it more “cheddary” than the other cheeses? Just what exactly is cheddar cheese? Well, the answer really isn’t that complicated.
What makes cheese cheddar? Well, when the milk curdles (sounds yummy already, right?); the curd is heated and kneaded with salt. After that, it is cut into cubes to drain off the whey. The curds and whey are then separated with an enzyme that is normally produced from the stomachs of new born baby calves.
Cheddar cheese is one of the more hard cheeses and usually comes in a yellowish color. Most cheddar cheese is aged around six months before being considered ready for purchase. The mark of high quality cheddar cheese is its texture and taste. It should be more on the crumbly side. It should never have a soapy texture when you touch it or put it in your mouth. Cheddar is more brittle than most other types of cheeses.
If cheddar is made in the correct way, it should be firm in texture, but mellow in character or quality. It should be slightly rich and sometimes melt in your mouth. It would be a full bodied flavour which can be compared to hazelnut. IT should also have earthy hints to it.
Where did the name cheddar come from exactly? Well, it came from the homeland of cheddar cheese. Cheddar was first made in an English village of...well, Cheddar. It makes sense right? Almost immediately after its creation, cheddar gained wide spread popularity throughout the world. While it is now produced in a lot of countries all across the world, only cheese produced in the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Somerset can officially be called West Country farmhouse Cheddar.
Cheddar is very popular right here in the United States. In 2009, the United States produced more than 3,207,440,000 pounds of cheddar! It looks like the United States appreciates cheddar. Americans sure do love their cheddar, and for good reason. Cheese is good for you. It has everything that you need to support bone health. Cheese is full of calcium and other nutrients that people need. Children who eat enough cheddar grow up to be big and strong. So, get your fill of those billions of pounds of cheese that America makes every year. Your body will thank you.
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