What is the Connection Between Cheese and Sleep?

You love it fried, stuck between two slices of bread or simply sliced up and gobbled down. We cover our fries with it, our popcorn and even our artichokes. If you want to dress up some left overs simply add cheese and potatoes. There are no better times to enjoy it than as a late night snack alone or with fruit or crackers. But did you know that there are certain wives' tales that eating this food before bed can cause nightmares?

Recently the British Cheese Board (no it's not a game and they really do exist) conducted a study with 200 people and found no evidence of a connection, at least when pertaining to nightmares. Perhaps had it been conducted by a group not involved with the promotion of cheese the findings may have been different. Interestingly enough, there was evidence to support that different cheeses can affect dreams. Stilton for instance is said to create bizarre images, while Cheshire may give you a dreamless night, and Red Leicester is said to create rosy nostalgic dreams.

One of the biggest reasons sleep may be so commonly associated with cheese is that it contains tryptophan, which is an amino acid that is linked to inducing sleep and relieving stress. Perhaps the original tales got started because, like warm milk and turkey, this food helps create a sleepy mood in those who have eaten it. Perhaps people who have suffered from insomnia (possibly because they already had fretful dreams) ate cheese and slept more readily only to repeat the dreams they often had, thus developing an association.

Try a small study on yourself and enjoy a good serving of one variety each night of the week as a bedtime snack. Keep a dream journal nearby and see if and how which types affect the images you see while catching some shut eye. I would suggest staying away from some of the more common or ordinary cheeses and instead go for the Camemberts, Bries, or Limburgers. This can provide an ample opportunity for some fun days hunting unique cheeses out at the market and even better nights of easy slumber with interesting dreams. Up the ante a little and enlist a friend or two and conduct your own study. What better excuse to spend a week or more trying some new and interesting flavors of your favorite food? Go out and enjoy selecting some kinds you've never tried and finding out for yourself if you have bizarre or rose-tinted dreams.

Cheese Dip Recipe 7: Chili Con Queso Dip

golThis recipe makes about 6-8 servings.


Ingredients:

1 eight ounce block of softened cream cheese


1 teaspoon olive oil


½ cup chopped onion


2 garlic cloves minced


1 ten ounce can of diced tomatoes with chilies


1 teaspoon chili powder


Cilantro sprigs (optional)


1 can diced tomatoes undrained (about 10 ounces)


12 ounces Colby Jack cheese

Method:

Drain the can of tomatoes and the can of tomatoes and chilies in a colander over a bowl. Reserve 1/3 cup of the liquid. Set both the tomatoes and reserved liquid aside. Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Then sauté for about four minutes. Add the cream cheese and cook until it melts, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes and reserved liquid, plus chili powder. Bring to a boil. Add the cheese and reduce heat, simmer for about another 3 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with chips.

Alternative Cheeses:

Extra Sharp Cheddar, Gouda, Muenster

Cheese Dip Recipe 6: Broccoli Cheese Dip

This recipe makes about 32 servings of 2 tablespoons each.


Ingredients:

8 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese divided


1 cup of sour cream


1 envelope of Italian dressing mix


1 package of sour cream about 8 ounces


1 package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained

Method:

Get the oven preheated to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl mix the cream cheese, dressing mix and sour cream with mixer until very well blended. Next add the broccoli and half of the shredded cheese, mix very well. Grease up a 9 inch pie plate. Spread the mixture into the plate. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until cooked all the way through. Pull it out and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese and cook for the next five minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with crackers of choice. Best if served warm.

Alternative Cheeses:

Extra sharp cheddar, Muenster, Provolone, Smokey Swiss, Swiss

What is The History Of Cheese Making?

You know it's a great source of calcium. You know it can be bountiful with protein. You've even learned to pick ones that are lower in fat or lower in sodium. You have planned meals around this delicious food because you defiantly know you love to enjoy it as often as possible. But do you know some of the history behind cheese?

This food has been around longer than written history, so some of its earliest stages aren't recorded. We seem unsure if it originally came from Europe, Middle East, or Asia. But one thing we know is that by Roman times it had risen to higher standards than a lot of foods. Most believe that the process for making cheese was discovered accidentally because inflated internal organs were often used for storage vessels and the rennet that aids in the dividing milk into curds and whey is naturally found in the stomachs of animals.

Some of the earliest evidence from archaeological digs was found in Egyptian tombs dating about 2000 BCE. These cheeses would have most likely been slightly bitter and salty, much like the Feta we still eat today. In some of the cooler climates in Europe they didn't need to use as much salt and this became an easy environment for molds or microbes to grow which helped to age the cheese diversifying our types and flavors.

By Roman times we have recorded history from Pliny regarding the daily enjoyment and the wide variety of cheese available. With the decline of Rome there was a rise in small regions developing their own techniques. Many of the varieties we know and love today didn't get recorded until the Middle Ages or later. Camembert wasn't till 1791, Parmesan 1597 and Cheddar around 1500.

The process of making cheese wasn't industrialized until 1815 in Switzerland. In the US, credit was yet again given to Rome, New York that is, where Jesse Williams started making blocks in an assembly line fashion. It wasn't long before hundreds of these took off. Most of what we get in America is considered highly processed, although there is a recent trend toward more artisan, non-factory made kinds.

The next time you find yourself deciding between Colby, Gouda, or Limburger, you'll be able to think a little about how ancient this food is and feel good knowing various cultures and civilizations enjoyed a similar delicious food with their meals.

Cheese of the Month Club Winner

Congratulations to F. Nehring of Sarasota Florida for being our first ever Cheese of the Month Club Winner. We hope all of you had a such a "grate" time entering the contest, that you'll do it again for our next drawing on January 7, 2012, which is for our 4 month subscription valued at $161.99. For more details click HERE.