#NationalCheeseLoversDay

Get the bread! Get the mustard! Get the turkey! Who has the apples…Get the apples! GoGoGo!

 

 

January 20th is National Cheese Lovers’ Day…which only means one thing:

You are going to need more crackers. A lot more.

When I was a child, I loved cheese as a child. I understood that there was white cheese and yellow cheese, when I was a child. But when I grew up and became an adult, I discovered that I loved cheeses that also had names.  I discovered that I could browse the cheese section with money in my pocket, and unlock a whole culinary universe which I had previously been unaware of.

It all began…with roasted brie.

Good heavens, do I love brie.

I love brie on crackers, on apple slices, with prosciutto, as a grilled cheese sandwich or baked with garlic.

Or gorgonzola! For those of us who are not huge fans of the huge taste that is wielded in the veins of bleu cheese, we have its slightly meeker cousin: gorgonzola. Baked on steak, crumbled in a salad or paired with fresh dark cherries…it is a taste to behold.

Or goat cheese! Its pungent flavor is not for the meek of heart, but for the bold souls who marvel at the tang as it sits atop balsamic marinated beets, or crushed into cinnamon laced blueberries.

And, I am happy to say, that everyone in this house loves cheese with the voracity of an F1 pit crew. 

The delicate world of cheeses is a cornucopia of delight for us all, and verily:

But we in it shall be remembered-

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he to-day that eats amazing cheese with me

Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,

This day shall gentle his condition;

And gentlemen and women in this world now a-bed

Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,

Delighting in the feasting of cheeses whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon #NationalCheeseLoversDay day.

-Henry V’s, lost monologue

So, how can we truly appreciate this day besides snacking off of the cheese platter?

1. 15 Unusual Cheese Facts

I truly believe that the best way to begin to thoroughly enjoy cheese, you must understand how complex cheese is. Like, did you know America produces the most cheese in the world? This sounds great, until you realize they are producing American cheese…

2. Straight Outta Wisconsin: Seasonal Cheese Pairings

The best thing about cheese is how many different ways it can be eaten. However, you cannot traverse this path without a guide! Let the cheesy experts show you which amazing pairings can be made with seasonal cheeses. For example: just imagine mascarpone mixed with pear, or cheese curds mixed with pickled jalapeño. I’m all over this one.

3. The Essentials: 50 Grilled Cheese Recipes

One of my favorite meals is hands down, tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. You really can’t bet that combination…unless you have 50 recipes for grilled cheese sandwiches! Is this a challenge? Shall I explore one different sandwich each week of the year?? Maybe. Probably.

4. The Top 10 Worst Cheese List

I almost did not include this, for the sole reason that they included most of the cheeses I love on this list. So, I can only conclude that they are magnificently wrong. However, in the spirit of fair and balanced reporting, I felt it was important to show that not everyone is right. And they are all very wrong.

5. The Top 10 Cheeses You Must Know and Love

On the other hand, there are some cheeses that are loved universally!  This is definitely a weekend project. So much more fun than reorganizing the garage.

6. Cheesecake Recipe

If all else fails, bake a cheesecake and enjoy with wine.

Cheers!