Conference turris::cooks

Here is one for quick, easy, Chili Con Queso dip that I might have posted 
elsewhere in this file.  It's about as cheezy as it gets:

8 oz velveeta chunks
8 oz monterey jack chunks
8 oz hot salsa 
1/4 cup milk

Mix these in a bowl.  Heat over a double boiler, or on slow speed in a 
microwave, stirring frequently, until smooth.  Use jalapeno pepper velveeta 
and jack if you want it hotter, or add tobasco.  If it gets too solid as it 
cools, add more milk and reheat.  Serve with nacho chips.

						     
							- JP

    We do something similar to Chili Con Queso for parties - but put
    it in a fondue pot!  Our electric one keeps it at the right temperature
    and you only have to stir it occasionally.  Instead of milk, we
    use about half a bottle of beer and half a stick of butter.  The
    new Mexican Velveeta is good, too, plus whatever cheese scraps are
    in the fridge!

    Forgot to mention - I put a recipe in Note 421 for a good quick
    bread - it uses one cup of grated cheese.

    Hi,
         Went to Detroit to visit with my bro and his wife and went
    to eat at this greek resturant.  What they did was take a chunk
    of motzerella cheese about 2"thick, about 6"x6".  They broiled it
    in butter until the top was golden brown, than put some brandy over
    it and lit it on fire for about 30 sec.  After that you took and
    spread it on bread like a dip.  It was GREAT!!!!!!
                                                 S.F.

                                         
    
                               -<Spinach Squares>-
    
    
    1 cup flour
    1 cup milk
    1 small chopped onion
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1 teaspoon salt
    dash of pepper
    2 packages frozen spinach
    20 oz. grated cheddar cheese
    3 eggs
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter in a 2" deep baking pan.
    Beat eggs well in a large bowl.  Add milk, flour, baking powder,
    and seasoning.  Mix well.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Spoon
    onto the baking pan, making sure the mixture is level.  Cook at
    350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Allow to cool for about 45 minutes
    and cut into 1 inch bite size squares.  
    
    Enjoy!
     
    

2 cans (4-oz. size] green chiles, drained
1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
1 lb. Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
4 egg whites
4 egg yolks
2/3 cup canned evaporated milk, undiluted
1 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 medium tomatoes, sliced

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Remove seeds from chiles and dice.
Combine chiles with the grated cheeses in a large bowl.  Turn into
well-buttered, shallow 2-quart casserole (8 X 12 X 2).  Beat egg
whites at high speed on electric mixer until stiff peaks form.  
In separate bowl beat egg yolks, milk, flour, salt and pepper until
well blended.  With a rubber scraper, gently gold beaten whites 
into egg yolk mixture.  Pour egg mixture over cheese mixture in 
casserole and "ooze" it through the cheese with a fork.  Bake 
30 minutes.  Remove from oven and arrange sliced tomatoes, over-
lapping, around edge of casserole.  Bake 30 minutes longer, or
until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Garnish with a
sprinkling of chopped green chiles, if desired.  Serves 8.

     		Killer cheese sauce for everything...


grate 2 cups GOOD cheddar cheese (I like a sharp cheddar in this)
grate 1 cup monterey jack or swiss cheese
1 cup half and half
1 teaspoon dried mustard (use the english stuff)
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
herbs to taste (try dill weed, etc)
1 - 2 tablespoons super file flour (wondra brand works well) or
      sift some cake flour

in top of double boiler over simmering water, mix cheeses and half and
half and stir until melted... add flour and stir until all lumps are
gone.  Add mustard, pepper, and herbs to taste.

Stir into cooked macaroni and brown in oven for gourmet mac and cheese
or pour the sauce over steamed veggies...the options are endless with
this stuff and I even get my roommate to eat broccoli this way...she
hates broccoli!

    Another variation on the cheese dip/chile con queso -
    A loaf of Velveeta and a can of green chiles with tomatoes,
    (Rotel or Old El Paso work fine).  Easiest way to cook is the crock
    pot!
    
    Theresa.

    I'm looking for information on what cheeses are good for spreading on
    crackers.  The characteristics I am looking for are:
    
    	o Found relatively commonly in stores.
    	o "Tasteful".  I was going to say sharp, like cheddar,
    	  but anything that makes you aware you are eating cheese
    	  will do.
    	o Spreadable.  It does not have to be soft, but you should
    	  not need a laser to cut it.  Something that can be cut
    	  off of a chunk one-handed by a person at a party is what I
    	  am looking for.
    
    I know these cheeses exist; I have had them before.  I just didn't get
    the names.  Can you help?
    
    
    				-- edp 

    re: -1	Muenster (sp?) and Monterey Jack are relatively soft
    		(but not spreadable) cheeses that are flavorful.
    
    		One other solution is to cut up the cheese beforehand
    		so your guests won't have to. This way you could have
    		harder cheeses like cheddar.
    
    Ken....
    

Brie is good and easy to spread went brought to room temp. before cutting.
Usually found in stores that have a special cheese section like Heartland, 
Hampshire Hills, or Victory. 

Harvarti is another good cheese which is a bit softer than Muenster. This 
type also comes with different herbs embedded in the cheese. Usually 
found in stores that have a special cheese section like Heartland, 
Hampshire Hills, or Victory. 

There are the cream cheese based cheeses like Alouette which are very 
spreadable. They usually have herbs mixed in. This can be found in most 
any supermarket dairy section.

There are many others, but these are some of my favorites. If you go to 
a store like Hickory Farms and ask questions, they will probably offer 
samples for you to try.

Rachelle 

I was at a party where someone brought a wegde of Brie wrapped in phyllo 
dough and then baked it. It was wonderful. I asked about the recipe but 
never got the details. I tried to do this once by guessing and it came 
out ok, but not like the original. Does anyone know how to do this...do 
you wrap individual sheets of phyllo around the brie or can you wrap a 
bunch of sheets together....and...do you need to brush anything on the 
sheets like melted butter. I also need to know the oven temp and length 
of time in oven. 

Rachelle 

    For a delicious nutty taste, try Jarlesberg cheese.  It's somewhat
    like swiss, but not sharp at all - creamy textured and, well, nutty.
    You can't spread it, but it's easy to cut when it's at room temp.
    And I think it's part skim, too, so it's one of the lower cholesterol
    cheeses.
    
    --Louise

    re .12
    
    Brie in phyllo sounds like a neat experiment!  Yes, you do have
    to brush each sheet with butter & I haven't had any luck using more
    than 2 at a time.  Was it a wheel of cheese?  Was it cut before
    baking?  Seems like it would have to be or the phyllo would crumble,
    but maybe if it was, the cheese would melt and ooze out.  Check
    entries on baklava for working with phyllo.

From "The World of Cheese" by Evan Jones (1976):

THE BASIC KINDS OF CHEESE

The four basic classifications under which to consider the numerous variations 
of cheeses are: soft, semisoft, firm, and hard.  The soft category includes, 
first of all, the unripened or fresh types that people know as Cottage Cheese, 
Cream Cheese, Pot, or Ricotta, as well as such others as Mysost and 
Neufch�tel.  More sophisticated soft types ripen naturally in a matter of 
days and include Brie, Camembert, and the so-called double creams and triple 
creams--cylinder shapes that develop thin downy-white crusts and tender, 
almost fluent interiors.  Among those technically described as semisoft is the 
group ripened with bacteria and yeasts that includes Brick and Munster, and 
the group, including Liederkrantz, Limberger, and Port Salut, which requires 
surface microorganisms as well.  A third semisoft subdivision takes in the 
blue-veined cheeses like Roquefort and Gorgonzola.  Firm cheeses include the 
Cheddars and their English cousins, such as Cheshire and Lancashire, and the 
various members of the Caciocavallo family; and they include those having 
noticeable holes, like the Swiss products called Emmenthal and Gruy�re, as 
well as such new Scandinavian creations as Jarlsberg.  Hard cheeses are made 
in much the same way but develop a smooth, grainy texture that is 
characteristic of grating types called Asiago, Parmesan, Romano, Sapsago, 
and Spalen.

By the way, the book in .-1 also has 105 pages of cheeses listed with the 
source (cow/sheep/goat/buffalo/...) and a brief description.

My favorites for the soft category are brie, plain or herbed, a triple cream 
mushroom cheese called Bon champi, St. Andre, the allouette and rondele 
spreads (forgive the spelling), every variety of Ch�vre that I tried in France 
and one that comes from Hubbardston, Mass., and a variety of really smelly 
cheeses that I wouldn't serve at a party unless everyone knew everyone else 
verrry well.

						     
							- JP

    I like to buy brie or boursin studded with peppercorns.  Regular
    boursin is also very good, but it's full of garlic, which may not
    always go over well.  Another easy way to "make" spreadable cheeses
    is to blend cream cheese with other ingredients.  Some I've seen
    are caviar, smoked salmon, olives, and crabmeat (not all together).
    Add spices to taste.
    
    Re: .12
    
    My mother makes a variation of this, which is simple and delicious.
    She wraps small rounds of brie in Pillsbury pop 'n fresh croissant 
    dough, brushes the outside with egg white, and bakes them according
    to the directions on the package.  Actually she prefers using a
    slightly harder cheese, like gouda, instead of brie, because the
    brie gets VERY runny.
    
    Susie

Re. 12 Brie wrapped in phyllo....

To answer my own questions....I saw the woman last night and got all the 
details....

She used a round of Brie and 

wrapped it with 2-3 sheets of phyllo & brushed with melted butter (she 
repeated this about 5-4 times) 

Put in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes and serve immediately and 
garnish with chunks of French bread, sliced green apple & grapes.

Mnnnnnnn....its a little runny but c'est tres bon!! 


Rachelle 

    It must be a sign!  I've got half a package of phyllo I've got to
    use up, and I know the store has miniature Goudas - about an inch
    and a half in diameter - I can just see them on individual plates
    with the apple/grape garnish!  Thanks!
    
    Terry

    
    
    re: .12
    
    Brie wrapped in phyllo IS delicious, and I was at a party once where
    the hostess offered a DELICIOUS variation!!  She baked the wheel of
    brie with chopped walnuts and brown sugar covering the top, talk 
    about sweet and delicious!!!  With the wheel was served apples and
    stoned wheat crackers.  You should try this one sometime!
    
    -Lisa
    

    What does it take to get cheddar cheese to melt smoothly? I had a bunch
    of shredded left over from a party, and decided to melt it down in some
    milk to pour over some sliced potatoes and bake.  I couldn't get it to
    melt!  I put it in a heavy saucepan on very low, added some milk, and
    stirred and stirred.  It never melted...only softened a bit, but still
    was unusable.  
    Sarah

Real "cheddar cheese" doesn't melt into sauces very well at all.  I've tried
just about everything, and always end up with a lump or lumps of cheddar.  

Mildly cheddared cheeses, like Velveeta, and "American Cheese" will do much
better for melting into sauces. 

Save the other stuff for melting on top, or making cheddar crisps.

	-jp

    I've had success melting cheddar cheese into a standard white sauce for
    homemade macaroni and cheese. 
    
    First make the white sauce (butter, flour, milk and/or cream) then add
    the grated or shredded cheddar cheese. The melting may take a bit of time,
    but keep stirring. (I use a wisk)
    
    It must have something to do with the chemistry between the roux
    (butter/flour) in the white sauce and the cheese. 
    
    Kitchen science ;-)

    You know, I wondered if I added it to FAT first, say oil or butter, if
    it would loosen up a bit?  I added it to skim milk, assuming I would
    only need heat to melt it.  Does cheddar have a lower fat content than
    the softer cheeses like mozzarella? 
    I have a ton of cheese left over, so I'll try the white sauce too!
    Enough for sprinkling and broiling and enough to find the elusive
    secret to making a cheddar cream sauce : )
    Sarah

    Cheddar won't be as smooth as other cheeses, even when fully melted.
    It's just a characteristic of the cheese. It does seem to work better
    in a thicker base, like veloute.

Cheddar is very high in fat.  The drier/older/sharper, the fattier.  

Shredded cheddar freezes well, so you could always store it that way.

Also, you could make cheddar chips:

	- cover the bottom of a nonstick(!!!) skillet with shredded cheddar
	- heat...

First copious amounts of oil will separate, and the solids will melt and bubble.
 Then the solids will start to firm up.  At this point, give the mix a little
poke every now and again.  When the solids no longer flow, but move like a big
flat pancake, turn them over.  After about another 3-4 minutes, remove from the
heat and drain on lots of paper towels.  You should be able to break it up into
pieces.

What you will have is a pretty salty cheddar chips.  A bit too salty to eat as
is, but great when crumbled over other food, like meatloaf, veggie casserole, or
apple pie!

> Cheddar is very high in fat.  The drier/older/sharper, the fattier.  

    This doesn't seem right. More fat should make for a "creamier" texture.
    
    Do you really think, say, a block of Parmesan cheese has more fat
    than the same weight of Brie?
    
      John

re: .27

>> Cheddar is very high in fat.  The drier/older/sharper, the fattier.  
>
>    This doesn't seem right. More fat should make for a "creamier" texture.
>    
>    Do you really think, say, a block of Parmesan cheese has more fat
>    than the same weight of Brie?
    
Wait a minute, he didn't say "the drier/older/sharper the cheese the fattier",
he said "the drier/older/sharper the *cheddar* the fattier".

Mind you, I'm hardly an expert, but I find it plausible that as a cheese
ages and dries out it would loose water rather than fat.

-Hal

Re .27

Here is an experiment:

Take 1 oz of regular american cheese (which is a young, mild cheddar), and melt
it in a skillet.  After the the moisture evaporates, remove the solid, and
measure the fat.

Then do the same with, say, a 1 year old sharp cheddar.  

I'm sure a triple cream brie has more fat than Parmesan.  I'd venture a guess,
hoever, that if you let a wheel of brie sit in a warm dry place until it was
hard and dry, and then (after scraping the lifeforms off) compared 1 oz dried
brie to 1 oz fresh brie, the dried brie would have a higher fat content.

>>    I have a ton of cheese left over, so I'll try the white sauce too!

Since it's already shredded perhaps you might like to make a cheese ball.
Assuming you have mild cheddar, mix in a blender equal amounts of
the mild cheddar, a mature cheddar (also shredded) and Philli Cream Cheese
(normal or low fat).  Add a small onion and half a red capsicum, both finely
chopped. Add about a teaspoon of Worstershire sauce and mix well.  Don't let it
become too mushy.   Sprinkle a piece of foil with lots of curry powder
and form the cheese mixture into a ball in the middle.  Make sure the ball
is thoroughly coated in curry powder.  Wrap the ball with the foil and
it will keep in the fridge.

This is great spread on crakers, but I like it most spread on toast
and put under the grill for a few minutes.  Dead simple to make
and everbody tends to rave about it.

Skippy.

    Sarah,
    
    I freeze shedded cheese and use it in enchiladas, burritos, or anywhere
    else I like fresh shredded cheese.  
    
    As for the potatoes, why not poor chili over the baked potatoes and
    topwith the shredded cheese?  (yum)
    
    meg

    re:.29
    
    ... American cheese is just mild,young Chedder cheese....
    
    is this true? I never really looked into the ingrediants of american
    cheese? I just assumed different ingrediants/aging/something, as swiss
    cheese/bleu cheese/chedder/etc. all seem to be so very different.
    
    What makes it ironic, is that I have family members that won't eat
    chedder (even mild chedder) but love American cheese.... may have just
    found another ingrediant that goes un-announced in recipes!

re: .32

>    What makes it ironic, is that I have family members that won't eat
>    chedder (even mild chedder) but love American cheese.... may have just
>    found another ingrediant that goes un-announced in recipes!

Isn't it terrible having family members with bad taste? (many :-)s )
On a more serious note, I don't know if American cheese is really just
very mild cheddar, but if so your unadventurous family members' position
isn't that inconsistent...many people prefer mild cheddars to sharp ones
(not me, mind you :-).

-Hal

RE: .29

A triple-cream cheese will be 60% or more fat.  Ripe St. Andre, for 
example, is almost more like butter in texture and flavor than 
cheese.

The reason that harder, more mature cheddar has more fat than softer, 
younger cheddar is that it has less moisture (water), and thus more 
fat per unit volume or unit weight.

--PSW 

	What is `American Cheese'??? Is it that plastic stuff that comes
	in slices, sticks, balls, aerosols, pink elephants, also usefull
	for patching holes in wall plaster and rust spots on cars (use
	Coca-Cola to clean as much of the rust off as possible before
	applying the plastic chesse, can be coloured with food dyes to
	suit the rest of your cars paintwork)......

	From a distant memory they do take mild cheddar and `melt-it-down'
	then add a variety of fillers (calcium something-poly-something-chloro-
	something-ose).. Damn I wish I could remember exactly what is involved..

	Scott, Esq

When I was growing up, American Cheese looked, felt and tasted like very mild
cheddar.  In New England, it was almost exclusively yellow-white in color.  The
most popular brand sold was Land O Lakes.  

Then along came Velveeta with its orange colored "pasteurized processed cheese
food".  Then the convenience market became big, and manufacturers found that
much of the processed stuff flows under pressure, so they put it in aerosol
cans, and molded it into preformed slices, etc.

Now, it seems that any bland cheese made in the US gets called American Cheese,
although under a microscope, you will see that the label will usually contain a
second line, and the actual name is "AMERICAN CHEESE like food stubstance"

Producers that still make the older style American Cheese, now label it Monterey
Jack.  It has much more snob appeal, but it's basically processed mild cheddar.

    re:33 - yes, family members with "bad taste" :^) can be a trial...
    though it is funny to go someplace, order food with modifications and
    watch the reactions - ..."you want AMERICAN cheese on an Italian sub?"
    (yuck...) or trying to get a chef's salad with only american cheese.
    
    thanks for the other replies. American cheese, and I'm referring to the
    yellow brick type, even my family members haven't sunk to canned cheese
    :^) is just a mild chedder.....hmmmmm...that might explain when we get
    cheese from a local italian deli, it doesn't "taste" right to some. I
    think it's fine (but I get the fresh feta cheese, so after that
    anything would be mild, not to mention having to eat it down-wind from
    family members since they all complain about the smell!) 
    
    Of course, now the dilema is do I tell them and risk them not eating
    any cheese again? ....nahhh, I think I'll keep this a secret for now!
    
    thanks again!
    
    janetb. 

    OR, I got asked this one a while ago, "You *want* swiss cheese?"
    
    ed

    
    		Sorry fresh out of swiss.......
    
    
    		This is a cheese shop isn't it?
    
    
    
    		oh yes!
    
    
    						Mark
    

    Looking for recipe for a cheese strata....
    
    Thanks,
    Roberta

STRATA

This is from "Whole Foods for the Whole Family"

6 to 10 slices whole wheat bread
1 to 2 c. grated Cheddar cheese
2 to 3 c. milk
3 to 6 eggs
1 to 2 t. dry mustard
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. salt
1 t. thyme (optional)
1 t. worcestershire sauce (optional)

OPTIONAL:

Any of the following to total 2 c.:
  Cooked chicken, turkey, or ham, sliced 
    or chopped
  Sausage or bacon, browned and drained
  Chopped spinach or broccoli, steamed & drained
  Sliced mushrooms and onions, sauteed


        Arrange half the bread, in slices or 
cubes, on bottom of a greased 9x9-inch or 
9x13-inch baking dish.  Layer thus:  half the
cheese, all the meat and/or vegetables, remaining
bread and remaining cheese.  Beat milk, eggs,
and seasonings; pour over casserole.  Let stand
for 1 hour (or refrigerate, covered, for up to
24 hours).  Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 to
60 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center
comes out clean. 
        Using more eggs and milk will yield a
custardy texture, while using the smaller amount
results in a "bread quiche."
        Bread, cheese, and egg souffles (stratas)
have many virtues.  They benefit from long
soaking, especially whole grain or stale bread, 
so you can prepare them a day ahead.  They use
less expensive egg and milk protein with little
or no meat.  With the addition of vegetables,
they are a complete meal.  They are attractive, 
taste good cold or reheated and even use up
stale bread.
Personal Note:  Even though it calls for whole
wheat bread, I know of no reason why one can
not use regular bread, if desired.

Hope this is what you wanted.  It seems to be
a really flexible recipe.  

Laura          

    Thanks, That was EXACTLY what I was looking for.
    
    Roberta