Cheese CONNOISSEUR - Feature

The Many Uses of Mexican Cheese

As diverse as they are flavorful, these varieties provide a bevy of options Gooey enchiladas… quesadillas dripping with stretchy, stringy goodness… creamy queso fundido dotted with spicy chorizo… Mexican cuisine is a cheese-lover’s dream. It’s hard to think of a dish that isn’t packed with rich, savory flavor.

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Pining Over Paneer

Learn about this ancient and ubiquitous fresh cheese of South Asia. From the more than 1,800 cheeses that exist in the world, the oldest and most versatile is arguably the fresh cheese, paneer, that is ubiquitous in Indian cooking. Supposedly mentioned in the Vedas, the ancient Sanskrit scriptures that go

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Olive Estates of South Africa

An exceptional and unexpected culinary journey. Cheese, wine, charcuterie, bread and olive oil, the essentials of a satisfying culinary experience enjoyed with friends—even if the pleasure is shared virtually like it has been for so many this year. Whether it is delivered from a favorite restaurant or house-made, the satisfaction

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An Eye On the Environment

Sustainable Swiss dairies produce exceptional cheese. Swiss artisans have been making cheese since the Middle Ages. Isolated in secluded hamlets on mountains and in valleys, they developed cheese unique to their region. This tradition continues to this day. I’m passionate about cheese, so when I heard that Switzerland produced around

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A Perfect Pairing

Combining savory cheese with sweet chocolate results in unique flavor sensations. Autumn excites chocolate lovers. The summer heat that melts the sweet stuff in our hands also coats a silky, dark brown bar, left to sit, in a bloom of white dust. But let the cooler weather set in, and

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When The Work Is Worth It

Creating Portuguese cheese is labor-intensive, but the results make it worth the effort. Portugal’s most famous consumable may be Port, but everybody knows that few foods pair better with wine than cheese. So it should come as no surprise that this small country on the Iberian Peninsula produces outstanding cheeses—some

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The Cheese CSA

Sustainably staying afloat through community. Farms and creameries around the country are diversifying their marketing and sales strategies to try to set themselves apart. Some are ushering product into neighborhoods at farmer’s markets or in grocery stores, and others are meeting customers exactly where they are by offering Community Supported

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Salute Grana Padano

A healthy Italian cheese with gusto. Beloved in its Italian homeland and throughout Europe, Grana Padano cheese was a familiar sight on the dinner table when chef Danilo Cortellini was growing up in the Abruzzo region. Now Cortellini is passing that tradition on to his own family, and to visitors

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Tradition and French AOC Cheeses

It’s all about the history, terroir, quality and flavor imparted in France. In 1962, French President Charles de Gaulle famously mused, “How can you govern a country that has 246 varieties of cheese?” While the point holds true, de Gaulle’s estimate was a lowball—France boasts closer to 1,600 varieties of

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Kefir and Lassi POPULARITY CONTINUES

With a bevy of health benefits, both kefir and lassi have become more prevalent in the U.S. The yogurt aisle at the grocery stores has boomed in recent years, as people have discovered the many health benefits of this probiotic-rich food. But there’s other dairy products that are also making

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Cheese Industry Makes a Difference

Coast to coast, cheese producers step up during the coronavirus pandemic. In a heartwarming show of support for the country and Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, artisan cheesemakers and importers throughout the nation have stepped up in a myriad of ways. Small business is the life blood of food source

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The Better the Butter

French butter’s higher butter fat lends to its unique flavor characteristics. Do the French really do butter better? For those looking at the amount of butterfat, this may be the case, as it’s the acidity and the butterfat content that is the biggest distinction between French and American butters. The

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