pretentious primitives discuss pretentious cheeses

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/115747410

Oh my.

I have no idea why Ms. Vanderbilt-Astor, the NJCher primitive, isn't on this thread.

Spaldeen (196 posts)    Wed Nov 12, 2014, 07:08 PM

What's your favorite cheese?

The Limburger thread made me think to ask!

I've been on a Bellavitano Gold kick lately, but I've always been partial to goat cheese with herbs on crackers.

Now, the primitives are talking real cheese here, not "cheese food.'

<<<large consumer of cheese; probably six to ten times the cheese the "average" American purchases; dines on cheese at least two times a day, every day of the year.

<<<likes all cheeses excepting Limburger, which reminds one of the stench in poor houses, and soft gummy cheeses whose names i don't bother to get.

<<<runs the gamut in cheeses purchased, from store-brand packages to one-of-a-kind chunks from small places, from about two bucks for half a pound up to more than forty bucks.

<<<favorite cheeses are Kraft sharp cheddar, and store-brand "Swiss" cheese.

From what the primitives say, apparently franksolich is a slob when it comes to cheese.

Allegedly, nadin's homeland produces some "good" cheeses, but I remain skeptical.

The thread's long, so only a few primitive comments, selected at random:

cali (96,689 posts)    Thu Nov 13, 2014, 08:51 AM

18. I think Oma, Willoughby, Harbison and Moses Sleeper are superior to most bries and camemberts

they are domestic. Oma is a raw milk organic cheese.

and yes, I've had bries and camemberts in france.

cali (96,689 posts)    Thu Nov 13, 2014, 08:45 AM

16. I don't know where to start, but Oma is fabulous. Amazing

<snip>

Sebastian and Dan Von Trapp (yes, related to those Von Trapps!) have a small herd of mixed-breed cows in the Mad River Valley of Vermont. The brothers craft their cheese several times a week, and then work closely with the Cellars at Jasper Hill to age their raw milk cheese to 60-75 days. "Oma" is German for "grandmother," and the cheese is named after Sebastian and Dan's Oma, Erica Von Trapp, who started the family farm over 50 years ago..."
 
Oma is a washed-rind, cow's milk cheese with lovely, silky texture. It has fast become a staff and customer favorite at Formaggio Kitchen, and for good reason: it's buttery, rich, funky, tangy, and addictive. Try it with some of our house-made pate de campagne and a few cornichons on the side.
 
<snip>

http://www.formaggiokitchen.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=2438

Then there's Moses Sleeper:

http://culturecheesemag.com/cheese-library/Moses-Sleeper

In fact, anything out of Jasper Hill Farm is nothing short of phenomenal: Bailey Hazen Blue, Willoughby, Harbison, Cabot clothbound cheddar.
 
http://www.jasperhillfarm.com/

Alas, all these cheeses are quite expensive, but in my book, worth every penny.

If you can get your hands on any of them, do it.

Major Nikon (15,043 posts)    Thu Nov 13, 2014, 12:07 PM

22. Really good cheeses are expensive for a reason

There's a lot of resources, steps, labor, and artisanship involved. It's just one of those things that doesn't lend itself to mass production.

cali (96,689 posts)    Thu Nov 13, 2014, 12:47 PM

23. oh, I know. I live just down the road from Jasper Hill and some of the other

fantastic cheese makers in Vermont. What's going on here re artisan cheese making is just wonderful. There are literally dozens of world class cheese makers here. I don't for a second begrudge the high prices.

[BattleHymn]

My cheese is more pretentious than your cheese!  Good grief.   

Grasswipe Judy must still be suffering the ill effects of eating Popeye's chicken out of a dumpster.  This thread is practically casting a European continent-shaped beacon into the sky, and she hasn't even made a single post in it.   

[franksolich]

My cheese is more pretentious than your cheese!  Good grief.   

Grasswipe Judy must still be suffering the ill effects of eating Popeye's chicken out of a dumpster.  This thread is practically casting a European continent-shaped beacon into the sky, and she hasn't even made a single post in it.

At the moment, Judy grasswire's too busy being an expert on national security in General Discussion.

Geezuz.  She really needs to stick with things she knows something about.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I've had some excellent cheeses, including Emmenthaler in Germany, Edam in Holland, real Camembert, and real Havarti along with some other greats.  But really to my taste nothing beats cheap Monterey Jack with hard salami or summer sausage on rye (With seeds), plain old Swiss slices with hot Polska Kielbasa, or fresh-sliced Colby.  Not a fan of truly stinky or moldy cheese.

[tanstaafl]

Allegedly, nadin's homeland produces some "good" cheeses, but I remain skeptical.

Frank, I have never seen a Mexican cheese, other that the shredded Taco cheese or some Jack Cheese with chopped jalapenos in it. So I have to respectfully disagree about nadin's homeland cheeses.

[BattleHymn]

Geezuz.  She really needs to stick with things she knows something about.

And what would that be?   

[franksolich]

Frank, I have never seen a Mexican cheese, other that the shredded Taco cheese or some Jack Cheese with chopped jalapenos in it. So I have to respectfully disagree about nadin's homeland cheeses.

The cbayer primitive on that thread swears by Mexican cheese.

To me, that's like insisting Vietnamese kolaches are good.

[BattleHymn]

But really to my taste nothing beats cheap Monterey Jack with hard salami or summer sausage on rye (With seeds), plain old Swiss slices with hot Polska Kielbasa, or fresh-sliced Colby.

You're speaking my language, DAT.   

[franksolich]

And what would that be?   

Well, I know I'm a minority opinion here, but I suspect Judy grasswire makes some pretty good pies.

She belongs in the cooking and baking forum, not out in General Discussion pretending to be thoughtful and intellectual about serious issues; she's w-a-a-a-a-a-y over her head there.

[BattleHymn]

Fizzgig hasn't stopped by yet, either.

My guess is that her favorite kind of cheese is the liquid in a silver bag located in a box of macaroni and cheese.  I'll bet it makes one hell of a gut bomb.

[franksolich]

Fizzgig hasn't stopped by yet, either.

My guess is that her favorite kind of cheese is the liquid in a silver bag located in a box of macaroni and cheese.  I'll bet it makes one hell of a gut bomb.

My favorite bedtime snack is half of an eight-ounce package of Kraft sharp chedder, gnawed on as if a candy bar.

Those times it's necessary for me to impress someone, I take half an eight-ounce package of Kraft sharp chedder, put it on a plate as if a piece of cake--I use a fork to eat it--and pouring blue cheese salad dressing over it, for "icing."

[BattleHymn]

Those times it's necessary for me to impress someone, I take half an eight-ounce package of Kraft sharp chedder, put it on a plate as if a piece of cake--I use a fork to eat it--and pouring blue cheese salad dressing over it, for "icing."

What, no sour cream dollop on top? 

[franksolich]

What, no sour cream dollop on top? 

That'd be a little too rich for this palate, I think.

At least it was when I smeared sour cream on slices of "Swiss" cheese, and so I gave up using sour cream as a complement to cheese.  A complement to everything else of course, but not cheese.

[diesel driver]

I love chedder, the sharper, the better!   

[GOBUCKS]

Wallduded DUmmy cali Eva Gage likes a nice camembert with her oxycontin.

[franksolich]

cbayer (137,522 posts)    Wed Nov 12, 2014, 07:18 PM

2. Pecorino.

I am passionate about cacio e pepe, and I love a very good pecorino.

Galileo126 (680 posts)    Thu Nov 13, 2014, 09:44 AM

19. Amen!

I can't have pasta without pecorino.

I...just...can't.

cbayer (137,522 posts)    Thu Nov 13, 2014, 09:58 AM

20. I have not been able to find either pecorino or an acceptable parmesan

in Mexico.

I lived on it over the summer* and am grieving now.

*when the cbayer primitive and her wealthy eccentric English husband spent a month residing in an expensive villa outside Rome.

Luminous Animal (22,514 posts)    Thu Nov 13, 2014, 02:13 PM

27. Mexico has some excellent cheeses.

Try the añejo cotija; the aged cotija (up to 36 months) is akin to parmesan and also stands on its own. In the US, parmesan is usually listed as a substitute in Mexican recipes. (Regular cotija is good too, but saltier and more feta-like.) Pecorino is usually listed as a substitute for manchego viejo and Monterey Jack as a substitute for regular manchego.
 
Mexico has some great cheeses in it's own right. I love the queso cincho.

The website http://lactography.com promotes Mexican artisan cheese. Explore!

Yeah, right.

Mexican cheese would seem about as good as Polish chow mein.

cbayer (137,522 posts)    Thu Nov 13, 2014, 02:18 PM

28. I am really trying to learn about them and not very successful so far.

I really appreciate the input and the link.

I do not like the crumbly, salty cheese that is most like feta and that seems to be the most popular.
 
I just bought some cotija and it sounds like it's going to be like the ones I don't like.
 
Manchego is good and I like the stringy cheese (oaxaca, I think) - it's best for quesadillas, imo.
 
I need to talk to the cheese people about quesos anejos, I think.

The mac and cheese I made last night from a cheese labeled as "gouda" was about as bland as it could be.
 
And the "mozzarella" I bought last week bore not resemblance to mozz at all.

I love cheese and just need to keep trying things until I find what I like.

And I definitely need to stop buying those with english names.

[BattleHymn]

It sounds like the Mexicans make cheese the same way that the Chinese make drywall: anything that isn't bolted down and within reach goes into the pot. 

[Chris_]

Just say no to the Mexican bathtub cheese.  That stuff kills people.

A guide to cheese for DUmmies:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3KBuQHHKx0&index=1&list=PL3545E3E001FB3485[/youtube]

[GOBUCKS]

cbayer (137,522 posts)    Wed Nov 12, 2014, 07:18 PM

2. Pecorino.

I am passionate about cacio e pepe, and I love a very good pecorino.

That does it. The thread slayer is posting just for us.

[Delmar]

They are democrats, they love fromunda cheese.

[obumazombie]

Knowing their favorite cheese is nothing. Knowing how their favorite cheese fits into their favorite recipes is everything.

[Big Dog]

Knowing their favorite cheese is nothing. Knowing how their favorite cheese fits into their favorite recipes is everything.

Waiting for a picture of NJCher's latest cheese creation.

[obumazombie]

^Now we're getting somewhere !

[BannedFromDU]

     Not a cheese snob at all, but I will say that it ain't a parti until you bust out Havarti.

     Other than that, the DUmp thread is nothing more than them Googling obscure cheeses and claiming to love them. "Oh, you should try Giacomo D'Jizzo next time you're in the Italian Alps. I'm related to a family there that's been making artisanal cheeses since 1435. You can only approach the town by donkey, but it's worth the trip. I visited there with MLK in 1973."   

[delilahmused]

Frank, I have never seen a Mexican cheese, other that the shredded Taco cheese or some Jack Cheese with chopped jalapenos in it. So I have to respectfully disagree about nadin's homeland cheeses.

I'm actually one of the few people in my family who like that dry salty Mexican cheese. My grandpa used to go to Mexico a couple times a year to visit family. He'd always bring back Mexican pastries for everyone and Mexican cheese for me. I was his only white grandchild and he used to call me his "little gringita". He never learned to speak English very well, but he & my grandma came here when they were first married and became citizens. We never went there when there weren't fresh homemade tortillas and beans to eat. She made the best Menudo I've ever had. Try as I might, I've never been able to duplicate it.

Grandpa was a really hard worker, though mostly menial jobs and usually several at a time. But his children were able to live the American dream. My Aunt Irma was a stay at home mom with 5 kids and her and my Uncle Herman (one of the funniest people ever) were able to put all 5 children through college. My Uncle Rey (we call him Uncle Rey-o) was a cop in CA, he's retired now. My stepmom, Millie, was a hairdresser who worked hard to be the psycho bitch from hell and was amazingly successful. However, she gave me the best Farrah Fawcett haircut I've ever had.

Me, I always have pepper jack and brie in my fridge. Brie & apple are a food group.