Cheddar
is a cheese distinguished by process, not place. The name “Cheddar” is not
protected, as some other names in the food world, so Cheddar can be made
literally anywhere, by anyone. That can result in better availability and cheaper,
but both frequently come at a price, that is to say, a lesser cheese comes at a
lower price. Traditional raw milk
Cheddar can be hard to find these days, and the industrial stuff turned out so
inexpensively doesn’t deserve the Cheddar name. Sadly, that’s the only type
many people know.
Once
the cheese is out of the hoop or mold, it is aged to the desired degree. English
Cheddar is wrapped with cheesecloth, a method called “bandaging” and often
develops mold on its exterior, a natural consequence of the aging process. Young
Cheddar might be aged for just a few weeks or months. It will be a semi-hard
cheese with a smooth, slightly crumbly texture and a mild flavor. The longer a
Cheddar ages, the sharper its flavor and the more crumbly its texture will become.
American
consumers are familiar with designations such as “mild,” “medium,” “sharp,” and
even “extra sharp”; these designations are in the eye or taste buds of the
manufacturer. There’s no standard for aging time. But as the saying goes,
time is money, so Cheddars aged for longer times will be more expensive and
harder to find, not many manufacturers want to take the time or trouble to age
their Cheddar for more than 4 years. Are they worth the extra cost and effort?
It’s up to you, it depends what you like.
Research
Source: The Nibble
How
about soup for dinner? Oh yeah, you betcha!
Chicken
Fiesta Soup
Copyrighted
2013, Christine’s Pantry. All rights reserved.
Ingredients:
1tablespoon
vegetable oil
1
onion, chopped
salt
and pepper, to taste
2
teaspoons garlic, minced
1/4
teaspoon crushed red pepper
1
(10.5 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1
(10 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1
(32 oz.) container chicken broth
2
teaspoons chili powder
1
teaspoon ground cumin
2
boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and cut into bite size pieces
1
(15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1
cup cooked rice
crush
tortilla chips
cheddar
cheese
Directions:
In
a large pot, heat oil over medium heat, add onions, salt, pepper and crushed
red pepper, stirring, cook for 4 minutes, add garlic, and cook another minute. Add
cream of chicken soup, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin and
stir. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add cooked chicken
pieces, black beans and rice, stir and simmer another 10 minutes. Garnish with
crush tortilla chips and cheddar cheese. Enjoy!
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