| Whispers Food |
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 Cheese Advice
Dear Fellow Foodie, The most diverse and exciting cuisine in the world is served in the USA. It wasn't always like that. As a child in the '60s, I found myself defending American foodstuff. "Hey! France isn't the only place you can eat great cheese!" "Sure, you can get a good cup of coffee in America." "Whadya mean, we can't cook a decent dish of pasta?!" Fast food chains, school cafeterias and the American supermarket stacked the evidence against me. But as I grew up, so did the American palate. Every day, Americans discovered a new taste, a new food, a new method of cooking. The tentative steps taken in the 1970s became a frantic race in the 80s to eat the most arcane, bizarre and remote foods on the planet. The 90s brought fusion cooking - combos that that went from the imaginative to the idiotic. Fusion married our diverse ethnic backgrounds, but it also blurred them. Suddenly, we've matured. As Americans we have a new confidence in our cooking. We're going back to regional roots, classic dishes, and local ingredients. Who can we thank for this nationwide celebration of food that has lasted a generation and shows no sign of stopping? Julia Child, for one. James Beard. Craig Claiborne. Gourmet, Bon Appétit, Sunset, Better Homes & Gardens. Cuisinart. We can thank the Italian lady next door, the Asian grocer on the corner, and the heirloom tomato farmer down the road. Thanks to our African heritage, Hispanic roots, Jewish holidays, Native American ingredients, and American ingenuity, to name but a few influences on our table, we have the finest and most varied cuisine on the planet. And now we can thank the Internet for an unprecedented, worldwide exchange of good eating ideas. foodies started as an "I" in the fall of 1995 and quickly became a "we" as friends, family and associates contributed to bringing it live on Thanksgiving Day, 1996. Cindy Blandino, the foodies producer, shares in my passion for food and drink and the bonding power of a shared meal. foodies is a playful place for people serious about food. Grab a fork and stay awhile!
Joy Rotondi
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Tips on storing cheese Store cheese in your refrigerator, which approximates the temperature of our aging rooms. Keep it wrapped tightly in plastic, away from air. Air helps mold grow on cheese. If you get a little mold on the outside, just cut it off. The English say if mold won't eat your cheddar it can't taste very good. Tips on melting cheese Bring cheese to room temperature before melting. Melt cheese over a low heat to help prevent toughening and separation of oils and liquid. Tips on freezing cheese Most ripened or aged cheese is low in moisture content and can be frozen without drastic flavor and texture changes. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator for 24 hours or more. If frozen for several months, the cheese may dry out somewhat and become crumbly when thawed. Tips on serving cheese It's universal thinking - cheese is served best at room temperature. |
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