The Cheese Lady
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Letter #2-2009
OPEN 
808 Terrace Street
Downtown Muskegon
Tues - Fri  10 - 6
Saturday  9 - 4
or call 231-728-3000

Elle made a snowman family.
 
And she became a big sister on March 20.  William John Riegler.


CHEESE  *  CHEESE  *  CHEESE
This week (Easter week) brie is on special.
$3.00 off  a pound.
Fromager D’affinois is a rich, surprisingly smooth and creamy double cream.

It is as spreadable as a triple cream such as Delice D’Bourgogne -
 nearly like room temperature butter at room temperature.

Uses: This is pretty much a cracker cheese. Any application of heat to this cheese would result in a liquid.

Wine Pairings: This would be perfect with a sparkling wine such as Champagne, Cava or Spumante.

And a great favorite here.



So what is your favorite cheese?
And what is your favorite recipe?
Please share the info, if you like.
I will pass it on.

There are a lot of great mac and cheese recipes out there.
Do you have a favorite?

Macaroni and Cheese 101

- serves 12 -
Adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics.

Ingredients
                                8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
                                6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
                                5 1/2 cups milk
                                1/2 cup all-purpose flour
                                2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water
                                1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
                                1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
                                1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
                                4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
                                2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère
                                            or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
                                1 pound elbow macaroni
Procedure
                            1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl.
                                In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl
                                with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.
                            2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter
                                 in a high-sided skillet over  medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook,
                                stirring, 1 minute.
                            3. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking,
                                whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.
                            4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper,
                                3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside.
                            5. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is
                                cooked  and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander,
                                rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.
                            6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese,
                                1/2 cup Gruyère (or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano), and the breadcrumbs over the top.
                                Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
                            
                             Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.
Take care.
See you soon.
Kathleen