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Post by toshtego on Aug 20, 2019 20:04:03 GMT -5
This just in from personal experience and pure happenstance:
If you are willing to pay the price for really good Cheddar type cheese, allow it to reach room temperature before eating. Previously, I never thought about it and just "slabbed' a sandwich or burger with a slice straight form the refer.
I happened to leave a two pound block of Tillamook Aged Cheddar on the counter. So, it was warm when I sliced and ate it. Much better. Way more nuanced in flavor.
Ok, so you knew that already.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2019 20:26:43 GMT -5
This just in from personal experience and pure happenstance:
If you are willing to pay the price for really good Cheddar type cheese, allow it to reach room temperature before eating. Previously, I never thought about it and just "slabbed' a sandwich or burger with a slice straight form the refer.
I happened to leave a two pound block of Tillamook Aged Cheddar on the counter. So, it was warm when I sliced and ate it. Much better. Way more nuanced in flavor.
Ok, so you knew that already.
Europeans regard us as barbarians for pasteurizing and refrigerating our cheese. |
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Post by roadsdiverged on Aug 20, 2019 20:31:23 GMT -5
I like room temp cheese. I too learned that because I forgot to put it up.
I like all cheese though, even the pungent ones.
"American" is not cheese.
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Post by McWiggins on Aug 20, 2019 20:31:38 GMT -5
Oh yeah, the flavor really comes out at room temperature for sure. Though, I'm a barbarian and like mine cold. lol
Cold though numbs the taste buds. Because of this things that are to be served cold tend to be made with more punch in their flavor. Ice cream is a great example. Its made with a lot of sugar and more concentrated flavors so when frozen, the flavor is not muted as much.
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elric
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Post by elric on Aug 20, 2019 20:35:28 GMT -5
I like room temp cheese. I too learned that because I forgot to put it up. I like all cheese though, even the pungent ones. "American" is not cheese. In the movie the Blues Brothers, Elroy throws a can of Cheese-whiz to an old fella in his boarding house. For years I had no clue what it was until an American friend explained that it was cheese in a can. Never heard of such a thing. Is that what is considered 'American' cheese? |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2019 20:35:46 GMT -5
I made cheeseburgers with American cheese from Dollar Tree and it wouldn't melt! Part linoleum perhaps ?
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Post by roadsdiverged on Aug 20, 2019 20:40:15 GMT -5
I made cheeseburgers with American cheese from Dollar Tree and it wouldn't melt! Part linoleum perhaps ? Hahaha. Or asbestos! American cheese is some weird orange goo slice. It does make a good grilled cheese though. That sh!t in a can is exactly that, sh!t in a can. |
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Post by McWiggins on Aug 20, 2019 20:43:37 GMT -5
I like room temp cheese. I too learned that because I forgot to put it up. I like all cheese though, even the pungent ones. "American" is not cheese. In the movie the Blues Brothers, Elroy throws a can of Cheese-whiz to an old fella in his boarding house. For years I had no clue what it was until an American friend explained that it was cheese in a can. Never heard of such a thing. Is that what is considered 'American' cheese? American Cheese is any cheese (usually yellow colored and made with a cheddar base) that has been processed with added oil. This helps it to have a lower melting point. There are different styles and processes from various manufacturers and I have had some that are more "premium" (for lack of a better term) that make for a great cheese burger or grilled cheese. It's honestly just one of those things that are cheap and are a bad indulgent. Like a Twinkie! lol Cheese in a jar or can is, in a way, American cheese as it too has been processed with added oils. Though in America when you say "American Cheese" one usually mean a yellow cheese, kind of cheddar tasting but comes sliced. The most classic of which comes with each slice individually wrapped. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2019 20:43:45 GMT -5
I like room temp cheese. I too learned that because I forgot to put it up. I like all cheese though, even the pungent ones. "American" is not cheese. In the movie the Blues Brothers, Elroy throws a can of Cheese-whiz to an old fella in his boarding house. For years I had no clue what it was until an American friend explained that it was cheese in a can. Never heard of such a thing. Is that what is considered 'American' cheese? No. I'll let someone who knows the details explain it better. |
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Post by toshtego on Aug 20, 2019 20:46:59 GMT -5
I like room temp cheese. I too learned that because I forgot to put it up. I like all cheese though, even the pungent ones. "American" is not cheese. In the movie the Blues Brothers, Elroy throws a can of Cheese-whiz to an old fella in his boarding house. For years I had no clue what it was until an American friend explained that it was cheese in a can. Never heard of such a thing. Is that what is considered 'American' cheese? "Cheez Wiz" and "Easy Cheese" are two brands of processed American Cheese. Their reason for being is spread-ability since they have the consistency of butter or even whipped cream. They are both totally without connection to a dairy product except, possibly, at the atomic level- carbon atoms? |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2019 20:57:57 GMT -5
To make a broad analogy, those 'Cheese' products are to Cheese, what 'Red' licorice is to real Black licorice.
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Post by Mac on Aug 20, 2019 21:02:13 GMT -5
A picture saves a thousand bites? Or at least one. About 2.5" square.  |
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Post by kxg on Aug 20, 2019 21:02:30 GMT -5
I often drift into a mode of binary thinking. From that perspective, my wife and I have fallen into a new classification standard for many things; horrible and not horrible. An example: “Hey, how was that new burger?” “It wasn’t horrible.”
Admittedly, it is not a high bar, but with much in our culture, a high bar is too high.
With that in mind, some American Cheese Slices are not horrible in the right application; others, horrible.
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Post by elric on Aug 20, 2019 21:10:16 GMT -5
Thank you gentleman.
We don't have American cheese here in Oz.
There is a processed cheese by Kraft that has been around since I can remember that doesn't need refrigeration. It's good for camping trips but I prefer proper cheese at home.
Although I did find a use for it; as a teenager who looked after himself since 15yo, I did get really good at eating on a budget and with few ingredients.
One night all that was in the cupboard was a box of Kraft pretend cheese, a tin of tomato soup and some dried pasta.
Melt the grated cheese into the soup, mix with the cooked pasta, add some white pepper and Italian herbs and it was rather good. Funny thing was was that my then girlfriend and mates who shared the feed, often requested it for dinner.
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Post by elric on Aug 20, 2019 21:13:22 GMT -5
A picture saves a thousand bites? Or at least one. About 2.5" square. We have something similar but a much lighter colour, that tastes much like the Kraft cheese that comes in a box. A lot of kids prefer it over cheddar cheeses. |
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Post by McWiggins on Aug 20, 2019 21:16:03 GMT -5
Thank you gentleman. We don't have American cheese here in Oz. There is a processed cheese by Kraft that has been around since I can remember that doesn't need refrigeration. It's good for camping trips but I prefer proper cheese at home. Although I did find a use for it; as a teenager who looked after himself since 15yo, I did get really good at eating on a budget and with few ingredients. One night all that was in the cupboard was a box of Kraft pretend cheese, a tin of tomato soup and some dried pasta. Melt the grated cheese into the soup, mix with the cooked pasta, add some white pepper and Italian herbs and it was rather good. Funny thing was was that my then girlfriend and mates who shared the feed, often requested it for dinner. This?  |
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Post by toshtego on Aug 20, 2019 21:18:19 GMT -5
Thank you gentleman. We don't have American cheese here in Oz. There is a processed cheese by Kraft that has been around since I can remember that doesn't need refrigeration. It's good for camping trips but I prefer proper cheese at home. Although I did find a use for it; as a teenager who looked after himself since 15yo, I did get really good at eating on a budget and with few ingredients. One night all that was in the cupboard was a box of Kraft pretend cheese, a tin of tomato soup and some dried pasta. Melt the grated cheese into the soup, mix with the cooked pasta, add some white pepper and Italian herbs and it was rather good. Funny thing was was that my then girlfriend and mates who shared the feed, often requested it for dinner. That cheese is known here as "Velveeta" or, as my uncle called it, "Rat Cheese", suitable for baiting traps. I have eaten my share of it. The foundation of many Quesos. Velveeta, a jar of salsa,away you go! |
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Post by trailboss on Aug 20, 2019 21:24:27 GMT -5
Thanks for the tip, John!
I typically pull it out of the meat/cheese drawer and grab crackers and go to town, I will let it rest for a bit going forward.
It makes perfect sense though, eating cold foods as opposed to heating a bit makes a difference, I saw it with the tri-tip this weekend....great cold, but when reheated just a bit, much better...I prefer to reheat leftover pizza as opposed to cold for the same reason.
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Post by elric on Aug 20, 2019 21:25:11 GMT -5
Thank you gentleman. We don't have American cheese here in Oz. There is a processed cheese by Kraft that has been around since I can remember that doesn't need refrigeration. It's good for camping trips but I prefer proper cheese at home. Although I did find a use for it; as a teenager who looked after himself since 15yo, I did get really good at eating on a budget and with few ingredients. One night all that was in the cupboard was a box of Kraft pretend cheese, a tin of tomato soup and some dried pasta. Melt the grated cheese into the soup, mix with the cooked pasta, add some white pepper and Italian herbs and it was rather good. Funny thing was was that my then girlfriend and mates who shared the feed, often requested it for dinner. This? No [although that looks vaguely familiar] The one I'm referring to comes in a blue box. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2019 21:28:40 GMT -5
The price of Velveeta has escalated in my area, sometimes more than a block of real cheese.
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Post by McWiggins on Aug 20, 2019 21:32:56 GMT -5
This? No [although that looks vaguely familiar] The one I'm referring to comes in a blue box. That struck a memory in me so I had to hit up Google and found this. I think this is what you are talking about, maybe? I learned about it years ago but totally forgot about it. I did find I like Vegemite as part of a bacon, egg and cheese.  |
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Post by toshtego on Aug 20, 2019 21:33:42 GMT -5
Years ago, I distributed boxes of food to low income Seniors as part of the USDA "Commodities" program for Seniors. This means I picked up dozens of food boxes from a central distribution point and drove all over delivering to isolated, poor, Seniors living in the mountains here.
The box contained, rice, dry beans, milk in boxes, government beef in a can, flour, canned vegetables and canned fruit, surplus peanut butter from the United States Strategic Peanut Reserve, and a two pound block of United States Government Cheese. This was an un-refrigerated cheese product capable of withstanding war, nuclear attack and rodent pests. You cannot imagine how much the people here loved that government cheese. For one, it melted easily and completely, no pesky curds or lumps. Anyway, I had to depot the boxes overnight at the Senior Center building and, low and behold, someone stole the cheese out of the boxes. That is right, friends, someone of the lowest order took all the two pound blocks from the boxes for themselves. This was a major outrage here. At first I was accused of stealing the cheese since I was the last to see it all together. Once I was able to clear myself, attention turned to others and, although the Sheriff declined to investigate, the authorities were notified! Yes, an agent of the USDA arrived during a snow storm and seemed most interested in the missing cheese. I suspect she had other business attending. No one ever discovered who was responsible and to this day the Great Cheese Caper of 2010 comes in conversation.
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Post by trailboss on Aug 20, 2019 21:40:36 GMT -5
Years ago, I distributed boxes of food to low income Seniors as part of the USDA "Commodities" program for Seniors. This means I picked up dozens of food boxes from a central distribution point and drove all over delivering to isolated, poor, Seniors living in the mountains here.
The box contained, rice, dry beans, milk in boxes, government beef in a can, flour, canned vegetables and canned fruit, surplus peanut butter from the United States Strategic Peanut Reserve, and a two pound block of United States Government Cheese. This was an un-refrigerated cheese product capable of withstanding war, nuclear attack and rodent pests. You cannot imagine how much the people here loved that government cheese. For one, it melted easily and completely, no pesky curds or lumps. Anyway, I had to depot the boxes overnight at the Senior Center building and, low and behold, someone stole the cheese out of the boxes. That is right, friends, someone of the lowest order took all the two pound blocks from the boxes for themselves. This was a major outrage here. At first I was accused of stealing the cheese since I was the last to see it all together. Once I was able to clear myself, attention turned to others and, although the Sheriff declined to investigate, the authorities were notified! Yes, an agent of the USDA arrived during a snow storm and seemed most interested in the missing cheese. I suspect she had other business attending. No one ever discovered who was responsible and to this day the Great Cheese Caper of 2010 comes in conversation.
I smell a rat!  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2019 21:42:44 GMT -5
I got some of that Government cheese doled out to me during the Jimmy Carter recession years. It was very good. Given its shelf life, I wonder if it was the same batch ? (Picture a mountain of government cheese in say, Area 51 )?
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Post by toshtego on Aug 20, 2019 21:53:30 GMT -5
Years ago, I distributed boxes of food to low income Seniors as part of the USDA "Commodities" program for Seniors. This means I picked up dozens of food boxes from a central distribution point and drove all over delivering to isolated, poor, Seniors living in the mountains here. The box contained, rice, dry beans, milk in boxes, government beef in a can, flour, canned vegetables and canned fruit, surplus peanut butter from the United States Strategic Peanut Reserve, and a two pound block of United States Government Cheese. This was an un-refrigerated cheese product capable of withstanding war, nuclear attack and rodent pests. You cannot imagine how much the people here loved that government cheese. For one, it melted easily and completely, no pesky curds or lumps. Anyway, I had to depot the boxes overnight at the Senior Center building and, low and behold, someone stole the cheese out of the boxes. That is right, friends, someone of the lowest order took all the two pound blocks from the boxes for themselves. This was a major outrage here. At first I was accused of stealing the cheese since I was the last to see it all together. Once I was able to clear myself, attention turned to others and, although the Sheriff declined to investigate, the authorities were notified! Yes, an agent of the USDA arrived during a snow storm and seemed most interested in the missing cheese. I suspect she had other business attending. No one ever discovered who was responsible and to this day the Great Cheese Caper of 2010 comes in conversation.
I smell a rat! It wasn't me, I swear it. It was not me, I swear. Don't breaka my knees! |
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Post by toshtego on Aug 20, 2019 21:58:05 GMT -5
I got some of that Government cheese doled out to me during the Jimmy Carter recession years. It was very good. Given its shelf life, I wonder if it was the same batch ? (Picture a mountain of government cheese in say, Area 51 )? I figured it was Cold War surplus. You know, CONELRAD Cheese! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2019 22:01:00 GMT -5
The irony of it was I heard several people say it was the best cheese they had ever tasted.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2019 23:42:58 GMT -5
I had a summer job for Meals on Wheels all the yeast rolls, government cheese, government butter and dehydrated milk a teenager could ever want. This was in the early 80s.
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Post by theloniousmonkfish on Aug 20, 2019 23:54:01 GMT -5
I got some of that Government cheese doled out to me during the Jimmy Carter recession years. It was very good. Given its shelf life, I wonder if it was the same batch ? (Picture a mountain of government cheese in say, Area 51 )?   |
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elric
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Post by elric on Aug 21, 2019 0:26:37 GMT -5
No [although that looks vaguely familiar] The one I'm referring to comes in a blue box. That struck a memory in me so I had to hit up Google and found this. I think this is what you are talking about, maybe? I learned about it years ago but totally forgot about it. I did find I like Vegemite as part of a bacon, egg and cheese. Bega cheddar cheese is a popular brand but I've never seen that processed cheese before. Not that I know how to upload pics here but I've been unable to find a pic of the Kraft in the blue box. It would be the same size as the above Bega cheese. When many people from overseas, especially Americans, try Vegemite for the first time, they smear it on as if were peanut butter. No wonder then that they find it not so good. Vegemite is a concentrate so only a little is needed. Many cooks add a little to soups and stews. Vegemite was the only thing that my boy would eat on toast or sandwiches when he was little. It's high in Vit B [B1,2,3,6,9,12] and potassium. I, like most true blue Aussies, love Vegemite. |
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