Cheesy does it!

You remember how I was telling you that I loved cheese? Well, considering I have become more or less a wine drinker now (less calories people, it has nothing to do with being a snob!), I have decided to put together a wine and cheese pairing for the girls sometime soon.

And while I did some research and spoke to a few sommeliers and Maître Fromagers (yeah I know, see these fancy terms I have learnt!), I came to realise how grossly unaware I was about the different types of cheeses that exist in the market.  By the end of my shopping expedition, not only had I tried and tasted everything from Norwegian Gjetost (yate'-ohst) with its magnificent caramel flavour, to something called the Stinking Bishop (this is a type of hard cheese that is made from cow’s milk. It is washed in an alcoholic drink called “Stinking Bishop” which is made from pears. It has a very strong, ripe flavour and smell, but does taste gorgeous).

Now I have to admit while I tend to lean towards more soft cheeses (think Brie, Camembert, Boursault, Brillat Savarin and the like), I have found favour in some delicious hard cheeses like Gospel Green and Cumin Gouda.

Assembling a cheese platter is actually quite simple. Here is how I thought through it:

• Traditionally, a cheese platter should include a variety of cheese, progressing from the very mild to the more pronounced, but tastes vary. So, it’s important to get your basic mix right. This way, you will satisfy everybody’s palate and there will be at least one variety of cheese that will appeal to everybody.
  
• When you head to the supermarket to buy your cheese, always ensure that you taste everything you buy. For instance, feta is a salty cheese and parmesan is dry. However, unless you taste it, you will not know the difference in the flavours and whether or not it is suitable to be served in a cheese platter.
  
• Usually, hard cheeses form the majority of cheese platter, but there are certain exceptions to the rule. Camembert and brie, both soft cheeses, usually find their way to the palate as they are mild and suit most taste buds.
  
• Most common cheese on a platter should include cheddar, smoked gouda, Swiss blue cheese, emmental, gorgonzola, camembert and brie. After you buy the cheese, ensure that you use a wooden board to assemble them. Avoid using metal as this may alter the flavour due to oxidation.
  
• Always remember that cheese tastes best when served at room temperature. Set knives by the cheese plate, ideally one for each cheese. Cheese markers are a fun way to identify the types of cheese you are serving. Provide napkins and small plates. Also, keep aside different types of bread such as rye, multi-grain and a variety of crackers. Always keep a bowl of pitted olives, prunes and fruits, apart from cold cuts. These serve as the perfect accompaniment to the cheese.
  
• Finally, remember to set out the cheese half an hour before serving to ensure that they attain room temperature. This helps bring out the flavours of the cheese.

Remember, a cheese platter doesn’t have to be after dinner! It makes a sensational lunch accompanied by a mixed salad of greens, fresh fruit, crackers, nuts and bread. And what more do you need than a couple of bottles of wine to get the party started? Hic! I’ll drink to that!

Who moved my cheese?

I’m a sucker for all thing cheese – cheese spread, cheese cubes, cream cheese, goat cheese, yak cheese, smelly blue cheese (yes I know a lot of people feel that they smell and taste like feet)…you name it and I love it.  

My travails with cheese also transports me back to the time when my brother and I would fight over slices of Kraft that ‘affluent’ aunts and uncles would bring down for us.  It was the ultimate status symbol you know – refrigerators stocked with tins of Kraft and bars of Toblerone made you the ‘cool’ kid on the block and boy, didn’t we all want to be flag bearers of that coveted title!

Of course, that being said, it didn’t matter how disgusting the cheese tasted. In fact, Kraft came out with this repulsive range of fruit cheeses – you had a pineapple cheese, a strawberry cheese, heck even a grape cheese!  But to my surprise, even that didn’t deter me from my cheesy exploits.

Recently, after a late night soiree, my equally cheese crazy friend and I ambushed her kitchen in order to find what she claims is the ‘BESTEST’ cheese ever. She then introduced me to an innocuous looking tin, much similar to Kraft, only it read ‘Al Marai.’ Now I have to confess, I was a bit skeptical, but once I bit into the cheddar, it was simply the creamiest cheese ever. These Arabs sure know how to milk their cows for all its worth.

My experiments with cheese notwithstanding, I truly have found favour with the tub of Philadelphia cream cheese that has been lying in my refrigerator for a while now. I had the opportunity and good fortune of meeting with Chef Brainard Colaco, the father of molecular gastronomy in India and the Executive Chef, Bakery & Confectionery for The French Loaf, one of my favourite cafes.

Here is his recipe for the best Lemon Cheesecake ever (*Note to all: this recipe is much easier than it looks)

Traditional Lemon Cheesecake

Serves 10-12 portions     Baking temperature: 160*C

Base:

Digestive Biscuits: 200 gms

Unsalted Butter:  100 gms

Caster Sugar: 75gms

Filling :

Unsalted Butter: 150 gms

Caster Sugar: 170gms

4 large Eggs

Refined Flour:  30 gms

Finely grated lemon zest of one lemon

½ tsp of Vanilla essence
Soft Cream cheese: 675 gms  (room temperature)
Milk: 60 ml

Topping :

Sour Cream: 425ml

Icing Sugar: 1 tbsp’

Lemon juice: Juice of 1 lemon

Method:

To make the crumb base, put the biscuits in a food processor and process until fine crumbs. Alternatively, you could put the biscuits in a large plastic bag and finely crush them with a rolling pin. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over gentle heat, and then stir in the crumbs and sugar. Spread the crumb mixture over the base of the prepared cake tin, pressing down lightly. Stand the tin on a baking sheet and cook in a preheated oven @190*C for 8-10 mins. Remove from the oven and let it cool.

Reduce the temperature of the oven to 160*C.

To make the filling: Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and using a hand mixer beat until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Mix in the flour, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Put the soft cheese in a separate bowl and beat with the hand mixer until smooth .gently beat in the milk, and then gradually beat in the butter and the sugar mixture. Spoon the mixture over the crumb base and level the surface. Bake in a preheated oven for 1 ½ hours in a water bath.

To make the topping, put the sour cream, icing sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl and lightly beat. Chill until required. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and increase the temperature to 190*C. Pour over the cheesecake. Return to the oven for 8-10 min or until set. Chill before serving.