Debunking Myths about Cheese

There are myths and misconceptions surrounding almost every aspect of a culture – including its foods.  Cheese is no exception.  Here is the truth concerning a few misguided notions about cheese.

Processed cheese is authentic cheese. In most cases processed cheese is actually “cheese-like” and contains very little milk products.  However, it does contain a lot of food coloring, additives and preservatives.

People who are lactose intolerant cannot eat cheese.  The good news is that lactose is removed from milk while the cheese is being made.

Cheese labels indicate where a particular cheese was made. In the United States, that label may be, at the least, inaccurate.  The Vermont Cheddar may have been produced in another state.  However, in Europe cheese producing countries have regulatory boards that determine where a particular cheese is produced and insure that labeling accurately states its origin.

Cheese will cause heart disease. Cheese, by itself, will not cause heart disease.  For example, the Greeks and French eat far more cheese than Americans do and have among the lowest rates of heart disease in the world.

Cheese with mold is safe to eat if the mold is removed. This is true in the case of hard cheeses.  If there is a light film of mold and it is scraped away, the cheese can still be eaten.  With soft cheeses, the mold can spread further into the cheese.  The best advice is probably to avoid eating it.  Improper storage is generally the cause for most cheese mold.

Cheese causes nightmares.  According the Cheese Board cheese contains trypophan – an amino acid that reduces stress and induces restful sleep.

Mice like cheese. Despite Saturday morning cartoons, mice prefer foods with high sugar content.  Their natural diet is grains and fruit – both contain a lot of sugar.

The moon is made of cheese. This myth has endured and has been passed from generation to generation.  The myth persists because the moon’s color and craters resemble Swiss cheese, and because young children have wonderful imaginations.

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Another Form of Cheese

As the Super Bowl approaches, a discussion that includes “cheese” and “Wisconsin” at least once in the same sentence would be incomplete without considering one of the most nationally recognized symbols in NFL football – the Green Bay Packers’ cheesehead.  The term cheesehead has a long history in Wisconsin.

According to wisconsinhistory.org, cheesehead is: “1. A colloquial term for a resident of Wisconsin popularly thought to have been coined by a resident of a neighboring state; 2. A wedge-shaped hat usually made of yellow foam and punctured to resemble Swiss cheese… worn to proclaim one’s allegiance to the dairy State.”

The first part of the definition came as a result of Wisconsin’s well known cheese industry and inferred that Wisconsinites’ heads were full of cheese.  The “neighboring state” referenced was probably Illinois.

Over time Illinois sports fans extended the original definition to include Wisconsin’s college and professional sports teams – including the Milwaukee Brewers and in particular, the Green Bay Packers.  In response to the term’s use, a loyal and enterprising Brewers’ fan, Ralph Bruno, invented the infamous cheesehead hat using a piece of foam from an old sofa cushion.  The original cheesehead was first worn to a Milwaukee Brewers game in 1987.  The first definition was derogatory; the second definition created a new Packers’ fan tradition.

From this beginning, the cheesehead has become a multi-million dollar business and the most popular symbol for the Packers.  The stands at Packers’ home games are a sea of wedge-shaped cheesehead hats.  Cheesehead has become the most common and popular way of describing Green Bay Packers fans.

Cheese and Wisconsin are inseparable.  Today, Wisconsin is the second largest cheese producing state after California.  Many of the state’s original settlers were Swiss and brought with them a tradition of making fine cheeses.  The tradition has endured.  While the use of the term cheesehead started as a negative reference to the state’s heritage as a cheese producer, the newer definition of a cheesehead has created a renewed pride for Wisconsin’s most famous export – cheese.

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Exploring the Internet for Cheeseburgers

A cheeseburger.

Image via Wikipedia

Who can deny the taste and appeal of a well prepared cheeseburger? The cheeseburger is the quintessential American sandwich. Surprisingly, there are some interesting variations on this classic meal that can be found at several food recipe websites.
There are prerequisites for a great cheeseburger experience. First, a high quality grade of meat is absolutely necessary. Note that the meat does not have to be beef. Second, the choice of cheese that goes on the burger needs to match the recipe other ingredients. While cheddar cheese is the traditional choice, there are other equally good choices, depending on what’s going to provide the best flavor to the burger. The bread used to house the burger creation needs to blend in with the meat and cheese selected. Finally, the condiments must be fresh and add to the unique taste of the burger.
Read on to see what a little culinary imagination can accomplish for cheeseburger lovers.
Food Network (www.foodnetwork.com) has several neat twists for preparing cheeseburgers. Consider preparing a “creamy mushroom cheeseburger” with smoked cheddar cheese. If something a little spicier fits the bill, there’s a “tex-mex chipotle cheeseburger” with Monterey jack cheese. Another possibility is a savory “bleu cheese cheeseburger. Rachel Ray’s addition to the recipes is a “mini-cheeseburger salad” with yellow mustard vinaigrette and sharp cheddar cheese. Finally, Food Network suggests a “cheeseburger casserole” with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.
Cheese-burger (www.cheese-burger.net) has some innovative cheeseburger ideas. Instead of beef, how about a bison burger or lamb sliders with shredded sharp cheddar cheese? There is also a recipe for a ground turkey cheeseburger with bleu cheese and even a tuna burger. Better yet, think about fixing a cheeseburger pie with shredded cheddar cheese.
Cooks Recipes (www.cooksrecipes.com) has a long list of cheeseburger recipe ideas that covers the gamete from the “all-American” cheeseburger to a Welsh rarebit cheeseburger with cheddar cheese.
The final recipe suggestion comes from www.allrecipes.com. It is a different take on what a cheeseburger should look like – a cheeseburger meatloaf.
Now, go browse the options for a great cheeseburger meal.

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Cheese Facts and Quotes

In addition to be one of America’s favorite foods, there are a number of interesting facts about cheese that most folks are unaware of.  Here are some of the best fun facts and quotes about cheese:

  • § Swiss cheese is known for its holes.  The holes are caused by gas expanding within the cheese curd during the aging process.

“What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?” – Bertolt Brecht

  • § Cheese remains have been found by archeologists in Egyptian tombs that are estimated to be over 4,000 years old.  That is very well aged cheese.

“A corpse is meat gone bad.  Well, and what’s cheese?  Corpse of milk.” – James Joyce

“Age is not important unless you’re a cheese.” – Helen Hayes

  • § The favorite cheese dish in the United States is macaroni and cheese.

“Fettuccini is macaroni and cheese for adults.” – Mitch Hedberg

  • § In 2003 alone, Americans consumed 8.8 billion pounds of cheese.  Of that total, 2.8 billion pounds was mozzarella and 2.7 billion pounds was cheddar.

  • § Pizza makers are the main buyers of mozzarella cheese.  Pizza Hut alone purchases 140 kilograms of mozzarella cheese a year.  It is estimated that Americans eat the equivalent of ten acres of pizza every day.

  • § By comparison, Greece and France are the world’s top cheese consumers.

“How can anyone govern a nation that has 257 different kinds of cheese?” – Charles De Gaulle

  • § The grilled cheese sandwich is the fourth most popular sandwich in America.  We eat 2.2 billion grilled cheese sandwiches per year.

  • § It takes ten gallons of milk to make one pound of cheese.

“Cheese – milk’s leap towards immortality.” – Clifton Park Fadiman

  • § Soft cheeses contain less fat than hard cheeses.

  • § A farm in Bjurholm, Sweden makes moose cheese.  Who milks the moose?

And finally, “The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.” – Jeremy Paxma

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The Most Popular Cheese

A wedge of Unpasteurised West Country Cheddar ...

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What is the most popular cheese?  Google that general question and you will get several different answers, depending on the source answering the question. Clearly, opinions vary on this subject.

The popularity ranking of cheeses can be viewed geographically and globally.  Every country has its favorite cheese – some of the cheeses are unfamiliar to most people outside the particular country.  This article will look at the most popular cheese in the United States and the world.

In 2004 Americans consumed 31.2 pounds of cheese per person, up from 17.5 pounds in 1980, and was the seventh largest per capita consumer of cheese in the world.  That is a lot of cheese.

In the United States the most popular cheese according to www.extension.org and www.allbusiness.com is Mozzarella, with Cheddar cheese a close second.  Mozzarella cheese received top billing because it is a staple ingredient in one of America’s favorite dishes – pizza.

However, this is not the only ranking. www.faqs.com ranked Cheddar as the most popular cheese.  The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board estimated that in 2007 each American ate nine pounds of Cheddar cheese per year.  While Mozzarella was declared the most “popular” cheese in 2002, as of 2005 Cheddar cheese continued to produce 33.4 percent of the cheese in the US, while Mozzarella ran a close second at 33.1 percent of the cheese produced.

The real surprise is discovering that Cheddar is the most popular cheese in the world according to www.allbusiness.com.  Wikipedia.com states that in 2009, 1,603 tons of Cheddar cheese was produced in the United States alone.  Cheddar cheese originated in Great Britain during the 12th century and now accounts for 51 percent of England’s cheese sales.  Today, it is also produced in almost every country in the world.

What determines a cheese’s popularity is elusive and open to opinion.  The clear measures for cheese preference are consumption and production.  In this respect, Mozzarella and Cheddar are winners.

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Cheese – A Universal Food

Mozzarella cheese

Image via Wikipedia

Cheese is more than a universal food.  In addition to being part of the diet of almost all of the countries on Earth, it is used in so many different food forms that it becomes difficult to think of a food without cheese.

Starting with snacks, there are crackers, chips and a variety of munchies that contain cheese.  If the snack does not have cheese as an ingredient, the dip that accompanies it probably will.  Here again, dips are made using several different kinds of cheese, from mild to spicy.

Moving along to other fare, cheese sauces highlight the taste of many dishes.  Broccoli with cheddar cheese is a favorite vegetable dish.  Casseroles are often baked with one or more cheeses to add texture and flavor – a chicken and rice casserole – again, with broccoli and cheddar cheese is an amazing combination of foods.  Other green vegetables that beg for a special cheese sauce are asparagus and spinach.

Chicken and beef are two meats that go well with cheese in or on them.  Chicken Parmesan is a great example of how well chicken and cheese complement each other.  Try substituting a unique cheese sauce for the tomato sauce on a meatloaf.

There is and will always be macaroni and cheese.  What makes it special is the type of noodle and cheese used – and the choices are endless.  Macaroni is a wonderful dish to experiment with different combinations of cheese, noodles and extras like bacon bits, mushrooms and spices.

Potato dishes sometimes demand cheese.  A grated cheese and garlic turn mashed potatoes into a more exciting dish.  Hash browned potatoes mixed with a melted cheese definitely turns breakfast into a special meal.

One of America’s favorite quick meal choices is pizza.  Part of what makes a great pizza is the selection of cheese – or cheeses – used.  While mozzarella cheese is the traditional choice, the addition of one or more additional cheeses can turn a great pizza into a spectacular pizza.

So, break out the cookbooks and crank up the imagination – the cheese awaits.

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Proper Eating Habits During Pregnancy

The most important time for women to have proper nutrition is during pregnancy. Many don’t realize that this is one of the most stressful times for the human body. Not only is the body in charge of creating a new human being, but it must also make sure the mother’s body can deal with the rigors of life and the challenges of child birth. One of the best ways to gain the proper pregnancy information from week to week is to subscribe to an online resource that provides the most vital of information to expectant mothers.

But regardless of the stage of pregnancy you are in, all pregnancy information indicates that there are certain foods that expectant mothers are notoriously told to stay away from. Always the number one food on the list to avoid is any type of raw meat or fish. This may come as a sad shock to sushi or steak tartar lovers, but it is generally wise to stay away from raw meats. Raw meat and fish can contain harmful bacteria, which normally the body can handle quite well, but when an unborn child is involved this same bacteria can prove harmful. Another raw product that should be avoided is raw eggs or foods that may contain raw eggs such as eggnog or mayonnaise. This is due to the fact that raw eggs can have salmonella, which can be deadly even in the healthiest of patients.

While this may seem like an attack on protein, there are countless food protein options that expectant mothers are encouraged to eat. Cooked eggs are considered very healthy and a great source of protein. This is also true of properly cooked fish, chicken and turkey. All these proteins are part of a balanced diet and are encouraged. Other foods that are on the go-to list are complex carbohydrates, meaning vegetables. There never was a time where the essential vitamins and nutrients found in fruits and vegetables were more in need.

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Sandwiches and Cheese – Endless Choices

Bacon, scrambled eggs and swiss cheese on rye

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One of America’s favorite ways to eat cheese is on sandwiches and the variety of ways is both impressive and imaginative.    Hot or cold, sandwiches that include cheese are a staple in the American diet.

One of the most popular sandwiches for kids and adults alike is the classic grilled cheese sandwich.  Is there anything better that a warm grilled cheese sandwich with cheese dripping of the edges of the bread and a warm bowl of soup on a cold winter day?

One of the first innovations to the original grilled cheese sandwich was addition of ham.   With time and imagination, the grilled cheese sandwich has grown up and become more sophisticated.  For starters, the varieties of bread and cheese used have expanded to include new combinations.  For instance, what about a grilled ham and cheddar cheese on good multigrain bread or even using bacon bits or turkey instead of ham?  Consider these recipe possibilities for the humble grilled cheese sandwich – adding spinach and tomato sauce; or onions, tomatoes and jalapenos.  Finally, instead of using butter, grill the sandwich in olive oil.

Another American deli sandwich favorite is the ham and Swiss cheese or rye bread.  Traditionally, this sandwich can be served hot or cold with lettuce, tomato and mustard.  This combination can be jazzed up by using another meat instead of ham – or a vegetable – and adding spicy mustard, onions and mushrooms to the sandwich.

Finally, consider two all-American favorites – the burger and the hot dog.  A burger made with good quality beef and sharp cheddar cheese is hard to beat.  Not surprisingly, the same burger with Swiss cheese creates an entirely different eating experience.  As for the hot dog, cheddar or American cheese is typically the choice.  For those who like their sandwiches with a bite of their own, how about a hot dog with spicy cheese accompanied by an equally spicy mustard?

With several hundred cheeses and an impressive variety of breads there is potentially a different sandwich experiment for every day of the year.

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Coops and Other Uses For Your Home

You may be wondering what other use there can be for chicken coops than housing chickens? Well, where do the chickens go to roost at night and to lay their eggs? And, where do they deposit a great deal of the natural “fertilizer” they supply? That’s right, in there.

If you are allowed to keep chickens in the area where you live, you are going to be amazed at how easy and fun it can be. Sure, it takes a little time and work, but if you keep your chicken population at a manageable size (between six to eight chickens), it won’t be that hard.

As mentioned earlier, chicken coops are designed to give chickens a place to roost at night as well as seek shelter from predators and extreme weather conditions. In addition, laying boxes are placed either inside or on the outside of them, so that the hens can have a place to deposit their eggs.

They must be cleaned often as the smell from them can be rather unpleasant. However, you can purchase ready-made ones that are easy to clean, or you can simply fix the floor to where it is easy to remove the “fertilizer.”

If you have a backyard garden, you can use the “fertilizer” you remove from the chicken coops to help your plants grow. It is natural, so you don’t have to worry about introducing harmful chemicals to the soil. If you don’t have a garden, ask your local agriculture agent how to properly dispose of the droppings.

Speaking of backyard gardens, not only do the they provide the “fertilizer” for it, but the inhabitants of said coops also act as natural insect controllers. If you have problems with the chickens wanting to eat the plants as well as the bugs, simply put chicken wire around your garden. The chickens can still catch the pests, but won’t be able to get to your plants.

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Cheese – A Short History

Camembert cheese Author : Nataraja, 2004, G. A...

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Cheese – with all its tastes, textures and variety – may have been around as long ago as 8000 C.E.  Historians suspect that cheese made from goat’s milk originated among the nomadic tribes of Asia Minor and spread westward over time.  Archeologists studying Egyptian artifacts estimate that cheese was part of Egypt’s diet around 2000 C.E.

With the introduction of cheese to the Roman Empire, cheese making made its way north through Europe until the Empire’s decline.  Without Rome’s influence, new varieties of cheese were developed by monasteries in the individual European countries.  While Italy was considered to be Europe’s cheese making center during the Middle Ages, French inspired Camembert cheese was documented as early as 1791 C.E.  The well known Italian Parmesan cheese was reported around 1579 C.E.  The Helvetians, a Celtic tribe living in Switzerland were among the first to begin making cheese in Europe and by 1815 had opened the first cheese factory.

Cheese is believed to have first come to the New World with goats on Columbus’s ships.  As America grew, local farmers were the source of most cheeses.  Most cheeses were made by local farmers until 1851, when a farmer in upper New York State opened the first cheese factory.  In the 1800s, Swiss farmers settled in what is now Wisconsin.  In 1845, these farmers introduced the first limburger cheese and by 1868 opened a factory to produce limburger cheese.  By 1880 there were 3,923 dairy factories operating in the United States.  By the end of World War II most cheese was produced in factories.

By 1996 there were around 2.2 billion cheese factories in the United States alone.  Roughly one-third of the milk produced in the U.S. is used to male cheese.  It is estimated that on average, every American consumes 33 pounds of cheese per year.

World-wide, there are at least 760 varieties of cheese today.  The British Cheese Board claims that there are 700 different local cheeses in Britain, alone.  Every country in the world can lay claim to at least one unique local cheese.  Cheese is a true international food.

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