Month: June 2016
The “Untold” History of Cheese
This is the story you’ll often hear about the discovery of cheese in human history…
About 9,000 years ago, a nomad was travelling and brought along with him some milk in an animal stomach, serving as a sort of thermal insulator, to have something to drink at the end of the day. But when he arrived, he discovered that the rennet in the stomach lining had curdled the milk, creating the first cheese.
But there’s a major problem with that story, as University of Vermont cheese scientist and historian Paul Kindstedt explained on the latest episode of Gastropod—a podcast that explores food through the lens of science and history. The nomads living in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East in 7000 B.C. would have been lactose-intolerant. A nomad on the road wouldn’t have wanted to drink milk; it would have left him in severe gastro-intestinal distress.
Kindstedt, author of the book Cheese and Culture, explained that about a thousand years before traces of cheese-making show up in the archaeological record, humans began growing crops. Those early fields of wheat and other grains attracted local wild sheep and goats, which provide milk for their young. Human babies are also perfectly adapted for milk. Early humans quickly made the connection and began dairying—but for the first thousand years, toddlers and babies were the only ones consuming the milk. Human adults were uniformly lactose-intolerant, says Kindstedt. What’s more, he told us that “we know from some exciting archaeo-genetic and genomic modeling that the capacity to tolerate lactose into adulthood didn’t develop until about 5500 B.C.”—which is at least a thousand years after the development of cheese.
It took another recent advance to figure out the origins of cheese: Kindstedt says that only recently have scientists been able to analyze the chemical traces on pottery from thousands of years ago in order to find milk fat in the higher concentrations that indicate it was used to hold cheese or butter, rather than plain milk.
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Using this new research, Kinstead explains, we now know that the real dawn of cheese came about 8,500 years ago, with two simultaneous developments in human history. First, by then, over-intensive agricultural practices had depleted the soil, leading to the first human-created environmental disaster. As a result, Neolithic humans began herding goats and sheep more intensely, as those animals could survive on marginal lands unfit for crops. And secondly, humans invented pottery: the original practical milk-collection containers.
In the warm environment of the Fertile Crescent region, Kinstedt explained, any milk not used immediately and instead left to stand in those newly invented containers “would have very quickly, in a matter of hours, coagulated [due to the heat and the natural lactic acid bacteria in the milk]. And at some point, probably some adventurous adult tried some of the solid material and found that they could tolerate it a lot more of it than they could milk.” That’s because about 80 percent of the lactose drains off with the whey, leaving a digestible and, likely, rather delicious fresh cheese.
With the discovery of cheese, suddenly those early humans could add dairy to their diets. Cheese made an entirely new source of nutrients and calories available for adults, and, as a result, dairying took off in a major way. What this meant, says Kindstedt, is that “children and newborns would be exposed to milk frequently, which ultimately through random mutations selected for children who could tolerate lactose later into adulthood.”
In a very short time, at least in terms of human evolution—perhaps only a few thousand years—that mutation spread throughout the population of the Fertile Crescent. As those herders migrated to Europe and beyond, they carried this genetic mutation with them. According to Kindstedt, “It’s an absolutely stunning example of a genetic selection occurring in an unbelievably short period of time in human development. It’s really a wonder of the world, and it changed Western civilization forever.”
Make Your Breakfast Healthier With Cheese!
5 Reasons To Eat Cheese For Breakfast
A common trend among dieters is to cut out cheese from their diet the minute they embark upon a weight loss mission. What they fail to realize is the immense nutritional and purported weight loss benefits that they are missing. Cheese is arguably one of the most underrated health food today. It provides ample amounts of proteins, calcium, vitamins, and minerals – everything that a person needs for a healthy start to his day. Still not convinced? Read on to know about the health benefits of eating cheese right in the morning, the best forms of cheese to include, and the healthy cheese dishes.Benefits of eating Cheese for breakfast
1. Complete Food
Cheese is one of the healthiest sources of high biological value proteins. Each serving of cheese can provide close to 30 gms of protein, which is almost 50% of the RDA for protein. Unlike other protein rich foods, cheese also contains all 3 proximate principles including carbohydrates. Apart from the energy providing nutrients, it also provides a trove of minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients essential for maintaining a fit body and mind.
2. Promotes and maintains bone health
Cheese is arguably the richest source of calcium. Each serving of cheese can provide anything between 700 mg to over 1000 mg of calcium, which covers more than 70% of daily-recommended dose for an adult woman. Importance of calcium in bone health and prevention of osteoporosis is well-known. Apart from calcium, cheese is also rich in 15 other essential nutrients including phosphorus and small quantities of Vitamin C, which help in calcium absorption.
3. Protects teeth from cavities
Several studies have shown that eating cheese after a starchy meal (the key culprit to cavities) helps prevent development of cavities. This is attributed to several factors, including the high calcium content, which is believed to help maintain healthy teeth enamel. Cheese promotes salivation, which too might be the reason behind the anti-cavity property. Whatever be the reason, it is a good idea to have a piece of cheese after a starch filled breakfast.
4. A chock-a-block of vitamins and minerals
Cheese contains over 50 vitamins, minerals, and trace nutrients. It is a B vitamins in cheese help maintain healthy glowing skin, while fat-soluble vitamins contribute to long lustrous hair. Other elements like zinc, phosphorus, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin A boost immune system.
5. Slows aging and prevents cancer
The high amounts of antioxidant nutrients in cheese helps prevent free radical damage and cell mutations, thus helping retard ageing process of the cells. Several studies have also shown that Conjugated Linoleic acid, a compound found in cheese may help prevent formation of tumor cells and metastasis of cancer cells.
Best cheese to have for breakfast
Even though, cheese is a great health food with several nutritional benefits, not all varieties of cheese can be recommended for a person trying to lose weight or control their fat intake. That said; one can find several cheese types that are naturally low in fat and/or salt. These offer the same nutrients as the full fat ones. Some of the varieties best suited for a weight watcher include:
- Skim milk mozzarella
- Skim milk cottage cheese
- String cheese
- Farmer’s cheese
- Neufchâtel
As a thumb rule, goat milk cheese contains least amount of fat followed by cow’s milk, and buffalo milk cheese. So, the trick is to choose the right kind of cheese to eat for breakfast rather than cut out all cheese from your menu.
Best ways of eating Cheese for breakfast
- Fruits and cheese: This is a classic combination and easiest to fix up on a busy morning. Farmer’s cheese is the best choice for this combination and you can include a variety of seasonal fruits. The fruits add much need fiber to your breakfast, while the benefits of cheese are already discussed.
- Sandwich: Cheese sandwich is probably the most popular and easy to prepare breakfast and snack item. You can use a variety of cheese, but low-fat cheddar seems to be the healthiest best. Do not forget to use whole wheat bread and add some veggie slices for added nutrients.
- Feta with eggs: Cheese and eggs makes a lethal nutrient combo for sure. Feta with slices of eggs, olives, whole meal bread, and a mug of coffee – a perfect Greek breakfast.
A breakfast without cheese is like peanut butter without jelly. Include cheese in your breakfast for the immense health benefits and of course the scrumptious taste. Stop by Shisler’s Cheese House and let us help you enjoy the most important meal of the day by adding cheese to your breakfast!
Cheese Makes Everything Better: Great Lunch Recipes For The Cheese Lovers
Struggling to find ideas for lunch? Tired of the same ol’ leftovers? We hear you and we want to help you solve this dilemma. Afterall, while breakfast is the most important meal of the day, lunch too often gets overlooked. Lunch is a critical meal in the middle of your day as it refuels you at the midway point in your day and recharges you to the finish line.
Without further adieu, here are some great ideas for you to make your next lunch creation. The best part about these recipes is that they have the cheese lover in mind!
MAC N’ CHEESE WITH BACON AND CHEESE
INGREDIENTS
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 4 cups milk
- 2 or 3 sprigs thyme
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and divided
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5 1/2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- Leaves from 1/4 bunch fresh thyme
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a small saucepan heat the milk with the thyme sprigs and 2 garlic cloves. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to keep lumps from forming. Strain the solids out of the milk and whisk it into the butter and flour mixture. Continue to whisk vigorously, and cook until the mixture is nice and smooth. Stir in the 4 cups of the cheese and continue to cook and stir to melt the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked macaroni and the parsley and fold that all in to coat the macaroni with the cheese mixture. Scrape into a 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
While that bakes, heat a saute pan. Add the bacon, render the fat and cook until crispy. Add onion, garlic and thyme leaves and cook for about 5 minutes to soften the onion. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, scatter the bacon mixture over the mac and cheese. Use a big spoon to scoop out servings, making sure you get some of the smoking bacon mixture on each spoonful.
GRILLED CHEESE WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons/30ml olive oil
- 3 large onions, sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 8 thick slices bread
- 1/4 cup/60ml butter, room temperature
- 2 cups/500ml grated aged Cheddar
DIRECTIONS
Generously butter both sides of each bread slice. In between two bread slices, pile the caramelized onions between two layers of cheese.
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Cook the sandwiches, flipping once, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
SCALLOPED POTATOES AU GRATIN
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch slices
- 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar
- 1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese
DIRECTIONS
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until softened and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and continue cooking 1 minute longer. Stir in the cream, broth and thyme, and season with the salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking until the potatoes are fork-tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer the potatoes and cream to a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the cheeses evenly over the potatoes. Bake until bubbly and the surface begins to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
PARMESAN-CRUSTED GRILLED CHEESE
INGREDIENTS
CREAMY STOVETOP BACON MAC AND CHEESE:
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 6 strips thick-cut smoked bacon, cut in 1/4-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups hot whole milk
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard, or more as needed
- 8 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded (2 cups)
- 8 ounces Muenster cheese, shredded (2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
PARMESAN-CRUSTED GRILLED CHEESE:
- Eight 1/2-inch thick slices brioche
- 8 slices American cheese
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 4 tablespoons crushed Calabrian hot chile peppers, from jar
- 8 slices tomato, cut thin (or 4 large slices, depending on how big your tomato is)
- 2 1/2 cups grated Parmesan
DIRECTIONS
For the grilled cheese: Top all 8 slices of bread with a slice of American cheese. This will act as your glue. Spoon 1/2 cup of the mac and cheese onto four of the slices, sprinkle with some basil, and then add a dollop of the spicy peppers. Top with 1 or 2 tomato slices, and cover with a second slice of bread.
In a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat, spread 1/3 cup of the grated Parmesan in an even circle roughly the same size as your bread. Let the Parmesan begin to melt and brown, 2 to 3 minutes. As soon as it gets golden brown, set a sandwich on top of the Parmesan. Cook for 2 minutes more. The Parmesan will adhere to the bread and create a nice crispy crust. Remove the sandwich from the skillet and repeat the same process for the other side of the sandwich. Depending on the size of your pan, you may be able to do two sandwiches at a time. If needed, keep finished sandwiches warm in a 200 degree F oven while the others are cooking.
Be sure to stop by Shisler’s Cheese House and let us help you make create your next lunch masterpiece with our selection of imported and domestic cheeses and meats.
