Tag: Cheese Recipe
Do Processed Cheeses Get a Bad Rap?
Pepperoni Cheese
Most cheese connoisseurs cringe at the thought of processed cheeses. Think of Kraft singles, Laughing Cow, or Velveeta. Most of us loved such cheeses when we were kids, we always made sure Mom grabbed some at the grocery store. So why do they offend our adult palates? Labels that contain the name “cheese food” don’t make them sound any more appetizing either.
Processed cheeses are made with some natural cheeses, but usually contain other unfermented dairy products as well as chemical emulsifiers like sodium phosphate and citrate to circumvent the aging process necessary to produce most natural cheeses. Normally processed cheeses are medium firm, have a very mild flavor, and a consistently smooth texture.
Processed cheeses are often criticized for having a small range of flavors and textures and for potential health effects associated with the use of trans-fats, chemical preservatives, and artificial colorings. But like anything else, the health risks are negligible when these items are consumed in moderation, and these types of cheeses also offer many advantages.
Being cheese enthusiasts ourselves, we originally began stocking certain processed cheeses in order to satisfy our customers who requested them. But there has been a recent surge in the acceptance of many of these processed cheeses amongst the culinary community. The consistency of processed cheeses enables them to melt much more smoothly than natural cheeses, which tend to separate and pool after prolonged heating. They also have a much longer shelf life and the shortened production process lowers their cost significantly. This makes them ideal for use in cooking.
Some dishes call for only the finest natural cheeses, but many do not. It would be unusual for a chef to use a top shelf wine or liqueur to cook with. The same goes for cheese in many cases. This came to our attention when Jim Kennedy, a customer and friend of ours who also happens to be a retired chef ordered some horseradish cheese from us. He specialized in classic French cuisine and had been an apprentice to the first American-born Master Chef, Richard Schneider. So his opinion carried a lot of credibility with us. He shared his ideas for incorporating the horseradish cheese into high-end cuisine with us: “We melted it into mashed potatoes and it was superb. We melted it into Alfredo sauce and it was wonderful. We baked it into a quiche and it was sensational. We baked it with macaroni and it was incredible. In the future we intend to combine it with the smoked bacon cheese in all the above.” he said “We were afraid it would be tame for mainstream palates, but we were pleasantly surprised.”
That brought us to the most important benefit of processed cheeses: they come in a very diverse array of flavors. Besides horseradish, processed cheeses come in flavors like bacon, pepperoni, garden onion, Bermuda onion, hot pepper, super hot pepper, caraway, and even Southwestern Salsa. We also offer smoked varieties of many of these. Of course American cheese is the archetype of processed cheeses, but we also offer Sharp (aged) American, which is probably our best-selling processed cheese because few other cheese stores offer it. All of these flavors make excellent additions to simple or complex recipes. We were very impressed with the zing the Bermuda onion cheese added to our burgers!
So while most cheese aficionados will wrinkle there noses at the mere mention of processed cheeses, we have now found some very sophisticated uses for them. Of course, if the cheese is offered by itself or used as a finishing element for a fine dining recipe, natural cheeses are best. But processed cheeses can be excellent ingredients in complex recipes and add zesty variations to simple ones.
The Perfect Monte Cristo
One of my favorite sandwiches of all time has always been the Monte Cristo, a toasted turkey, ham, and swiss sandwich with a touch of elegance. I initially discovered it at Bennigan’s. I later tried several versions at Diners along the East Coast. The one thing that I noticed was that you must use the proper ingredients to make a great Monte Cristo. There is a delicate balance between sweet and salty, and skimping on the ingredients can throw the whole balance off and turn it into a boring ham and cheese sandwich.
So I did my research and found the following to be the best recipe for a delicious and elegant Monte Cristo. Most restaurants and diners deep-fry the sandwich, but this recipe enables you to prepare it in your own kitchen.
One important element is the proper Swiss Cheese. Do not use the processed swiss you find in the grocery store. One recipe I found even called for Gruyere. But that can be expensive and is a little sharp for my palate in this particular recipe. Amish Swiss cheese from Ohio’s Amish country works perfectly. The same rule goes for the meats. Use quality smoked ham and turkey, not the discount processed meats from the grocery store. You would also be surprised to see what a big difference high quality butter can make over margarine. I prefer salted butter, but some prefer unsalted instead.
The best place for the chef to get creative is with the jam. Traditional recipes call for strawberry or raspberry jam, and I even saw one that used red currant jelly. But you can make this recipe your own by serving your favorite jam. The importance of the jam is to provide the sweet side of the contrast. Again, make sure you use a quality jam and not a grocery store jelly. If you make your own jam, even better!
Here is the recipe for the perfect Monte Cristo. Leave out the turkey and it becomes a Monte Carlo:
Ingredients:
12 slices firm-textured white bread
12 thin slices swiss cheese
6 medium-thin slices Smoked Ham
6 medium-thin slices turkey
Mayonnaise
3 eggs
1/4 cup of half and half, light cream, or milk
Dash of salt
3 to 5 tbsp of butter
Powdered sugar
Parsley sprigs
homestyle jam (traditionally strawberry or raspberry)
Directions:
- Spread mayonnaise on one side of each bread slice and construct 6 sandwiches with 2 slices of cheese, one slice of ham, and one slice of turkey.
- Using a sharp knife, trim bread crusts and filling making sandwich edges even; cut each sandwich in half diagonally.
- Beat eggs, half and half, and salt until blended in a shallow dish. Place sandwiches in mixture and turn to coat; then let stand, turning occasionally until all liquid is absorbed.
- Melt 3 tbsp of the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add as many sandwiches as will fit without crowding. Brown lightly on both sides. Add butter to pan as needed.
- Place browned sandwiches on ungreased baking sheet and bake at 400º until cheese is melted (3 to 5 minutes)
- Sprinkle the powdered sugar onto the sandwich and garnish with parsley.
- Serve hot, accompanied by ramekin of jam. Makes 6 sandwiches.
Optional:
For the more daring chef, add a dash of cinnamon and a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the egg mixture.
