Tag: Meats
Christmas At Shisler’s Cheese House
It’s amazing how fast the year passes by. It feels like just yesterday that we were picking up our Easter chocolate and gift boxes from Shisler’s Cheese House.
With Christmas just around the corner, it is time to start thinking about what gifts would be ideal for our family and friends.
A lot of the time, it can be extremely difficult to think of gift ideas year after year, but here at our store, we feel that we have something for everyone with our wide selection of gift boxes.
Check out our high quality, affordable gift boxes here:
Gift Box #1: Baby Swiss Cheese: $25
This gift box includes a 4 lb. wheel of our signature Baby Swiss Cheese. Our Baby Swiss is one of our local selections that is made in Charm, Ohio by the original producer Guggisberg Cheese. It is a young, semi-soft whole milk cheese which is distinguishable by its myriad of small holes. Although Baby Swiss is closely related to Swiss Cheese, the holes are smaller and it has a milder flavor which is delightfully creamy and delicious.
This gift box makes a perfect gift for pretty much anyone who likes cheese as the flavor is not as acquired as some of our other complex cheeses. It also comes with assorted chocolates that you can find!
4 lb. Baby Swiss Wheel
Assorted Chocolates
Gift Box #2: Troyer’s Trail Bologna and Cheese: $25
This box contains a mixture of meat, cheese, and chocolates- what an amazing combination!
For three generations we at Shisler’s Cheese House have prided ourselves on providing the best examples of local fare to tourists and locals alike. Troyer’s Trail Bologna is one of the best examples of local fare we can recommend. Our Trail Bologna comes from the fourth generation of the Troyer family. Don’t be fooled by imitators. There is only one Troyer’s Trail Bologna, made in Trail, OH and sold exclusively by Ohio retailers so this gift box will be a one of a kind gift for your family or friends!
Also in this box comes two of our delicious cheeses Farmers and Colby. Farmers Cheese is a mild unripened white cheese made by adding rennet to cow’s milk. When the milk coagulates it separates into solid curds and liquid whey, which is drained off. The result at this stage is sometimes referred to as pot cheese. Further pressing out of the moisture results in a more firm and crumbly Farmer’s Cheese. It is often enjoyed in a sandwich with delicious bologna from our store, which is why it why this gift box is an amazing combination.
Colby cheese is a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese native to the United States. But today Colby cheese is made in other regions of the world as well. It is often compared to cheddar cheese since the two both typically appear orange or creamy yellow. But two kinds of cheese taste very different. The flavor of Colby cheese is much milder and creamy. Washing the curds reduces the acid content, making Colby cheese less tangy when it is finished. Colby also has a higher moisture content, and it tends to be much softer than cheddar. Colby often goes well with rye bread, pears and apples. It can also be used as a table cheese, the possibilities are endless.
Like gift box #1, the box also comes with assorted chocolates, because who doesn’t love chocolate at Christmas?
1 Lb. Troyer’s Trail Bologna Ring
3/4 Lb. Wheel of Colby
3/4 Lb. Wheel of Farmers
Assorted Chocolates
Gift Box #3: Cheese Lover’s: $23
This is the ultimate cheese lover’s collection. With a selection of some of our most amazing cheese, this gift will not be forgotten this Christmas!
It comes with 3/4 wheels of 4 kinds of cheese:
3/4 Lb. Wheel of Cheddar
3/4 Lb. Wheel of Cojack (Marble)
3/4 Lb. Wheel of Farmer’s Cheese
3/4 Lb. Wheel of Pepper Jack
Orange Cheddar is traditional white cheddar with Annatto, an extract from the tropical achiote tree, and oleoresin paprika added. These added ingredients give the orange cheddar its orange color and a milder flavor. Many connoisseurs claim that White Cheddar is slightly sharper than orange cheddar, but that is more dependent on aging than color.
Marble Cheese is so named because of its two-toned color. It is made by taking the curds from Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses or white and orange Cheddar curds and pressing them together into a Longhorn. Because Marble Cheese is made from Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses, it is sometimes called “Cojack.”
Farmers Cheese is a mild unripened white cheese made by adding rennet to cow’s milk. When the milk coagulates it separates into solid curds and liquid whey, which is drained off. The result at this stage is sometimes referred to as pot cheese. Further pressing out of the moisture results in a more firm and crumbly Farmer’s Cheese.
Pepper Jack Cheese is just one of our selection of many spicy pepper kinds of cheese. Pepper Jack Cheese is a cow’s milk cheese which blends the creamy, buttery flavor of jack cheese with the intensity of spicy peppers, most notably jalapeños, but also includes some serrano peppers and habañeros. Pepper Jack Cheese is used in a wide variety of recipes, and it is particularly popular in the American West, where people have an acquired taste for spicy peppers.
This gift box also comes with assorted chocolates.
Gift Box #4: Amish Cheese and Goodies: $50
With Amish country being a big part of our store production and community, we had to include a gift box packed full of amazing goodies:
1 Lb. Baby Swiss Wheel
1 Summer Sausage Link
3/4 Lb. Wheel of Colby
3/4 Lb. Wheel of Pepper Jack
Shisler’s Private Label Mustard
Home Style Amish Jam
Carr’s Crackers
Assorted Chocolates
6oz. REACH Coffee
Baby Swiss is a young, semi-soft whole milk cheese distinguishable by its myriad of small holes. Baby Swiss is closely related to Swiss cheese, made by substituting water for the milk’s whey to slow bacterial action, Baby Swiss has smaller holes and a milder flavor. Baby Swiss is often made from whole milk. Baby Swiss has a delightfully creamy and mild taste, a delicious favorite!
Summer sausage is a type of sausage that can be kept without the use of refrigeration. It earned its name from its ability to be kept during the summer without electricity.
Colby cheese is a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese native to the United States. But today Colby cheese is made in other regions of the world as well. It is often compared to cheddar cheese since the two both typically appear orange or creamy yellow. But two kinds of cheese taste very different. The flavor of Colby cheese is much milder and creamy. Washing the curds reduces the acid content, making Colby cheese less tangy when it is finished. Colby also has a higher moisture content, and it tends to be much softer than cheddar. Colby often goes well with rye bread, pears and apples. It can also be used as a table cheese, the possibilities are endless.
Pepper Jack Cheese is just one of our selection of many spicy pepper kinds of cheese. Pepper Jack Cheese is a cow’s milk cheese which blends the creamy, buttery flavor of jack cheese with the intensity of spicy peppers, most notably jalapeños, but also includes some serrano peppers and habañeros. Pepper Jack Cheese is used in a wide variety of recipes, and it is particularly popular in the American West, where people have an acquired taste for spicy peppers.
Gift Box #5 – Baby Swiss Cheese and Troyer’s Trail Bologna: A Classic Amish Country Combination: $50
This box gives a classic combination of Amish county, with a well-rounded selection of each of our special delicacies. This can be a perfect give for a family, neighbors or to bring along to a Christmas gathering. There’s plenty of delicious food to go around and enjoy while supporting not only Shisler’s Cheese House but our very own Amish Country.
The box includes:
4 Lb. Baby Swiss Wheel
Large Troyer’s Trail Bologna Ring
Shisler’s Private Label Mustard
Carr’s Crackers
Assorted Chocolates
6oz. REACH Coffee
Gift Box #6: Amish Country Sampler Gift Box: $75
This gift box is the biggest gift packed full of a huge selection of all Shisler’s Cheese House has to offer. This is the ultimate gift for people who are passionate about fine foods and complex tastes.
The best that Amish Country has to offer!
Our Amish Country Sampler Gift Box includes:
Large Troyer’s Trail Bologna Ring
1 Lb. Box of Heggy’s Chocolates
Home Style Amish Jam
Shisler’s Private Label Hot Jalapeno Mustard
3/4 Lb. Wheel of Cheddar
3/4 Lb. Wheel of Cojack (Marble)
3/4 Lb. Wheel of Farmer’s Cheese
3/4 Lb. Wheel of Pepper Jack Cheese
Baby Swiss Cheese Wedge
Summer Sausage Link
Townhouse Crackers
6oz. REACH Coffee
Other Gifts
If you would rather leave the choice to your family member or friend, you can always purchase them their very own gift certificate to be used at Shisler’s Cheese House so that you can be sure they get exactly what they desire.
These gift certificates are valid for one year and can be used all at once or for multiple transactions. We’ll just subtract the amount spent!
You will be provided with a Gift Certificate code immediately after checkout. Gift certificates can be mailed via US postal service on the following business day if selected.
Select from these set amounts:
$25
$50 (+ $25.00)
$100 (+ $75.00)
$200 (+ $175.00)
Create A Delicious Bologna Spread Using Our Bologna
Here at Shisler’s Cheese House, we have a number of products on sale which will help you create an amazing Bologna spread for any occasion.
This recipe is super easy to create and at our store, we have high-quality bologna and cheese which would be perfect for this spread.
The bologna recommended for this recipe is Lebanon Bologna. You can buy 12 Oz. for only $6.29 at Shisler’s Cheese House, be it in store or on our website. Our Lebonan Bologna is a type of cured, smoked, fermented, semi-dry sausage. It is similar in appearance to Salami, just slightly darker in color. The flavor is distinct and tangy, which makes it delicious.
Also included in this recipe is a cheese, we recommend you use our Colby cheese. However, the choice of cheese is entirely yours and you can look through our wide selection!
Recipe
What You Need
12 Oz. Lebanon bologna (Shisler’s Cheese House)
2 Oz. of Cheese (Colby from our store is recommended)
6 hardboiled egg, peeled
1 cup Miracle Whip
What To Do
Cut the bologna and cheese into large chunks.
Using a meat grinder, grind the bologna, cheese, and eggs into a large bowl.
Add Miracle Whip and stir until mixed well.
Serve on crackers or make a sandwich with the spread.
Easy-Cheesy Halloween Recipes!
Halloween is one of the best times of the year. What better way than to enjoy it by exploring all the different ways you can make spooky Halloween snacks. Be it for a Halloween party for your kids, an adult get-together or a spookily themed dinner with the family, these extra cheesy recipes- with a twist will be a cheese lovers heaven this Halloween!
Not only are these Halloween recipes for cheese lovers, but they are quick and easy to make. So, if you have work on Halloween, you can quickly whip them in a short amount of time so no one misses out!
Halloween Cheese And Crackers
Cheese and crackers are a quick and easy snack to add to a party platter of spooky delights. What makes this recipe even better is that you can have some fun with the kids making these. All you really need is a few different Halloween cookie cutters which you can purchase from your local craft store and some delicious cheese from Shisler’s Cheese House.
Cheddar would be the best cheese for this, at Shisler’s Cheese House we have a range of different cheddars to suit your palette:
– White Cheddar
– Orange Cheddar
– Garlic Cheddar
– Smoked Cheddar
Now you just have to cut some thin slices of your cheese and use your cookie cutter to form the spooky shapes and then place them on your crackers! It is as easy as that! Don’t throw out your outline leftovers, you can just save the cheese for a topping on a family dinner or just for a snack! Enjoy.
Halloween Cheese Board
Everyone loves a cheese board! If you are attending a more sophisticated event this Halloween but you would like to add a twist, bring a spooky Halloween board! Just cut some slices of your favorite cheese and use cookie cutters to make pumpkins and ghosts out of the cheese. Don’t forget to bring the wine!
Check out our website to see all the delicious cheeses you can get for your board.
Crescent Roll Witch Hats
This recipe is something different but equally delicious. With Halloween being very much geared towards a sweet tooth, you’ll be happy to know that this recipe is more on the savory side for those who love Halloween and savory foods!
Again, this recipe is super easy to make and creative!
What You Need
1 package of Crescent Rolls (original)
Shisler’s Cheese House Bologna
2 types of cheese with contrasting color (Cheddar and Havarti from our store)
Basil
What To Do
1. Open and unroll one package of Crescent Rolls.
2. So hats maintain their shape, use a knife to separate segments.
3. Cut salami slices and a portion of cheddar cheese into thin strips.
4. Place bologna and cheese strips on top of the widest part of the roll.
5. Roll it up to create the hat brim.
6. Cut cheddar cheese strips and cheese squares to make the hat band and buckle.
7. Arrange cheese above the brim of the hat.
8. Lightly sprinkle basil over the entire roll.
9. Bake according to package directions.
A Countdown of the Greatest Cured Italian Meats!
Italy is famous for many things, contributing at large to the well-loved dishes such as pizza and pasta, in the world today. However, their most important contribution has got to be the cured Italian meats. Without them, our pizzas would just be a pool of orange grease, our charcuterie boards would be so very boring and most of all, Oscar Mayer would be nothing, without his famous Bologna!
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Image Source: Carlos Gawronski/Vetta/Getty Images
11. Pepperoni
Pizza would be a much healthier dish if it wasn’t for pepperoni, but that’s no fun and not as tasty, so thank you pepperoni! Although people usually don’t know exactly what it is made of (either cured beef or pork in a slice), everyone can agree that its overpowering taste and greasiness is why it is one of Italy’s greatest contributions to the world’s love of pizza.
10. Lardo
Much like its name, Lardo is cured back fat. It is very similar to bacon, except without all the meat… It’s addictive rosemary flavor will have you hooked on it!
9. Salami
If you want to be traditional, you might want to call it Salumi instead. Now, despite all the variety that there is to choose from, you will have to agree that Salami alone is a delicacy. It’s delicious on a cheese plate, sandwiches or even on its own. Salami was once a peasant’s simple storec upboard staple, but now it is a staple of the world’s finest wine bars. The point is, whether it is being cut off a basic stick, or coming from one of Oscar Mayer’s finely vacuum-sealed packages, you’ll never be disappointed.
8. Mortadella
Mortadella is perhaps one of Italy’s finest contributions to cold cuts. The world without mortadella is not the world anyone would want to live in. Its perfect blend of pork, nuts, spices and other delicious ingredients make it very much like and Italian version of bologna.
7. Capicola
This delicious, ultra-fatty salumi is made from the meat surrounding a pig’s shoulder or neck. Given where the meat is from, it gives the flavor a salty one, along with the greasy strips of fat. It is a very popular cured meat on charcuterie plates all over, along with it being a staple to the deli-style Italian sandwiches.
6. Soppressata
Making more use of prime cuts than a sandwich-style salami, this dry sausage, melts in your mouth with its overload of fat chunks. Not only is it mouthwatering, it leaves your tongue coated in delicious spices. This cured meat just overpowers the senses with its rich flavor.
5. Bresaola
This Italian meat is leaner than pretty much all of them. Although it can look quite like a Tootsie Roll, it tastes quite the opposite. Its taste is similar to dried salted steak and can actually be served up with a meal.. a very filling meal!
4. Culatello
Referring to Culatello as “Italian Ham” does not do it justice at all. Culatello is perfection and also quite a rare Italian cured meat to find because it was banned from importation due to it being aged in a bladder. However, just recently, the ban was lifted, so it should be gracing our hungry tummies soon enough!
3. Porchetta
This delicious combination of roasted and cured pig is what makes up Porchetta. You could compare this beautiful, Italian cured meat to an all-meat burrito, the skin being the outer shell, pork belly, and loin as the filling, with the garlic and spices acting as the salsa. Unlike most cured meats, Porchetta hasn’t been cured all the way through, so it doesn’t have a very long expiry date, which means you have to eat it fast.
2. Pancetta
Pancetta is Italy’s version of bacon. This salty chunk of pork fat will have your mouth-watering. Even though it is cured and not smoked, it is just as delicious whether it is served in cutlets or is thinly sliced.
1. Prosciutto
This amazing piece of meat takes the throne with its abilities to make even vegetables delicious when wrapped around them, and to make pizza even tastier (who thought that was possible?!) If you really want to devour some glorious pork, Prosciutto is where it at! the tasty, salty, paper-thin pieces will leave you dying for more.
A How-To On Pairing Cured Meats and Cheeses
Pairing Cured Meat And Cheeses
When pairing things, two approaches generally come into play. The first approach would be to pair like flavors, for instance, two sour ingredients. With this, the similar flavors may cancel each other out and let the other flavors flourish. The second, more common approach is that opposites attract, this takes play in every type of pairing there is, not just in food.
Sometimes, cheese alone on a cheese plate is not enough. You may want to consider other easy additions to compliment the cheese such as: honey, fruit, and crackers. However, if
you’re looking to really add something different and like no other, cured meat is the way to go! It might sound like a difficult pairing, but it really isn’t hard at all. The main tip is to make the most out of it, this can be done by knowing some of the general principles.
The best way to pair cured meat and cheese is through opposites. Unlike wine, beer, or spirits, meat is full of fat, protein, and salt, just like cheese. So you need to proceed with care when pairing the two as you can end up having an overwhelming flavor.
The two major groups that cured meat falls into are: encased or whole muscle. Encased meats have a noticeable tang to them, with intense aromas of black pepper, red pepper, fennel, truffle, and so on. Whole muscle meats are much sweeter, nuttier and more “meaty” like. It’s important to keep this difference in mind when thinking about a meat’s acidity and sweetness.
Source: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/00/2b/d6/002bd6c7db95fe3f385b674bbc1c5934.jpg
Pairing With Whole Muscle Meats
When pairing wine with cheese, if you’re in doubt, it’s best to pair wine and food made in the same region. This is the same for meat and cheese, it also brings us to the notion that it is good to start with a classic:
Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto Di Parma literally begin their perfect pairing at the source. It is commonly known that the whey by-product of Parm is fed to the hogs, whose back legs actually become Prosciutto Di Parma! So one ingredient quite literally fuels the other, thus becoming the perfect pairing.
Prosciutto Di Parma, like all whole muscle cured meats, should be sliced into very thin sheets, neatly trimmed with a ribbon of fat. It melts away on the tongue into a delicious whiff of hazelnut and sweet butter. Parmigiano Reggiano on the other hand is quite the opposite of the elegant Prosciutto Di Parma. It is coarse and craggy, with a distinct tang in the mouth. It shares toasted and nutty flavors but has a leanness because of its partially skimmed milk.
Important lessons to learn from this pairing:
- Flavors which compliment, focus on what is shared, if you can rely on other elements for the contrast needed.
- The texture is important. A mushy, floppy or semisoft cheese paired with a thin slice of meats lacks the contrast needed for a good pairing.
- Acidity is important. In this pairing, it is the cheese, in other pairings it could be the meat. But one element must contribute the sensation of tart, citrusy, mouthwatering brightness to cut out the protein and fat of the other.
Another classic pairing which works on these principles:
A lightly smoked whole muscle meat called Speck is brilliantly matched with a cheese which is textually like Parm, but tastes completely different: Piave. Astringency in the meat is completely reliant on the wood that the meat is smoked over, while the cheese bursts with pineapple and tropical fruit. That is where it is opposite to our first classical pairing: the cheese handles the sweetness while the meat takes the savory lead.
Pairing With Encased Meats
The perfect instruments for spreading an even dipping in the right cheeses come from small-diameter sausage links, which are cured slowly over time and sliced into quarter-inch- thick coins. Most sausages give off amazing spices, garlic, smoke, or even heat, which adds a third component of flavor to play around with when pairing. A well-liked favorite:
Paprika- and cayenne- laden Spanish- Style Chorizo immersed into a perfectly ripened sheep’s milk La Serena will make your mouth water. La Serena, which is a bit airier than custard and full of tart, vegetal and what some would say sour flavors, is a thistle-coagulated cheese. This cheese succeeds in cooling the heat of the chorizo and you’re left with the sweet taste of paprika and garlic. Other cheeses which also work well are Fresh Ricotta or Goat’s Cheese. Cheeses that preserve lactic notes of fresh milk, but earthly notes of age also work well as cooling cheeses to spicy, smoky, or gamey meats.
Minding your meat’s acidity and added flavors is generally what to keep in mind when pairing cheeses with cured meats.
Cured Meats Which Are Cheese-Friendly
Not many of Europe’s cured meats make it into the U.S. but there are still a lot of domestic producers creating great cured meats with European traditions. Here are some brands to try:
– S. Wallace Edwards and Sons
– Olli Salumeria
– La Quercia
– Olympic Provisions
– Creminelli Fine Meats
The Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich: An American Tradition!
One of the most common, famous and easy-to-make foods is the proverbial “Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich” otherwise known as “PB & J” adhering to modern lingo. It is easy to make, requiring only bread, jelly (or jam) and peanut butter as it satisfies any hungry stomach as a meal or a quick snack.
The History of the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich…
The Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich has become such a staple of America that is seems like it has been around since the beginning of time. Ironically, with all the ingredients needed already around, it took quite sometime for someone to compile all of it into the renowned PB & J sandwich. Peanut Butter was originally paired with a diverse combination of other foods: pimento, cheese and celery, just to name a few. In an 1896 article in Good Housekeeping, a recipe suggested the use of a meat grinder to create peanut butter and the concoction was to be spread on a slice of bread. Later that year, a culinary magazine published a recipe for making “Peanut Butter Sandwiches”. The first reference of the pairing of peanut butter and jelly on bread came in the Boston Cooking-School Magazine of Culinary Science and Domestic Economics by Julia Davis Chandler in 1901. Through the early parts of the 1900s, the sandwich and its constituent ingredients gradually were made affordable and available to everyone as the price of peanut butter began to plummet. Later, it became a popular staple for children and during World War II, it was noted that that both peanut butter and jelly were listed on the U.S. soldiers’ military ration list, as claimed by the Peanut Board.
It’s Not Just Making the Sandwich, It’s The Quality of the Sandwich That Counts
We’ve all likely had a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich at some point in our lives, or too many too count, which is the case for me. But what makes the PB & J sandwich experience a unique and sensational one? You’re probably thinking… wait, it’s just a regular PB & J sandwich… how sensational can it get? To that I say, with the right, quality ingredients, a PB & J sandwich can rock your world, and then some!
Using the jelly found on the third shelf down in your refrigerator and the peanut butter in the door shelf, one could see the mundane nature of the sandwich. Yes, it’s a good PB & J sandwich, but good could always be better. The ingredients are everything when making this sandwich. Everything from the type of bread, to the brand of jelly or jam, to the brand and texture of peanut butter that you use. Is the bread white, wheat, rye, sour dough or whole grain? Is the peanut butter smooth or chunky? Is the bread toasted or not? All of these subtle differences up front, make a world of difference in the end in the PB & J experience.
Suggestions to make your PB & J Experience A Memorable One
While a good PB & J sandwich features peanut butter and jelly usually picked up at your convenient store or grocery chain, let’s step outside of the realm of normalcy and add an explosion of flavor to our PB & J sandwich. While jellies, jams, peanut butter and breads can be found in your grocery store bread aisle, the best of these ingredients are found in locally and privately-owned specialty stores, such as here at Shisler’s Cheese House. Here we have an wide assortment of jams and jellies that are locally produced. We also carry some of the best peanut butter around made in Walnut Creek, Ohio. This is an Amish Peanut Butter made locally from a special blend of all natural ingredients. Amish Peanut Butter Spread is a sweet, creamy peanut butter that tastes great on just about anything. With a soft and silky texture, our Amish Peanut Butter Spread is a must try and will make any PB & J sandwich an incredible treat for your taste buds.
Let Us Help You Make That Incredible Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
Had enough of PB & J sandwiches with those peanut butters and jellies in your refrigerator and in the grocery store aisle? Then let us, at Shisler’s Cheese House,
help you make that delicious creation! Click on ingredients below to begin your PB & J experience at our store:
Be sure to stop in and check out our selection of specialty breads that will complete your PB & J experience! While you’re in our store, be sure to check out all of our other specialty products including meats, cheeses, chocolates, cookies and a plethora of other decadent goodies! Visit our online store by clicking the image below!
**We are now selling Girl Scout Cookies! Stop in and get some today!**
