Comfort Food…

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Comfort Food…

Hello Cheese Enthusiasts!

During these last lazy days of Summer, I have found myself craving more comfort foods…Maybe it’s because the weather has turned a little cooler, or maybe it has just been too long since I have enjoyed some.

Everyone has a different idea of their comfort foods…for some it’s Macaroni & Cheese, for some its Cheesy Casseroles, but for me it’s a Grilled Cheese Sandwich (notice that they all have cheese!)….and what’s not to love? I mean, we Americans celebrate National Grilled Cheese Day every April 12th. Not on your calendar??…It should be!!

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Holy Smokes!!…

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Holy Smokes!!…

Hello Cheese Enthusiasts!

The inspiration for this week’s blog came from the photo roll of my camera. I found a series of photos that I had taken last year of the smoky skies near my home in Northern California, due to the horrible fires that we had experienced. The day the photo was taken, the smoke was so thick that there was only about 1,000 feet of visibility and the local schools were closed due to the air quality.

Seeing this smoke, I commented to a neighbor that I had planned on hanging some cheddar on the clothesline outside to see if I could smoke it….Not too far from the truth, as cheesemakers have been doing just that same step for years.

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License to Grill…

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License to Grill…

Hello Cheese Enthusiast!

One of the best parts of summer for me is the ability to grill as often as I want…whether it’s meats, seafood, or cheese. I think its part being outside, part eating healthier, and part trying new recipes and items that I didn’t get to try last year.

Just in case you may have may have missed my July 13th post on grilling, this post could easily be considered “Part II”…

In the last addition I covered Halloumi, Paneer, and “Bread Cheeses.” All of these were cooked on the stove, but for today’s post, I moved outside to the grill.

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Shelter from the Storm…

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Shelter from the Storm…

Hello Fellow Non-Travelers!

The world sure has changed an awful lot since my last week’s post. Many across the country are experiencing “Shelter in Place” orders, or “Essential Travel Only”…only to find that when you get to the store, many store shelves have been picked clean and retailers are doing the best they can to keep shelves stocked, while trying to keep an unsettled public fed and happy.

When last week’s post came out, we had already been house bound for several days.

We did a lot of cleaning and organizing those first few days, then settled into catching up on a good book, as well as catching up with some good friends and family by phone.

By week two, we had enjoyed some great home cooked meals and had started catching up on some movies/series on Netflix….But what to snack on while watching these? If you are at our house, it’s…..

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Comfort (food) and Joy…

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Comfort (food) and Joy…

Hello Fellow Traveler!

I am finally back home from a long trip. While out on the road, life can be a little different, unpredictable, and…well, lacking the creature comforts of home. When my best food options are as unappetizing as this retailer’s idea of “Charcuterie”, it is a better option to just go hungry and wait for the next city.

When I am traveling, I am not just looking at the cheese departments, but all of the specialty foods that are normally merchandised around them. I must confess that I literally dream of cooking, so it should be no surprise that when I find a new item that peaks my interest, I will find some creative (and delicious) way of using it. Just like in Iron Chef, when today’s “secret ingredient” is revealed to the chef, the wheels start turning to think up the best way to enjoy it.

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Re-imagining Ricotta – Part Two

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Re-imagining Ricotta – Part Two

Hello fellow traveler! 

In the post that I created for September 2nd,I shared the story of how I ‘discovered’ enjoying Ricotta for breakfast, but I also knew that there was another side of the story that I wanted to share….Dessert! Now, I know that most of you are thinking that I am going to talk about enjoying a Cannoli at this point, but you would be wrong. Have you ever enjoyed Ricotta Popsicles?……

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Re-imagining Ricotta – Part One

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Re-imagining Ricotta – Part One

Hello fellow traveler! 

I wish that I could say that I was writing this story from the Italian Riviera, but I am actually at my corner coffee shop, Lucille's and enjoying Ricotta…for breakfast!!

This is a story that I have wanted to share for some time, as I think that this is an under-appreciated cheese in the U.S….Especially on the West Coast…

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Ah, Summertime!…

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Hello fellow traveler! 

I don’t even need to step foot outdoors to know what I am going to share this week! I just simply have to look at the calendar and the outside temperature to know what I want to eat!

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Living in the ‘Farm to Fork’ capitol, we get some amazing produce year round, but tonight I am focused on the Heirloom Tomatoes and Peaches that I just picked up from my local Farmer’s Market.

Sure, I guess it would be easy enough to just make a Caprese Salad with the tomatoes, and a simple tart using the peaches, but I am in the mood for something different…that is just as simple and delicious.

Sometimes when searching for the perfect recipe for using an ingredient, instead of searching a cooking magazine, network, or celebrity, I will just put something like ‘Fresh Mozzarella Recipes’, then filter by images until I spot a recipe that catches my attention (and appetite). 

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The first recipe that I searched for was to use the peaches. Oh sure, there were lots of recipes for grilling peaches, tarts, and galettes, but when I spotted the recipe for Peach and Beet Caprese, I knew I had a winner! 

I always have fun with the recipes and never can seem to follow them line for line, so here are a few of my notes for this one.

I chose to roast my own beets, but remember the red ones can bleed on to the cheese, so if you want to avoid that, just stick to golden beets. 

Now that I had my side dish, I was searching for a main entrée that I could use the tomatoes on. Then I spotted a Grilled Fresca Pizzette. It was the word ‘Grilled’ that caught my attention as I envisioned it on the BBQ grill as an easy and no fuss meal.

Here are some notes I took on this recipe:

First, I did not make my own crust, instead I used a Stonefire Naan Bread. Second, I did not cook it in the oven, I found that cooking it on a pizza stone on the grill gave me the perfect indirect heat that I needed, and what’s better is they made the perfect ‘personal size pizza’ 

I get asked a lot for cheese & wine (or beer) pairings, so with the salad I enjoyed a Bogle Winery Phantom Chardonnay, but I still enjoy a good beer with my pizza, so I chose Ruhstaller 1881 Beer. Both are locally produced and paired great.

Summertime – What a great time of the year to enjoy some of my favorite foods!