Dear fellow food-lover,
The Cheese Plate is a monthly email from Oldways with suggestions for different types of traditional cheeses, ideal pairings, and ways to serve them. Visit our Cheese Store Directory to find where to buy traditional cheeses near you. Learn more about Things to Look For in Traditional Cheese or send us your questions.
For tips on buying cheese, download our e-book, The Cheese-Lover's Guide to Cooking with Traditional Cheeses.
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Oldways programs all center around cultural food traditions, so as you might expect the Oldways' staff all truly cherish food and culture. This month, we asked staff members from a few of our programs to share about their favorite cheeses. Read on to see what they have to say about delicious traditional cheeses including Buffalo-Milk Mozzarella, Halloumi, Manchego, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Feta.
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From Sara, Our Culinary Travel Expert |
Sara, our culinary travel expert, organizes our Culinarias (amazing chef-guided culinary travel tours). She's had incredible cheese experiences in her travels, like seeing her favorite Buffalo-Milk Mozzarella being made at a buffalo farm in Battipaglia, Italy (if you'd like to see that, too - join us on our next trip to Naples + Amalfi in 2022). Buffalo-Milk Mozzarella is stretchy, creamy and its mild flavor is a wonderful addition to pizzas, pasta dishes, salads, sandwiches, and on its own. Another of her favorites is Halloumi, which she notes is also versatile and is wonderful for grilling because it does not melt when heated.
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From Kelly, Our Nutrition Expert |
Kelly, our Director of Nutrition, works to promote healthy foods and delicious eating traditions as part of Oldways' Heritage Diets program. While she uses Parmigiano Reggiano most often, she also loves the salty, nutty bite of Manchego which she serves with fruit. A tip from Kelly: Pairing fruit (a carbohydrate food) with a fat or a protein source (such as cheese) can have a gentler impact on your blood sugar than eating carbohydrates alone. |
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From Abby, Our Whole Grain Stamp Expert |
Abby manages the Oldways Whole Grains Stamp Program (if you've ever wondered if a food product really contains whole grains, the Whole Grains Stamp is clutch) and she can bake circles around the rest of us (seriously, masterpieces come out of her oven). All it took was one Greek salad topped with tangy pepperoncinis and a briny, salty Feta for Abby to stop saying she "was not really a fan of cheese." For a creamy, flavorful cheese like the one that converted Abby, look for Feta made with sheep's milk sold as a block in a container of brine.
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Pairing: Caramelized Onions |
If you are preparing a dish and need a magical finishing touch, we have two words for you: caramelized onions. With their mix of sweet and savory flavors they add that little extra something to sandwiches, roasted meats, grilled vegetables, soups, and on a cheese board. We like to serve them with a creamy Burrata or with almost anything that contains melted Gruyére. |
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Whole Grain Sampling Day is Around the Corner! |
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