Join intern Virginia on her journey to discover how different regions of the US use local cheeses to improve local cuisine. From Vermont cheddar to Wisconsin colby and on to California Monterey jack, she’ll hit the iconic cheese destinations of America and introduce you to regional delicacies and recipes along the way. If you missed it, don’t forget to read last week’s post on Monterey Jack.
The past few weeks have taken us all over the United States looking at the various ways industrious Americans have presented their cheese at its best. From Vermont Cheddar to California Monterey Jack, each region has taken the cheese of their people and incorporated it into a delicious cheesy dish. With each new blog post I learned something about the cheese, but also about the region of its origin.
Probably my favorite aspect about this project was talking to people about cheese. I am fortunate enough to have friends from all over the country that came to my aid with this project and happily talked to me about their favorite creamery or cheesy dish. Let me tell you, if you have never sat down with a curd loving girl from Wisconsin who will eloquently gush about her favorite cheese, you simply have not lived. People are kind and generous about cheese and want to share their favorite places to find it. You never know what you’ll come up with if you simply ask. Small creameries, out of the way whole in the wall restaurants, and ooey-gooey cheesy concoctions are a small part of the information that you will glean from a conversation with a cheese lover.
Curd nerds are easy to spot and I highly recommend engaging them in conversion whenever possible. Just a simple, “so… I was eating cheese yesterday,” can win you the best kind of friend. Take the time to ask someone’s favorite cheese or cheese dish. Let them reminisce about cheese in the past or if it is a part of any cheesy family tradition. Talking to someone about cheese is the best way to get to know them. It lets you know how adventurous they are- do they stick to the simple cheddar generically labeled at the grocery store or do they take more risks with a funky cheese like Harbison? It could tell you if they traveled anywhere interesting or their favorite types of foods. Cheese and conversation about cheese opens the door to new adventures and possibly new friends.
Whether your favorite cheese or cheese dish was highlighted in the blog series or not I encourage you to share your cheesy passion with us and those around you. We love hearing feedback about one of the cheeses we have in our cheese library or maybe you’ve found something new!
Win An Issue
This week’s question: What cheesy dish did I miss? Post your answer in the comments section by Wednesday, December 10, 2014 for a chance to win a FREE issue of culture magazine! You must be located within the continental US to be eligible to win. Good luck!
Photo Credit: Featured image courtesy of Fondue Fanatics
Virginia Hyde
Virginia Hyde is a southern girl at heart who just moved to Boston to submerge herself in food - mainly cheese, to be honest. Game for any food-related adventure, festival, or gathering, she is ready to share her passion for cheese with others. Virginia is currently working on a Masters in Gastronomy at Boston University.
cheese pizza is perfect for that…
Just thinking of the cheesy specialities that are known throughout Chicago—deep-dish pizza and cheesecake.