QUICK TREATMENTS: Bits of Cheese
Red wine cheese bread
“Four to six month ago we started making our own homemade breads. The flavors change continuously; we haven’t had a repeat yet. And we’ll get inspired by recipes or by remnants we have here. For example, we’ll take the small unusable pieces from big blocks of cheese (maybe ¼ cup white cheddar, goat cheese or fontina). And we’ll take any red wine – cab, pinot noir, a red blend – that’s become un-servable after 3-4 days. (You can tell which wines are past their prime because there’s a big bite in your mouth: it’s a little bitter, vinegary.) And we’ll incorporate those flavors in this rather mild bread with a nice white cheese. The bread becomes more moist because of the wine, and you can taste the flavor of the wine. When we serve it we like to tell customers to look out for these flavors.” (Chef Jodi Janisse, Café Soeurette, Milwaukee)
Fromage Fort (cheese spread)
“For a recipe Jacques Pepin got from his father called Fromage Fort, Pepin would take ends and bits of cheese, trim off the crusts, and chop them up finely in a food processor to make a potted cheese that could be used as a cheese spread. It involved cooking tiny bits of white wine together with Camembert, blue cheese and goat cheese. You put it on a toasted crouton and served it hot or cold.” (Amy Sherman, recipe developer, San Francisco)
Parmesan rinds add complexity to soup
“Parmesan rinds I’ll put in a bouquet garni when I’m making soup. It’s kind of like putting in a hambone! Parmesan rinds give soups depth of flavor, particularly Italian-y soups like minestrone. I let the parmesan rind simmer for as long as I’m simmering my soup.” (Martha Rose Shulman, recipe developer, New York City)
Pizza topping enhanced by aged cheese
“I should admit I don’t pay attention to expiration dates – except for fresh meat and fish. I eat yogurt way past its expiration date. Cheese is the same way. You can take the gnarly-est Camembert that’s past its prime, bake it on pizza and the ammonia vapors bake right off! Camembert or Limburger just get creamier and gooey-er as they get older. The trick is to first mix the cheese in question with a more neutral cheese such as Mozzarella which melts nicely. I’ll put the stinky cheese in the freezer first so it cuts easily. Then I’ll place it on the pizza in globs and let it melt into the crust. (Bobbi Marstellar, recipe developer, Chicago)
Fondue from scraps of cheese
“Beautiful cheeses in Europe are eaten as a separate course with bread or fruit. When a cheese stops being prime the French will cook with it. Fondue uses lots of bits and pieces of cheese that are starting to get dry (Gruyere and Emmentaler are the traditional choices). You can make fondue out of any cheese that melts: like goat cheese, cheddar. Really, the sky is the limit. Even if you have a little piece of brie and trim it you can put it in the pot as well.” (Amy Sherman, recipe developer, San Francisco)
