63
votes
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Is there a reason to not grate cheese ahead of time?
You should only grate cheese as needed, particularly the cheeses you mention. When you grate cheese you create more surface area. That is more surface exposed to air and oxidation, which will ...
- 73.8k
47
votes
Why is the outside of grilled cheese buttered?
The part that is buttered is the part that comes into contact with the cooking surface (a pan or a toastie maker). By adding fat the surface of the bread is fried rather than merely toasted, giving a ...
- 11.9k
35
votes
Pre-treatment of wet mozzarella balls to reduce moisture for pizzas - thoughts on method?
I think you are overthinking the problem. The biggest issue with homemade pizza, especially Neapolitan style, is that people generally use way too many toppings. Cut back on your toppings (sauce ...
- 73.8k
33
votes
Why is cheese never used in Americanized Chinese food?
It's simple; Americanized Chinese food rarely contains cheese because Chinese food rarely contains cheese.
As many as 90% of Chinese people are, to some degree, lactose intolerant. Dairy is simply ...
- 58.5k
31
votes
Accepted
Is cheese seasoned by default?
There are dozens if not hundreds of kinds of cheese in the world.
Several kinds of non-shelf-stable cheese do not contain any added salt, just the natural salt content of the milk. Quark is a ...
- 136k
29
votes
Accepted
What's the point of "cheese alternative" that has dairy in it?
Lactose intolerance (which is different from a milk allergy, which is a smaller group) comes in varying degrees, so this may be useful for people who can have a bit of lactose (who can process casein ...
- 1,947
29
votes
Pre-treatment of wet mozzarella balls to reduce moisture for pizzas - thoughts on method?
I'm going to suggest some corrections and workarounds here. First, if the generic "mozzarella balls" you're buying are so wet you need a whole roll of paper towels, stop buying that brand. ...
- 61.2k
28
votes
Why do you shred cheese before adding it to a sauce?
You're right that the smaller pieces of cheese will melt faster than a whole block when added to a sauce.
The main advantage to shredding or grating cheese is that you create smaller pieces of ...
- 8,382
20
votes
Is there a reason to not grate cheese ahead of time?
While you don't want to grate the cheese and store it in the fridge, as moscafj's answer says, there is a way you can grate all the parmesan, store it, and use it as needed - just keep it in the ...
- 395
19
votes
How can I melt mozzarella balls?
Very simply, with heat from above.
I cannot comment on the microwave, since I have almost never used one, but a pan is clearly the wrong tool for the job, since there you are heating the bread from ...
- 136k
19
votes
How to order cheeses by strength for a cheese tasting event?
As was pointed out in the comments to your other question, there is no objective definition of 'strong' when it comes to cheese.
But good news! Cheese tasting parties don't have to be based on ...
- 11.9k
18
votes
Accepted
Processed cheese in pesto
Processed cheese isn't a good replacement for parmesan, it's generally too soft from added oils, and it doesn't have the right flavor. Instead, add more pine nuts, and salt to taste, leaving the ...
- 75.4k
18
votes
Is there a reason to not grate cheese ahead of time?
Short answer: Grated cheese goes moldy quickly.
Long answer: We regularly grate cheese and pack them in vacuum bags in larger quantities. They usually go moldy within a week or two, even in the fridge....
- 281
15
votes
Accepted
What is the optimal method for making box macaroni and cheese?
The 4th version you gave is optimal from a chemistry standpoint; the process of using heat to melt a soft fat and dissolve a powder into a liquid by stirring is going to be at it's most efficient when ...
- 558
15
votes
Accepted
Melting yellow cheese for savory pancakes or crêpes
One simple option is to shred the cheese. The heat moves from the surface of the pancake into the cheese - so a thick slice has to melt all at once, and from the bottom up, and it may not melt in ...
- 11.8k
15
votes
How can I minimize "stringing" of cheddar cheese
Use more mature cheese.
Cheddar runs the gamut from very young, mild, melts like mozzarella in strings, right up to so mature it has salt crystals in it & is crunchy, which barely melts at all.
...
- 29.7k
15
votes
How to make Kraft Mac and Cheese Like Ihop
Based on the nutritional information provided by Kraft and iHop, a good place to start would be more salt and more butter. A standard Kraft recipe is 360 Calories with 12 grams of fat and 710 mg of ...
- 997
12
votes
Accepted
Why is cheese wax red?
You haven't seen a lot of waxed cheese, or you've only seen a few specific ones. I can easily find (and have frequently eaten) green, black, and yellow ones, though the yellow in some cases is more of ...
- 15.7k
12
votes
How to order cheeses by strength for a cheese tasting event?
Also, you don't only order cheeses from mildest to strongest. You may order cheese in some other way, depending on what you're tasting.
For example, you might taste manchego cheeses at different ages:...
- 61.2k
11
votes
Accepted
How do I remove bloomy rind without wasting too much cheese?
When the cheese is very cold (even frozen), use a sharp knife and it will be easier to cut the rind off more precisely, to waste less cheese.
(I assume you're aware that the rind is edible and indeed ...
- 11.9k
11
votes
How can I melt mozzarella balls?
Mozzarella balls, particuarly the almost "Fluorescent" white variety, contain a lot of water. To get them to melt successfully, you need to get that water out.
What I do is slice the balls ...
- 5,627
11
votes
How to order cheeses by strength for a cheese tasting event?
"Given two cheeses, which order of eating requires the least amount of effort to be able to properly taste the second cheese eaten?" -- that's the order they belong in. Now that you have a ...
- 777
11
votes
Soft goat cheese as pizza topping without mess
A piano wire cutter is great for semi-soft cheese. Get one which is just the wire and the handle, not a "guillotine-style" cutter with a base. Some have a roller integrated to control the ...
- 26.8k
10
votes
Cheese Cutting Tools
Soft cheeses are best sliced using wire, which is easy to work with and avoids squishing the cheese. Hard cheeses, like Parmesan, are difficult to cut with a wire. These cheeses are often (as you say) ...
- 337
10
votes
Accepted
Please identify this nut covered cheese
This is most likely the “Castello” rum-and-nut covered cream cheese ring by Arla. The shape, the chopped nuts and slight sweetness are pretty unique.
Arla sells its products in supermarkets, but is ...
- 58.5k
9
votes
Accepted
What are the four cheeses generally used in"four-cheese" pizzas?
They all seem to use different cheeses depending on the brand.
The most consistent cheese is definitely mozzarella, which makes sense as it's the default cheese on most pizzas.
Second to that is ...
- 16.5k
9
votes
What kind of cheese did I buy in Bulgaria...and how am I supposed to eat it?
This is not a traditional Bulgarian product (*). It was created by one specific dairy company ("Jossy") and it is not even listed on their normal web page (http://www.josi.bg). There is one reference ...
- 136k
9
votes
Accepted
Did I accidentally make cheese?
Yes, you did; although in a non-traditional manner :) You created an acid-set cheese. These are made by adding an acid (e.g., lemon juice or vinegar) after heating the milk (e.g., paneer) or by ...
- 4,081
9
votes
Accepted
If a cheese sold as pasta-cheese does not melt, is it "cheese"?
That's a processed cheese product. It may be allowed to be called cheese in some places, but that's a matter of product labelling regulations where you happen to be.
The melting is a different issue. ...
- 43.7k
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