This summer marks the 96th birthday of the insalata caprese. A near-century of mozzarella, tomatoes and basil—the salad that sends fresh mozzarella sales spiking in summer. Someone had to invent this beloved combination, and if you believe the story I’m about to recount, the dish was conceived as an act of rebellion.
Read moreSix Ricotta Dishes to Make Before Summer Ends
We’re having a pesto marathon at my house. Tonight…and tomorrow night..and the next night. The garden basil is out of control and it’s now or never for the year’s sweetest pesto. I had made pesto for decades before discovering what a spoonful of ricotta does for it. So creamy! Fred Plotkin, the author of the bible on Ligurian cooking (Recipes from Paradise: Life and Food on the Italian Riviera), assures me that ricotta is a legitimate addition, although he would probably say I use too much. (I live on Planet Cheese, after all.) Try my way and let me know what you think.
Read moreThe Magic Touch of Hervé Mons
After years of disappointing encounters, I stopped buying Camembert and Tomme de Savoie. The French Camembert sold in the U.S. always tasted lifeless to me. The Tomme was often stale or cardboardy. My wonderful taste memories from France did not jibe with the sorry specimens I was finding at American cheese counters. But then came Mons. Thanks to French affineur Hervé Mons and his team, we’re getting superb versions of these two classic cheeses, and others as well. In anticipation of Bastille Day, I assembled an all-Mons cheese board. So much deliciousness on one tray! Then I reached out to Fromagerie Mons to see if they could explain his magic touch.
Read moreSummer of Chèvre
A creamy goat cheese coated with sweet paprika, shallots and garlic, Fleur Soleil is my new summer crush. With a bottle of rosé, a fresh baguette and a salad, there’s lunch. Or dinner. Or a picnic. I could eat this dreamy cheese all day long. The texture is almost fluffy, and the seasoning is bold but not overdone. Just in time to pair with summer tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and peppers.
Read moreIn Mexican Esquites, Corn Meets Cheese
I’m happy eating corn naked. (Hmmm, better rephrase that.) I’m happy eating just plain corn—no butter, no salt. I know, it’s not normal. And it’s hard to reconcile with my love for esquites, the Mexican preparation that takes corn to the other extreme, embellishing it with green chilies and chili powder, crema and cheese. You can grill the corn first or saute it. Either way, the result is a spectacular summer salad you’ll want to eat every day.
Read moreSix Summer Cheeses That Clamor for Kölsch
When it’s too hot to drink wine in wine country (and last week it was), I reach for Kölsch. This brisk German beer style is crisp, thirst-quenching and low in alcohol—usually under 5 percent ABV—so you don’t need to head for the nearest couch after your meal. I love Kölsch with marinated cheeses, feta, mozzarella, burrata—fresh or lightly aged cheeses that won’t overwhelm it.
Read moreMake Dad’s Day with Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes
My dad couldn’t cook but he could at least follow the recipe on the Bisquick box. So Bisquick pancakes are the pancakes of my childhood. These aren’t those. My made-from-scratch hotcakes are likely the fluffiest you’ll ever have. Fresh ricotta keeps them moist and beaten egg whites make them airy. It’s blueberry season so I sprinkled a few plump berries into the batter on the griddle and made a blueberry-maple sauce to serve on the side.
Read moreFour-Star Farmer Cheese
I hadn’t thought of farmer cheese as craveable, the sort of cheese you keep devouring after you’ve clearly had enough, but that’s before I met this one. “Six of us inhaled essentially the whole pound with honey and toasted walnuts,” a friend texted me. “I am obsessed.” And now I’m in the cult, too. Farmer cheese this tasty would make an awesome bagel schmear, but it really deserves to be the center of attention.
Read moreTop-Value Cheeses for Tight Times
Left to right: Piave Vecchio, Taleggio, La Dama Sagrada, Point Reyes Toma, Bleu d’Auvergne
Seems like everything’s going up but the stock market. My neighborhood bakery just hiked the price of my favorite loaf by 33 percent. Ouch. That’s serious inflation. Cheese is hardly immune, and the stresses in the grain market guarantee more sticker shock to come. We cheese lovers just have to shop smarter. The values are out there. I’ve rounded up a few well-priced favorites for these inflationary times. There aren’t many cheeses that make me think “Is that all?” when I see what I’ve spent, but these dozen do.
Read moreFive Cheese Myths that Deserve to Die
Meg Smith Photography
The world of cheese is rich in colorful stories, questionable lore and, yes, alternative facts. Who knows what’s actually true and what’s just fun to imagine? Did Napoleon really slice off the top of a pyramidal cheese with his sword, inspiring the shape of Valençay? I’m going with it. But a few myths and misunderstandings about cheese really do deserve to die.
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