Now, That's Gouda - A Classic Pun: New Ideas for Classic Dishes

Now, That's Gouda - A Classic Pun: New Ideas for Classic Dishes

By Charles Bloom

Sometimes it can be scary trying out new recipes and experimenting with flavors. But people can forget this is what can also be the fun in cooking. For the past few years, my family has been trying to experiment with new cheese flavors in classic, and sometimes not so classic, dishes. We've also been trying a lot more cheese dishes that we had never had before in the past.

Some traditional cheese meals which were new to us were both fondue and Raclette. Both are excellent ideas when hosting a small dinner party as they involve member participation. Fondue is a pot of melted cheese, in which people can dip breads, vegetable, meats such as chicken, sausage, and ham, and even apple slices. Raclette is a type of cheese grill in which you grill cheese over vegetable and eat up. Both are fun ways to lounge around and eat while conversing around the dinner table.

But what about new twists to classic dishes? I enjoy trying to find new flavors to use when making grilled cheese sandwiches, pizzas, salads, and the like. Some turn out very tasty, while others can come up shy. Let's first talk about the grilled cheese sandwich though. I enjoy using firm cheeses when preparing this dish for the simple fact that they melt the best, and end up with a great consistency. So far my favorite has been a smoky, garlic seasoned, goat's milk cheddar. I used small slices of a fresh French bread to create a multitude of small sandwiches. I ate these on the side of venison summer sausage.

When it comes to pizzas, my family experiments a lot. We work off different recipes for dough, different sauces, and different topping combinations. It seems my father has really become fond of crumbling cheeses for these recipes. His typical choice for this dish is pesto, spinach, artichokes, and goat cheese. The goat cheese is soft and creamy, but doesn't melt and coat everything. This makes the cheese more of an individual topping which enhances the other flavors, allowing for the consumer to taste the different flavors individually rather than the cheese coating and combining with all the other different tastes.

But there is a new technique I just learned about, using one of my favorite of all cheeses, Parmesan. What you do is grate up Parmesan, mix it with a little bit of all purpose flour, put it into small piles (about two inch diameters) on a non-stick cookie sheet, and then put it in the oven or broiler just long enough to have the piles start melting. Once this happens, pull the sheet out and let the cheese begin to cool. Now you have flat Parmesan circles that you can eat as is; or, what I like to do is grab a muffin pan and start putting the cheese into the holes and form it into little bowls. Then let the cheese cool all the way. At this point you can begin to put different items such as fruit or vegetables inside. I suggest diced tomatoes, croutons, a little olive oil, basil and garlic. And now, you have a whole new take on the classic bruschetta.

It can be a lot of fun experimenting with new themes for classic meals using artisan cheese. Don't be afraid of failure; it is a part of the learning experience. And, with the risk you might discover a whole new way of eating your favorite meal, which could start becoming your own tradition.

Charles bloom

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