William Penn Life, 2004 (39. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2004-06-01 / 6. szám
Ml 'I' Mill» The Hungarian Kitchen with Főszakács Béla Cheese 301 FÁRADJON BE A MAGYAR KONYHÁBA. Greetings to you all in this fine month of June. It was nice to chat with so many fans of the Hungarian Kitchen. I do remember all we talked about, and yes, I will have new things for us all to try in the next few columns. I will mention one important thing that will be happening over the next year. Chef Vilmos and I will be working on recipes both new and old for an upgraded version of the Treasured Recipes cookbook. I will have all the details in the next issue of the William Penn Life. It will take a lot of hard work, but, these days, Vilmos needs to be busy and he volunteered his time and talents. For that, I am very grateful. By now, most of the graduations are over and we can settle down and enjoy the summer months. If you are like me, you love to play golf. Don't forget the WPA golf tournament in Harrisburg! I am sure I will see more fans of the HK on the links. Last month I shared some letters and e-mails from fellow cooks who needed a little help in the culinary field. I hope you enjoyed reading and had fun trying the recipes. This month I am going to keep it simple again. Cheese, cheese, cheese! With all the folks on low carbohydrate diets, I thought a simple discussion about our favorite dairy product was in order. Actually, the favorite dairy product for most everyone is ice cream. I guess I am in the minority because I would rather have cheese than ice cream. Let us look at the basics, after which you can try the recipes I selected for this month. Okay.. .here we go. Cheese has three major components: water, fat and protein. Cheese is a food produced when milk solids are separated from whey by curdling, causing the proteins to coagulate. This is done by the introduction of selected bacteria into the milk. The curds are drained, processed, cured or aged in a variety of ways. Milk solids provide the protein in cheese. There are cheeses made from sources other than milk such as soy cheese, which is made using soymilk that comes from soybeans. If you are lactose intolerant, you should be able to eat the soy cheeses. Lactose intolerance means you cannot digest any dairy products because your body does not have the right enzymes to digest the milk products your eating. All cheeses are high in protein with the water content varying with the type of cheese. Here are a few categories used to classify cheese. • Unripened cheeses are soft, white and freshly made. They include cottage, bakers, ricotta, cream, Neufchatel and Mozzarella. • Semi-soft cheeses are more developed with a buttery texture. In this category, you would find Fontina, Bel Paise, Munster and Brick. • Soft ripened cheese is ripened from the outside to the center. Young soft ripened cheese is firm with little flavor. As it matures the flavor intensifies. Soft ripened cheeses would include Brie, Camembert, Leiderkranz, double and triple cream cheese. • Hard ripened cheese is cured with a firm texture and has varying degrees of taste and sharpness. Among the hard cheeses would be Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, domestic Swiss, Gruyere and Jarlsburg. • Blue veined cheeses contain blue or green molds that give the characteristic variegated flavor and appearance of this category. Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola and Blue are just a few in this category. • Hard grating cheeses are aged for a long time, as long as two years. This type includes Romano and Parmesan. • Pasta filata,or stretched curd, cheeses include Mozzarella, Caciocavallo and Provolone. • Processed cheeses like American contain a lower percentage of cheese and more filler like water or milk. • Cold Pack, or club, cheese is not heated but processed cold. It is simply ground and mixed with flavoring and seasonings into a spreadable consistency. Now you know a little more about cheese. Next month we will learn more and I will give you some classic recipes that have cheese as the main ingredient. Stay healthy, happy and enjoy a slice of cheese. See you in Harrisburg! Jé étátfot féezaiios 10 William Pen Lite, June 2004
