Cream Cheese Mincemeat Pie

pie crust, mincemeat, mincemeat pie

By LeAnn Ralph

• bottom pie crust for a 9 or 10 inch pie plate

• 3 cups mincemeat

• 8 ounces of cream cheese (softened)

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Make the pie crust and line the pie plate with the crust (I know this seems obvious, but one time when I happened to listen to Oprah -- I have listened to the show about 3 times in my life -- there was a chef who was talking about cooking something in one of those plastic cooking bags. "When you take it out of the oven, cut open the bag and throw it away," Oprah said. "You have to say that because there are people out there who will eat the bag if you don't tell them to throw it away.")

Put the mincemeat on top of the pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes.

Using an electric mixer, whip the softened cream cheese, sugar, the egg and the lemon juice until smooth. Pour on top of the mincemeat and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes or until set.

LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of the books "Cream of the Crop (More True Stories from Wisconsin Farm)" (trade paperback, Sept. 2005); "Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm" (trade paperback 2003); "Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam" (trade paperback 2004); "Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Interviewing Family Members and Writing Oral Histories" (e-book 2004). You are invited to read sample chapters, order books and sign up for the free newsletter, Rural Route 2 News

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No-rennet cottage cheese

rennet, buttermilk, canning, kosher

1 gallon milk
1 cup cultured buttermilk

Warm the milk to about 95 [degrees] F. Stir in the buttermilk and allow to set at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. The milk will clabber, or become thick.

Cut the curds into 1/2-inch cubes and let rest for 10 minutes. Place the pot into a double boiler-type pot and heat at a very low setting until the curd reaches 115 [degrees] F. Stir often to keep the curds from matting together. This will take an hour or more.

The curd is ready when it is somewhat firm on the interior of the cheese. Cook longer if necessary. Some whey will rise to the top. Let the curds settle to the bottom of the pot, drain off the whey and place the curds in a clothlined colander to drain. Be gentle, as the curds are rather fragile.

Allow the cheese to drain until it stops dripping. Place in a bowl and add salt to taste. I usually use about one teaspoon of kosher or canning salt per pound. Stir in about four ounces of half-and-half or cream per pound if you like a creamed cottage cheese.

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Make Homemade Pizza

pizza dough, oregano, pizza stone

by Jan Kovarik

Making pizza from scratch, at home, isn't really as hard as you might think---and once you learn just a few secrets about how to make a great pizza crust, you might never want to "order in" again! First, there is the matter of a recipe for pizza dough. Most of them call for very similar ingredients, basically water, yeast, oil, and flour. Some have a little more oil, some use less oil and add an egg. Whichever recipe you use, making the pizza dough goes fairly quickly and doesn't need to rise for hours like bread dough.

Here's a tip: If you aren't familiar with working with recipes that call for yeast, you might not know that yeast has to "proof"---that is, activate. You do this by combining it with water water (about 110*), and usually a little bit of sugar (1 teaspoon or less). After you combine the yeast, warm water, and sugar, you need to let this mixture "rest" for about 5 minutes. This allows the yeast to activate or "proof."

Don't just assume that you can run hot water from your tap and it will be "warm" enough, without being "too hot." A small cooking thermometer is

handy to have. It might be easier to heat up water to 110* rather than run hot water and then try to cool it down (especially if your water heater is set at 120* or above). I put room temperature water in a Pyrex measuring cup and heat the water in the microwave. After a while, you'll know exactly what setting and how long it takes to heat up the water.

After the yeast has proofed, stir in the other ingredients, following the recipe. You'll probably have to knead the dough a bit to mix all of the flour in, so that you have a smooth and dry mound of pizza dough. Be very careful about kneading the pizza dough---it is easy to knead in too much flour. As long as the dough isn't actually sticking to your fingers, it is OK.

Once the dough is ready, let it "rest" for about 5 minutes. That's right, just let it lay there. This gets the rising process started.

Hand form, or use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to the desired size.

After experimenting with the different types of pizza pans and stones that are available, I have concluded that the one-ply pans with holes in them are the best. This helps to bake a crust that is nicely done on the bottom without being burnt, and yet leaves the dough nice a "chewy" in the middle. Depending on your preference for pizza dough, you can experiment by first baking pizza on regular cookie sheets. After that you can get inexpensive pizza pans at dollar stores or discount stores like Wal-Mart to continue to experiment until you find the pan you prefer.

Now you are ready to bake the pizza. Here's a tip: pre-bake just the pizza crust for about 6 minutes before you load on the sauce and toppings. This helps to cook the crust enough so that the sauce won't sink in too much, leaving a gooey crust.

After you've pre-baked the crust, remove it from the oven and load it with sauce and meat toppings (be sure that anything other than pepperoni is pre-cooked, such as sausage or ground beef). If you like onions and peppers, then here's another tip: pre-cook them so that the onions are almost transparent and the pepper is limp. Load on the onions and peppers. Sprinkle on oregano or any other spices that you desire.

Return to the oven and bake for about 13-15 minutes. This is long enough to heat the sauce and other toppings.

Remove from the oven and add the cheese. (If you are like me and like Hawaiian pizza, add the pineapple now, too.) Return to the oven for about 3 minutes, or just long enough to melt the cheese without burning it.

Once the pizza is baked, I like to slide it onto a pizza stone that I've sprinkled with cornmeal. Then, I let the pizza cool for about 5 minutes. The cornmeal keeps the bottom of the crust from getting soggy, and sure adds a nice "zest" to the taste of it! Cut with a pizza cutter (or kitchen shears---which work great!).

Enjoy with your favorite beverage!

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Pizza Fundraiser Ideas

Papa Johns, pepperoni, Dominos, Pizza Hut

by Kimberly Reynolds

Fundraising with pizza is a great idea for most any size group. It provides your buyers with something everyone wants, and can be very profitable as a fundraising idea.

There are three different types of pizza fundraisers:

Sales of pizza by the slice Sales of pizza fundraising discount cards Sales of pizza supplies - make your own kits

Each of these fundraisers varies in effort, requirements, and profitability. Let's take a brief look at each one.

Pizza Fundraising By The Slice This is a quick and easy profit source for just about any type of youth sports team. You purchase your pizzas at a quantity discount and have them delivered piping hot to your event.

Papa Johns and Dominos both offer the delivery service from any location. Of course, you'll need to pay cash when the pizzas are delivered.

Sell the individual slices at close to 100% markup so that your team receives $2 for every $1 in cost.

That markup covers any unsold or damaged slices.

Tips: Don't overbuy, reorder instead. Also, sell them fast before they cool off. Plain cheese is the most popular followed by pepperoni.

Pizza Fundraising Discount Cards A pizza fundraiser card is a discount card with an offer tied to a single merchant, usually a national chain. It often provides

a two- for-one offer on every order and is tends to be priced at $10 for a card good for a one-year period.

Offers vary with most being tied to either a single location or a small group of outlets for a national chain. Pizza Hut cards are good for eat-in dining while most others are aimed at the take-out or delivery market.

Given how popular pizza is with younger children as well as teenagers, pizza cards are excellent school fundraising ideas.

The cards for Pizza Hut and those for some of the other chains place a limit on the number of times you can use the card, often 21 times. That is a lot of free pizza for $10. Usage is tracked via holes punched in marked spots on the card.

Some of the offers also specify that your initial order must be for a large pizza while your free pizza is a medium size. When you think about it, that works well for most adults because they usually want a different set of toppings than what their children enjoy.

Profit Tip: Pizza cards can be obtained from many suppliers. Most offer the same set of national chains and prices can vary widely, so it pays to shop around.

All in all, pizza cards are among the best easy fundraisers based on profitability and ease of sale.

Fundraising Sales of Frozen Pizza, Supplies, or Kits Little Caesars and several other companies offer a "do it yourself" pizza kit that many schools, youth groups, and sports teams have successfully sold.

The basic concept is the same as a cookie dough fundraiser. Your sellers use an order-taker brochure, collect payment upfront, and deliver the goods after you receive your bulk shipment.

As with all order taker sales efforts, there is slightly more work involved than with immediate sale items. The delivered product must be received, counted, and sorted by customer.

Pricing is generally close to the price the customer would pay at retail. Profit margins are in the 30%-40% range.

Tip: Because the dough is frozen, deliveries need to be timed well. Your customer pickup/delivery needs to take place within 4 to 6 hours after your bulk delivery.

If you are looking for a great fundraising idea for your school, youth group, or sports team, try pizza this year!

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Iowa cheese co-op helps preserve a way of life

American Cheese Society, goat milk, blue cheese

Rural Cooperatives

Like the blue cheese it produces, the Golden Ridge Cheese Cooperative had to age a while before it was ready to go.

Founded five years ago by 40 Old Order Amish dairy farmers in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota, Golden Ridge was plagued by a series of production problems before the first blue cheese wheels were shipped from its 12,500-square-foot plant north of Cresco, Iowa, last January.

The Amish farmers invested more of their own capital into the plant, for a total of $1 million, and brought in Neville McNaughton, a New Zealand native and cheese consultant who now lives in St. Louis. Like the blue mold that turns the Amish milk into cheese, McNaughton's addition as general manager has turned the Golden Ridge co-op into a going operation.

The co-op got a big boost in July when its Schwarz und "Weiss natural rind blue cheese tied for first place in the blue cheese category of the American Cheese Society's annual contest held in Milwaukee.

The competition is "considered one of the world's most influential and prestigious competitions "

in recognizing the art of specialty cheesemaking," according to the American Cheese Society's Web site. Since the announcement of the award, McNaughton said, "Cheese is now flying out of here. People are calling us." Prospects at the co-op weren't so rosy when McNaughton first showed up at the Golden Ridge plant.

"This was a stalled project," he said.

"They couldn't decide how to get this up and running."

McNaughton did a three-day assessment of the operation and re-wrote the co-op's business plan. The co-op had been focused on making what McNaughton called commodity blue cheese. "We refocused the plant on making a quality product that plays to the strength of the milk," he said.

A $2 million loan guarantee was obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's rural development agency [USDA Rural Development]. That loan guarantee allowed the co-op's bank to advance it more money to reconfigure the plant.

Dan Gingerich, an Old Order Amish dairy producer from Lanesboro, Minn., said the co-op members "didn't realize what we were getting into" when they decided to form the co-op and make cheese. The dairy, producers milk their small herds by hand and sell the milk in stainless steel cans weighing 80 pounds that hold just under 10 gallons of milk. The number of dairy, processors willing to handle their milk cans had dropped from five to one, Gingerich said, narrowing their marketing options considerably.

"I'm trying to hang on to the dairy," he said. "It got tougher to make a living on the farm than 20 years ago."

Forming a cooperative to produce cheese in a modern plant needed to be examined by leaders of the Old Order Amish, Gingerich said. For religious reasons, Old Order Amish do not use many kinds of modern machinery. Their lifestyle is best known for the horse-and-buggy transportation on which the Amish rely. "Our elders thought that in order to keep the family farms going, we needed to change," Gingerich said.

"We needed something like this so our children won't have to live on one or two acres and become factory workers. On the one hand, it might be a modern concept, but on the other hand, we needed to have something like the cheese plant to keep our way of life going."

With McNaughton on board and the American Cheese Society award, Gingerich said he thinks Golden Ridge has turned the corner. Golden Ridge makes three cheese products: Schwarz und Weiss, which means "black and white" in German; Harmony Blue, which has extra cream added, and Ultimate 50, which is half Amish cow milk and half goat milk supplied by Joy Peckham, whose Peckview Dairy Goats operation is near the plant.

Peckham sells the Golden Ridge cheese and her other dairy goat products at the Metro Market in Des Moines and the Des Moines Farmers Market.

"Last weekend, I sold everything I brought in from Golden Ridge in the first hour," Peckham said. "I wish I had brought more." Peckham said she hopes the Ultimate 50 cheese takes off so she can eventually sell to Golden Ridge all of the 500,000 pounds of goat milk produced annually by her goats. Now, she sells almost all of her goat milk to a plant in Illinois.

Steve Logsdon, owner of the Basil Prosperi Bakery in Des Moines, said Schwarz und Weiss is selling well out of his dairy case.

"We carry European blue cheeses and Australian blue cheeses, and we've had a really good response to the Golden Ridge cheese," Logsdon said. "People like the fact that it's from Iowa and that they are using their own milk." The Golden Ridge cheese also is priced competitively, he said, with a half-pound selling for $7 to $8, about the same as the nationally known Maytag blue cheese, the only other blue cheese made in Iowa.

Swiss Valley Farms, a farmer-owned cooperative with operations in Iowa, makes blue cheese at its plant in Mindoro, Wis. Myrna Ver Ploeg, president of Maytag Dairy Farms, said she did not think the Golden Ridge and Maytag blue cheeses can be compared. "Ours is so different because it is made by hand," Vet Ploeg said. "They are very different cheeses, and they satisfy different markets.

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Swiss Fondue Recipe and History

cheese fondue, fondue, kirsch

By Sara Gray

Truly epic, fondue history starts with a recipe in Homer's Iliad (Song XI). Doesn't it stand to reason that the mixture described of Pramnos wine, grated goat's cheese and white flour was a fondue?

Well, whether that's what Homer was describing or not, fondue history states that the warm cheese dish originated in Switzerland but more specifically in the Canton of Neuchatel.

According to history experts, fondue consists of at least two varieties of cheeses that are melted with wine and a bit of flour. It's served communally out of pot called a "caquelon". Long forks are used by each guest to spear a cube of bread then the bread is dipped into the cheese and eaten.

How did cheese fondue get started?

Well, before we get into the nitty gritty of cheese fondue, let's back up for a second. The word fondue is a derivative of the French word, fondre, which means "to melt". However, this is only a part of how the word fondue is used today.

In doing my research of fondue history,"fondue" has a much broader meaning. It refers to foods that are dunked, heated, or cooked in sauce, oil, or broth in a fondue (or similar) pot. We know now, of course, that the Swiss take credit for the neighborly cuisine. They created it out of necessity, not because someone with too much time on their hands came up with a great idea for eating together!

Before the invention of the refrigerator, cheese and bread were made in the summer and fall to last through the winter. Both became extremely hard and inedible in that state. The bread became so much like concrete that it literally had to be chopped with an axe!

The Swiss realized that if hard-as-rock cheese was heated with wine over a fire, it softened and became deliciously edible. Bread that was too dried out to eat by itself, became soft and pliable when dunked in the melted cheese.

Once a necessity, the cooking method of fondue became a social custom of making the best of the long, cold Swiss winters by huddling around the fire with friends or family with a large pot of cheese and some hard bread. It's a tradition that has stood the years and travelled across the continents.

Fondue history states that the cooking method of fondue dates back to the 18th century when both cheese and wine were important industries in Switzerland. The simple-to-prepare meal used ingredients that were found in most average homes.

Most recipes we see for "traditional" Swiss style fondue are a combination of two cheeses used, Gruyere and Emmenthaler. They are combined because either cheese alone would make for a mixture that was too sharp or too bland.

Most recipes call for the cheeses to be melted in a dry white wine. This helps to keep the cheese from the direct heat as it melts, as well as to add flavor. Kirsch (a clear cherry brandy) was added if the cheese itself was too young to produce the desired tartness. Adding garlic gives the flavoring a good mellow taste, while the flour or cornstarch assists in keeping the cheese from separating.

Here's a delicious and easy recipe for traditional Swiss Fondue: What you'll need:

2 cups shredded process Swiss cheese (1/2 lb unshredded)
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1 clove garlic
Dry white table wine
Cooked ham cubes
Toast triangles

Serve this version of Swiss fondue with ham cubes and toast triangles that are made ahead for swirling in the cheese mixture. You can also use fresh fruits such as apple and pear slices.

Start by tossing the cheese with cornstarch, salt, dry mustard, nutmeg, and pepper. Heat the buttermilk with the garlic in a double boiler or over hot water in the fondue pot. When thoroughly heated, remove the garlic and add the cheese mixture. Stir it until the cheese melts and is blending smoothly.

Heat the wine up a little and add gradually to the mixture, 2 Tbsp at a time. This keeps the fondue at a dipping consistency. Serve your guest and make sure each has a fondue fork to use with the ham cubes and fruit. Once you swirl the ham in the cheese mixture, place it on top of the toast triangle and eat until you can eat no more. Delicious!

Important: Feel free to republish this article on your website. However, you are not allowed to modify any part of its content and all links should be kept active.

For more great info on Fondue and other types of appetizers and appetizer meals, visit http://www.easy-appetizer-recipes.com.

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Cheese-Puff Potatoes

Serves: 2 Servings

Ingredients:

1 Baked potato (scrubbed,
-pierced with a fork and
Baked 3/4 - 1 hour at 450oF)
1/2 ts Butter (optional)
1 Egg
2 tb Shredded mild cheese*
1 ts Wheat germ

Instructions:

When you're cooking baked potatoes for yourself, throw an extra one in the
oven to make this for baby. And, if you have a baby who is allergic to
eggs, just skip the eggs and double the amount of milk.

Scoop potato out and mash in a bowl. Whip egg in a separate bowl and add
to potato mixture. Beat in butter, milk, cheese and add wheat germ.
Carefully spoon back into potato shell, and fold a small piece of foil
around bottom of potato to prevent leakage.

Place in preheated, 350 o oven for 15 minutes.

To make ahead, cover and refrigerate without baking. When ready to serve,
place uncovered potato in 350 o oven for 20 minutes.

*for older babies
Serves 2-4

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Peanut Butter and Pizza - An Alternative to the High Protein Diet

high protein diet, skim milk

by Randy Mclean

Did the title to this article catch your interest? I thought it would! As of late we are always hearing talk of two main approaches to dieting, namely the high carbohydrate diet and the high protein diet. But what about fat? And what role can it play while we are losing weight?

Contrary to popular myths our bodies need fat. Now don't get me wrong. As I have mentioned in other articles too much of anything is bad but we can, and do, lean to one macronutrient over another. As well as breaking down the vitamins A, D, E, and K (fat soluble vitamins) we also need fat for energy purposes. At the same time it would be wise to consume carbs and proteins as well. Any diet where either carbs, proteins or fats are significantly raised or lowered is not a healthy one. Our bodies need all of these in order to work properly. We can tend to lean more strongly towards one or another but we shouldn't forsake the rest. Each have their own functions as well as positives and negatives.

This diet would benefit those who have weak will power or who don't have the time or patience to prepare too many meals. It is good if you are only used to eating 3 times a day. This diet is also beneficial

for eating out whether in restaurants, at relatives, or at parties and socials.

One characteristic of fat is that it makes you full longer therefore making you feel more satisfied. You will not have to eat as many times (in terms of real food) to keep your metabolism going and you will still feel okay. You can either use homemade 'shakes' or use food supplements in order to keep the number of times you take in calories constant. Taking in calories a minimum of four times daily will keep your metabolism going and the body will be less likely to store the food you take in as fat.

Obviously there is a catch...you know the saying, if anything is too good to be true it probably is. The catch is that these meals still have to be figured into your daily caloric intake or else eventually the inevitable will happen. But the good news is that this variation gives you the illusion of a greater food intake. The more you study fitness and nutrition the more you can manipulate variables or natural laws in your favour.

As an example, say you want to eat only 3 times a day but you want to take in calories 5 times a day in total. So your first meal would be real food, say a few peanut butter sandwhiches. Okay, so you have eaten that and two hours roll around so it's time for another meal. You can either eat or have some kind of replacement as I mentioned earlier. An example of a quick replacement would be a protein bar (chocolate flavour, yum!) or possibly a homemade shake. How would you make this shake? Just take 8 ounces of skim milk, add 4 heaping tablespoons of skim milk powder to thicken it and finally a bit of chocolate syrup for flavour! This drink provides approximately 200 calories which is not much but enough to keep your metabolism going. And this also leaves room for greater food consumption!

In summary this diet is great for those with higher cholesterol levels and don't want to take the risks of eating a higher protein diet. You mostly have to watch your dairy products, things like butter, ice cream etc. Basically when it comes down to it food is food. No matter how it is broken down and/or used by the body if you eat too much...well, you know!

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King of cheeses; cheese of kings; Parmigiano-Reggiano is one of

rennet, parmesan,

by MARY-LIZ SHAW

It is little more than the natural result of combining warmed raw cow's milk with rennet and time.

But to the world's gourmands, from Catherine de Medici to Sophia Loren, the cheese we call Parmesan was and is nothing less than a work of epicurean art.

This hard, grainy, pungent cheese from the northwest cuff of Italy's boot has been the snack of monarchs and the pride of popes, including Julius II, the Renaissance pontiff who had a taste for fine things: He commissioned Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel and Raphael to spruce up a few rooms in the Vatican.

Thomas Jefferson, perhaps the most erudite and cultured of the Founding Fathers, would have considered the larders of Monticello lacking without a wheel of fine Parmesan.

The great French dramatist, Moliere, would eat nothing else in the last days of his life.

And when Samuel Pepys, the 17th-century English diarist and confidant of two kings, looked out into the streets of London as the Great Fire of 1666 ravaged neighborhoods, he realized he would have to bury his most valuable household items or watch them go up in smoke. His wheel of Parmesan was one of the first things to go into the hole.

Fit for a king

Parmigiano-Reggiano, the Italian name for the original and best form of the cheese, and Proscuitto di Parma, the ham that comes from the same part of Italy, are "almost mythical" in their stature in the culinary canon, says Ivan Day, an expert on food history in Britain who has a vast personal collection of rare historical cookbooks.

"Parmesan" was a French word, later adopted by the English (sometimes as "Parmezan"), to identify the toothsome Italian cheese.

Day found a reference to Parmesan in a detailed account of the coronation party of King James II, published in 1687. The first course at the new king's

table featured 145 gastronomic delights, including, No. 10: Stag's tongue, No. 19: Rabbit ragout, No. 37: Four dozen wild pigeons, No. 47: Four fawns, No. 68: 12 stump (spiced meat) pies, No: 70: One whole lamb, and No. 75: Eight godwits (a large English coastal bird). Those four fawns, by the way, were "all on one plate," Day says.

Item No. 134 is listed simply "Parmesan," meaning the great cheese was considered fancy enough to be served to King James as is, without embellishment.

"This was one of the most sought-after cheeses in England at the time," Day says. "It really doesn't surprise me that it's on this royal table."

Parmesan only gained stature throughout the world, even as it reached beyond kings' tables to the well-stocked kitchens of the upper middle class, Day says.

Parmesan was a luxury item throughout the 19th century and was a measure of a family's wealth among what used to be called "the civilized classes."

It helped that the hard, heavy cheese traveled well and stored even better, Day adds.

Ships' captains liked it as cargo because it served a dual purpose: Several dozen wheels of Parmesan in a hold were excellent ballast on the high seas; once in port, the wheels always fetched a premium price.

"It was always expensive," Day says. "It had this cachet of luxury that went with it. It was a status food."

As good as gold

Parmigiano-Reggiano still reigns as a food for refined tastes, "like a fine Cuban cigar or a Ferrari," says Maria Liberati, a former New York supermodel whose new book, "The Basic Art of Italian Cooking," is a collection of recipes handed down through her Italian family for generations.

Liberati, who now lives most of the year near her family's ancestral home in Abruzza, Italy, observed the intricate process of Parmigiano-Reggiano production when she sat for months for a portrait by an artist who lived in the Reggio-Emilia region, the heart of Parmigiano-Reggiano country.

She learned that the Credito Emiliana, a bank in Reggio-Emilia, still holds more than 300,000 wheels of prime Parmigiano-Reggiano in its vaults, as collateral on loans and as securities on the volatile European cheese markets.

It remains a luxury item. One 80-pound wheel of the rarest form of Parmigiano, derived from the milk of Vacche Rosse cows, goes for about $3,200, wholesale.

Hard to believe that a cheese of such regal provenance and currency was devised by an unnamed Benedictine monk more than 1,000 years ago.

One of the earliest written references comes from the Italian poet, Giovanni Boccaccio, who wrote "The Decameron" (1349-51), a collection of stories similar to Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales." One of the stories describes a mythical kingdom built upon hundreds of wheels of Parmigiano.

Recently, Liberati says, the Italian consortium that authenticates the cheese and monitors its production and sale found an even earlier written reference to this beloved formaggio in a legal decree from Genoa dated 1254.

It's the cows

That the cheese enjoyed such status even then, 800 years ago, suggests that its production had been perfected for years. Just as startling is that the cheese-production process has changed very little in those eight centuries, according to the Web site for the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano. As it happens, the provinces where it is produced, Parma, Reggio-Emilia, Modena, Mantua and Bologna, have remained the same geographically, the agricultural methods unchanged.

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Have a Wine And Cheese Shower or Party

Cabernet, Chardonnay,

by Lee Dobbins

A wine and cheese party can be a great way to get together with friends or for a special bridal or wedding shower, birthday party or other celebration. It be easy to put together with a minimum of work even if you don't know much about wine or cheese! You can throw together a simple but elegant party without a lot of fuss and have an interesting theme to boot.

You can setup your room in a couple different ways which really depends on how much room you have and the shape of your room or rooms. One way is to use a long buffet table against one wall with different sections. Another is to have several "stations" around the room by using little tables each with certain wines and their complimentary cheeses. You'll want to add some other foods too as man cannot live on wine and cheese alone!

Decorations

A wine and cheese party should be somewhat elegant but not too gaudy. You could have simple white tablecloths with white candles.

Perhaps decorating the table with grapes and grape leaves or something seasonal such as fall leaves if the party is in the fall or holly, pine boughs and ornaments if it's at the holidays. A summer party might be cute with light floral bouquets. Fruit - especially grapes go great with wine and cheese so you could have a 3 tiered centerpiece or large antique bowl filled with grapes and other fruit on the tables too. If you choose one large table a big centerpiece would be a nice focal point, you could even use and old architectural urn filled with ice and wine bottles or a large tiered platter with various tidbits on it.

You'll want to have labels for each cheese that states the name and general flavor - you can expand on that by adding the origin and maybe some history if you feel ambitious. Each section of cheese could have it's own cutting board and cutter - A cute idea would be to use the cheese boards that are made out of flattened wine bottles to cut the cheese on.

Glasses and Plates

You'll want to make sure to use the right type of wine glass with each wine. Red wine should be poured into a round ball shaped glass and white wine is more fluted but not as narrow as a champagne flute. Keep a bunch of each type of glass out so your guests can be sure to have the right glass at all times. For dishes you could get wine themed plates or go with an eclectic mix of little antique plates. Make sure you have plenty of little plates around to encourage quests to try small samples of cheese with each wine.

What To Serve

A wine and cheese party needs more than just wine and cheese! You'll also want to provide lots of interesting breads and crackers. Maybe some caviar? And don't forget dessert - a cheesecake would be in keeping with the theme but any dessert will do! And finally, some coffee might be in order after all that wine and please make sure that no one drives after having too much wine.

Of course, you'll want to make sure you serve the right wine with the right cheese and in fact complimentary wine and cheese pairings can produce interesting and unusual tastes. Half the fun of a wine and cheese party is experimenting for yourself to see what new combinations you can come up with, but heres some tips to start you off:

Wine And Cheese Party Pairing Tips

* Wines usually go well with cheese that is from the same country or region

* An acidic cheese usually goes well with acidic wines

* Roquefort goes well with Port

* Camembert, Cheddar and Brie go well with Cabernet and Champagne * Cream Cheese and White Zinfandel make a nice pair

* Mix muenster with Beaujolais

* Colby and Gouda go good with Reisling

* Pair provolone with Chardonnay

About the Author

Lee Dobbins is a writer for Online Gourmet Foods where you can find out more about gourmet foods and appetizers.

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Dairy detective: new life for lower-fat cheese

cottage cheese, mozzarella, buttermilk

by Sharon Gerdes

Q What are the opportunities for lower-fat cheeses?

A Cheese lovers who scream "More cheese, please!" will find that lower-fat cheeses provide a great way to indulge in more cheese and still meet personal dietary goals. Food manufacturers and foodservice formulators can use lower-fat cheese to develop products and menu items that appeal to the calorie conscious. Schools can incorporate lower-fat cheese into entrees to meet new stricter dietary guidelines. To capitalize on these opportunities, processors must meet the challenge of producing lower-fat cheeses that taste and perform like traditional cheese. Fortunately, new research supported by America's dairy farmers can help processors tap the opportunities.

What constitutes a lower-fat cheese? The FDA has defined three nutrient content claims for finished cheeses. They are:

Fat-Free Cheese: Less than 0.5g of fat per reference amount and per labeled serving size (30g for most cheeses, 110g for cottage cheese).

Lowfat Cheese: 3g or less of fat per reference amount (per 50g, if the reference amount is less than 30g).

Reduced-Fat Cheese: At least 25% less fat per reference amount than its full-fat counterpart.

The FDA has also separately defined skim milk cheese for manufacturing, which can be incorporated into lower-fat cheese sauces and processed cheese products. According to 21CFR 133.189, "skim milk" means cow's milk from which the milkfat has been separated. Fat content is normally less than 0.1%.

Like their full-fat counterparts, lower-fat natural cheeses qualify as both a "good source" of protein and a "good source" of calcium. Kraft[R] Free[R] Fat Free Natural Shredded Mozzarella bears the "3-A-Day For Stronger Bones" logo, and provides an "excellent source" of calcium, with negligible amounts of fat

.

These cheeses also may be eligible to carry the "3-A-Day Burn More Fat, Lose Weight" logo, indicating that enjoying three servings a day of milk, cheese or yogurt as part of a reduced-calorie weight loss plan can help adults achieve better results when it comes to trimming the waistline than just cutting calories and consuming little or no dairy. Illustrating that lower-fat cheeses may fit into popular weight control programs, the Athenos[R] Reduced Fat Feta is "South Beach Diet[TM] Recommended" for phases 1, 2 and 3 of the diet.

An excellent opportunity for lower-fat cheese is in school foodservice. Leprino Foods offers a "lite" mozzarella cheese for schools. One ounce of Leprino's lite mozzarella, combined with other healthy pizza ingredients, will allow schools to meet the 20% calories from fat target provided by the US Department of Agriculture's 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This cheese also offers consistent melt, bake and stretch. A 2005 dairy farmer-funded cheese applications project is aimed at developing a nutritious, tasty, fat-free mozzarella for school foodservice that would use condensed buttermilk.

Producing a lower-fat cheese with optimal flavor and texture is the goal for cheese manufacturers. Cabot[R]'s 75% Light Vermont Cheddar took home the gold award from Health magazine's Best of Foods awards. For superior texture, Roth Kase USA uses partially skimmed milk and no fillers in its Reduced Fat Havarti cheese. DCI Cheese Co. has kicked up the flavor in its reduced-fat line by creating Organic Creamery[TM] Reduced Fat Habanero Jack Cheese.

Company efforts have been assisted by dairy farmer-funded research on special cheese cultures and aroma components to optimize flavor and texture as well as new ways to keep the full flavor of cheese while removing the fat. Current research supported through Dairy Management Inc.[TM] (DMI), for example, is investigating the commercialization of a process that removes fat from Cheddar cheese after it has aged.

Developing lower-fat cheeses that can perform well under heat is another challenge. DMI-supported research projects have explored the roles of calcium and pH in reducing skin formation and post-bake chewiness. Additional research has explored conditions conducive to optimal ripening and storage quality of reduced-fat cheeses.

Sales of reduced-fat cheese varieties grew 2.3% during the 52-week period ended June 26, 2005, according to Information Resources, Inc. (IRI). This category, which includes part skim mozzarella, may be just the ticket for cheese manufacturers looking to cut the fat.

For more information, contact the DMI Dairy Technical Support Hotline at 800/248-8829 or visit the new DMI Web site, www.innovatewithdairy.com.

Dairy Management Inc.[TM] (DMI) is the domestic and international planning and management organization that builds demand for US-produced dairy products on behalf of America's dairy farmers.

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Mild feta cheese

rennet, buttermilk, liquid rennet

1 gallon milk
1/4 cup cheese culture or buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon liquid rennet
1/4 cup cool water
Coarse salt


Warm milk to 86 [degrees] F and stir in cheese culture or buttermilk. Set one hour to ripen. Mix rennet into cool water and stir into milk. Cover and allow to set another hour to coagulate. Cut curds into l/2-inch cubes and allow to rest five minutes. Stir gently for 15 minutes, keeping the curds at 86 degrees.

Pour curds into a cheesecloth-lined colander, tie the bag of curds and hang to drain for four to six hours. Slice the cheese ball in half and lay the slabs of cheese into a dish that can be covered. Sprinkle all the surfaces with coarse salt, cover and allow to set at room temperature for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, salt all the surfaces with more coarse salt and let it rest for two hours. Place the cheese in a covered dish and refrigerate for five to seven days. Use within two weeks or freeze for future use. The cheese will keep at room temperature for months if marinated in oil.

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Miami Pizza Restaurants

calamari, mozzarella, italian sausage,

by Samantha Ferguson

Miami's Best Pizza, located in South Miami, has been serving locals since 1970. This Miami pizza restaurant is close to the University Miami and is a favorite among college students. Miami's Best Pizza continues to wow their customers with their high spinning pizza tossing skills.

Miami's Best Pizza Menu: We recommend the BBQ Chicken Pizza with their tangy special sauce and the Moroccan Pizza topped with prosciutto, hearts of palm, capers, and a pesto crust.

Archie's Pizza, located in Coral Gables, is surely making a statement. With an emphasis on using fresh ingredients and cheeses, it's no surprise that patrons are making this Miami pizza restaurant a success. Archie's Pizza is always packed with the work crowd for lunch and happy hour. Archie's Pizza is a must try pizza restaurant because

it uses the best ingredients and is moderately priced.

Archie's Pizza Menu: The Spaghetti Scoglio filled with sautéed shrimp, calamari, mussels and clams and the Brie and Prosciutto pizza are two splendid items that you must try.

Pizza Rustica, located in South Beach, has been serving loyal customers for nine years. Winning countless consumer awards, Pizza Rustica is known for using fresh ingredients and imported Italian pepperoni. All pizzas are prepared by hand in an open kitchen. Pizza Rustica has three Miami restaurant locations in South Beach to cater to their hungry patrons.

Pizza Rustica's Menu: We suggest trying the Pizza Campagnola ($9-$15.50), which is topped with beef Italian sausage, red peppers, red onions, tomato sauce, and fresh mozzarella; the Pizza con Spinaci ($9 - $15.50), which is topped with spinach, tomatoes, and extra virgin olive oil; and the Pizza Caprese with slices of mozzarella, olives, tomatoes, and basil.

The Big Tomato, located in Pinecrest, is known for its special sauces and delicious crusts. At the Big Tomato, you can only buy individual slices, but this shouldn't matter because you will want the whole pie.

The Big Tomato's Menu: We recommend the Baja Barbeque Pizza because of its unique, smoky BBQ sauce. If you are in the mood for something tangy, try the Jamaican Jerk Pizza, which has a sweet jerk sauce.

To get more information on Miami Pizza Restaurants or to view Miami Restaurant Menus, visit http://www.restaurantplace.com.

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How To Throw A Wine and Cheese Party

Chardonnay, cheesecake, Cabernet

By Lee Dobbins

A wine and cheese party can be a great way to get together with friends or for a special bridal or wedding shower, birthday party or other celebration. It be easy to put together with a minimum of work even if you don’t know much about wine or cheese! You can throw together a simple but elegant party without a lot of fuss and have an interesting theme to boot.

You can setup your room in a couple different ways which really depends on how much room you have and the shape of your room or rooms. One way is to use a long buffet table against one wall with different sections. Another is to have several “stations” around the room by using little tables each with certain wines and their complimentary cheeses. You’ll want to add some other foods too as man cannot live on wine and cheese alone!

Decorations

A wine and cheese party should be somewhat elegant but not too gaudy. You could have simple white tablecloths with white candles. Perhaps decorating the table with

grapes and grape leaves or something seasonal such as fall leaves if the party is in the fall or holly, pine boughs and ornaments if it’s at the holidays. A summer party might be cute with light floral bouquets. Fruit – especially grapes go great with wine and cheese so you could have a 3 tiered centerpiece or large antique bowl filled with grapes and other fruit on the tables too. If you choose one large table a big centerpiece would be a nice focal point, you could even use and old architectural urn filled with ice and wine bottles or a large tiered platter with various tidbits on it.

You’ll want to have labels for each cheese that states the name and general flavor – you can expand on that by adding the origin and maybe some history if you feel ambitious. Each section of cheese could have it’s own cutting board and cutter – A cute idea would be to use the cheese boards that are made out of flattened wine bottles to cut the cheese on.

Glasses and Plates

You’ll want to make sure to use the right type of wine glass with each wine. Red wine should be poured into a round ball shaped glass and white wine is more fluted but not as narrow as a champagne flute. Keep a bunch of each type of glass out so your guests can be sure to have the right glass at all times. For dishes you could get wine themed plates or go with an eclectic mix of little antique plates. Make sure you have plenty of little plates around to encourage quests to try small samples of cheese with each wine.

What To Serve

A wine and cheese party needs more than just wine and cheese! You’ll also want to provide lots of interesting breads and crackers. Maybe some caviar? And don’t forget dessert – a cheesecake would be in keeping with the theme but any dessert will do! And finally, some coffee might be in order after all that wine and please make sure that no one drives after having too much wine.

Of course, you’ll want to make sure you serve the right wine with the right cheese and in fact complimentary wine and cheese pairings can produce interesting and unusual tastes. Half the fun of a wine and cheese party is experimenting for yourself to see what new combinations you can come up with, but heres some tips to start you off:

Wine And Cheese Party Pairing Tips

- Wines usually go well with cheese that is from the same country or region
- An acidic cheese usually goes well with acidic wines
- Roquefort goes well with Port
- Camembert, Cheddar and Brie go well with Cabernet and Champagne
- Cream Cheese and White Zinfandel make a nice pair
- Mix muenster with Beaujolais
- Colby and Gouda go good with Reisling
- Pair provolone with Chardonnay

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Healthy Pizza Tips

pine nuts, tomato pie

by Della Franklin

The pizza has been voted America's favorite food for countless years, and is consumed by most Americans each year. Actually, the pizza could have been invented by the Greeks, the Phoenicians, the Romans or anyone who had the foresight to mix flour and water together and heat the mixture on a hot stone.

It has been around in one of its many forms and has been a basic part of the Italian diet since the Stone Age.

The pizza in its first generation as a food in Rome was a healthy tomato filled food that was not only great tasting, but actually good for your body. It was a crude bread that was baked beneath the stones of a fire. After cooking, it was seasoned with various toppings and used instead of plates and utensils to sop up broth or gravies.

It has been written that the idea of using bread as a plate came from the Greeks who ate flat round bread baked with all manner of toppings. It was eaten by the working man and his family because it was more economical and more convenient.

In "The Aeneid" written by Virgil (70-19 B.C.), it describes the legendary origin of the Roman nation, describing cakes or circles of bread:

"Beneath a shady tree, the hero sprad his table on the turf, with cakes of bread; And, with his chiefs, on forest fruits he fed. They sate; and (not without the god's command). Their homely far dispatch'd, the hungry band invade their trenchers next, and soon devour to mend the scenty meal, their cakes of flour...See, we devour the plates on which we fed."

In the ashes after Mount Versuvius erupted and covered Pompeii on August 24, 79 A.D., evidence was found of a flat flour cake that was baked and widely eaten at that time in Pompeii and nearby Neopolis, the Greek colony that became Naples and from a great cookery book by Marcus Gavius Apicius who was proported to be a culinary expert. This book contains recipes which involve putting a variety of ingredients on a base of bread (in his case, a hollowed-out loaf.)

This recipe called for chicken, pine nuts, cheese, garlic, mint, pepper and olive oil (all ingredients found in our pizzas today.)

Tomatoes were first added to pizzas in the early 1500s. First thought to be poisonous, the poorer people of Nales began adding tomatoes to yeast dough they used to make their pizzas. These new pizzas with the tomatoes were proclaimed to be the best pizzas in all of Italy.

Pizza migrated to America with the influx of Italians in the latter half of the 19th century. For many people, expecially the Italian-American population, the first American pizzas were know as Tomato Pie. It is said that Gennaro Lombardi, who came from Naples, opened the first Pizzeria in the United States in New York City at 53 1/2 Spring Street.

There are two distinct forms of pizza in America. The thin almost cracker crust form popularized by the Italian-Americans in New York and what's known as Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. This last form was created by Ike Sewell at his bar and grill called Pizzeria Uno in Chicago. This form is baked in an inch deep pan and contains layers of meat, cheese, and other ingredients in a flaky crust.

Most pizza nowadays are the fat loaded kitchen sink style pizza. Everything from bacon, Italian and other types of sausage, to cheddar cheese top pizzas around the world every day. To make matters worse delivery chains have started to use inexpensive processed food products to help make the pizza as cheaply as humanly possible. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. That pizza the chain company delivers to your door with a smile, could land you in the doctor's office with a frown in no time.

The first step in eating a healthy pizza is making it yourself. There are any number of restaurants that will boast healthy pizzas on their menus, but to be sure it truly is a healthy pizza, it's better to play it safe and make it yourself. There are some places that will truly make a healthy pizza, but in order to understand what is most healthy for you to eat it's easier to cook it.

Once you've come to the realization that you will be cooking this culinary masterpiece, it's time to decide on ingredients. The healthiest pizzas include fresh tomatoes, garlic, and small amounts of fresh mozzarella cheese. The pizza can be topped with spinach, broccoli, or any number of fresh vegetables.

Bake the pizza for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, and dab off the grease from the cheese as it starts to settle on top of your pizza. After you have finished cooking the pizza, let it cool, and enjoy. The pizza should taste better than ever knowing that it's one full of healthy ingredients and there is nothing like the satisfaction you have in knowing that you made it yourself.

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Grows up: farmstead, artisan and specialty cheesemaker are developing real markets, upgrading facilities and even partnering with the big boys

Goat cheese, raw milk

by David Phillips

Mateo Kehler and Jed Davis inhabit different planets in the cheese galaxy.

Kehler is a co-founder of Jasper Hill Farm, where cheese is made by hand from the milk of 35 Ayrshire cows. Davis works for Cabot/McCadam, the processing subsidiary of Agri-Mark Inc., cooperative. That operation sold $760 million worth of cheese and other dairy products in 2004. Nonetheless, 38-1b Cheddar wheels from Cabot's Montpelier, Vt. plant are traveling a couple counties over to Jasper Hill in Greensboro, where Kehler wraps them in cloth and places them on wooden shelves in an underground cheese cave. There they will age anywhere from 10 to 18 months to develop rich, complex flavors and textures.

The resulting product, Cabot's Vermont Clothbound Cheddar starts with small batches using the pasteurized milk of a single herd of Holsteins. A proprietary blend of cultures and Jasper Hill's affinage (the craft of storing and aging the cheese), results in a cheese with the complexity of raw milk Cheddar made with the milk traditional breeds.

"It's an unlikely partnership, but it's worked out extremely well," Kehler says. "Cabot is demonstrating that they are not so big that they cannot make an artisan product that can stand on its own in the best retail shops in the country, and we can get them into places they can't get to on their own."

It was Cabot who initiated the partnership after getting to know Jasper Hill through the Vermont Cheese Council.

"For 10 years or more we have attempted to make a natural rind Cheddar," says Davis, Cabot's dir. of marketing. "The biggest problem for us is that

in making a natural-find Cheddar you naturally encounter some mold or mites, and we didn't want any of that anywhere near our regular cheddars.

Both men say the partnership has offered mutual benefits. It helps Jasper Hill increase its volume and broaden its portfolio (Jasper Hill markets the cheese, with both companies getting billing on the label), while the project offers Cabot deeper penetration into the lucrative and growing specialty cheese market.

The partnership with Cabot will allow Jasper Hill to grow even taster. It will begin blasting this month in order to quadruple its underground storage, and its staff will likely double this year.

Goat cheese, please

The story of what Kehler and Davis are doing may ring familiar among other American artisan cheese makers. Many are growing their sales by leaps and bounds while learning to manage supply and demand. Some are ramping up their plants and expanding affinage and storage space to meet the growing demand, and some are working with a growing number of distributors to enter new markets. Some are doing all of these things.

Jasper Hill is less than four years old. It has six full-time and two part-time employees. Its herd will soon be expanded to 45 cows. That makes it one of the larger farmstead cheese manufacturers in Vermont, but it is still quite young and quite small in comparison to the full gambit of American artisan, specialty, and farmstead cheese companies which have cropped up in all comers of the country in the past two decades. For the most part those who have been the business for more than 10 years are considered veterans, and any company with more than 20 employees has achieved some heft.

Cypress Grove Chevre, Arcata, Calif., began making and selling goats milk cheese in 1983, which makes it one of the old men of American specialty cheese. Still, its sales grew 28% in 2005.

"Yes, we are growing up," says owner Mary Keehn, when asked about her company and the broader specialty cheese market. "When we began, goat cheese was not all that popular, but over the years our sales have been growing every bit as fast as we can manage."

So last November Cypress Grove picked up stakes and moved 10 miles after building a brand new production facility that quadrupled its floor space.

"Keep in mind we are still talking 12,000 sq ft, office space included," Keehn says. "But we now have more production capacity and we have things like an automated washing machine for the cheese molds."

Cypress Grove employs 40 people (hand-made cheese is labor intensive), and while these numbers are small, the company's reputation has grown large. Cypress Grove products, including its flagship Humbolt Fog, have become synonymous with the excitement being created by American specialty cheese and the newfound interest here in goats milk and sheeps milk cheeses. The company routinely takes home a handful of medals from the annual national competition of the American Cheese Society (ACS), Louisville, Ky.

The national organization has a membership of nearly 1,000 individuals and organizations. Among them about 25% are cheesemakers from as many as 200 different companies.

ACS includes everything from the tiniest farmstead cheesemakers, who are milking six cows, to companies like Carr Valley Cheese, LaValle, Wis., a fourth-generation company with a certified master cheesemaker. Carr Valley sells bags of cheese curds right along side cave-aged sheeps milk cheese that have taken best of show at the cheese society's annual conference and competition.

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Cheeseburger Cake

Cheeseburger, Catsup

by: Prizewinning

Serves: 10 Servings

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground beef
1 c Chopped onion
1 cn Diced green chiles; 4-oz.
2 c Bisquick® baking mix
1/2 c Mayonnaise
1/2 c Catsup
2 tb Mustard
2 ts Seasoned salt
1 Egg
8 oz American or Cheddar cheese
2 tb Sesame seeds

Instructions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Brown ground beef and onion in skillet. Drain off
excess fat. Mix ground beef, onion and all remaining ingredients except
cheese and sesame seeds. Spread half of batter in greased 9-inch springform
pan. Lay cheese slices on batter and cover with remaining batter. Sprinkle
with sesame seeds. Bake until edges are brown and pull away from side of
pan, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes; loosen edge. Serves 10 to 12.

High Altitude Directions (3500 to 6500 ft.): No adjustments are necessary.
Formatted by Lynn Thomas dcqp82a@prodigy.com. Source: Prizewinning Recipes
by You from Bisquick. Lynn's notes: Made this 2-10-98; omitted the salt,
next time I'll use garlic and chopped green and red peppers to be cooked in
with the beef. A good recipe, easy to make and could be made in a pie plate
instead of a springform pan.

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Cheese Trees or Snowman

Pesto, Pine nuts, Kale

Recipe by: Betty Crocker

Serves: 1 Servings

Ingredients:

3 pk (8 oz) cream cheese;
-softened
4 c Cheddar cheese (16 ounces);
-shredded
2 tb Pesto
1 tb Grated onions
1/4 ts Ground mustard
2 dr Red pepper sauce; (up to 3)

Instructions:

-----------------HAVE READY AT SERVING TIME-------------

1/4 c Pine nuts or sliced almonds
2 tb Chopped red bell pepper
Assorted crackers
Kale or Bibb lettuce

Mix cream cheese and Cheddar cheese; divide in half. Mix pesto into 1 half;
mix onion, mustard and pepper sauce into other half. Cover each halh and
refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm enough to shape.

Place cheese mixtures on cookie sheet. Shape each half into cone shape to
resemble Christmas tree. Wrap each tree and freeze..Can be stored up to 1
month...

12 hours before serving, remove trees from freezer. Thaw in wrapper in
refrigerator. Just before serving, roll trees in parsley, pressing parsley
evenly onto trees. Press pine nuts onto trees in string form for garland.
Press bell pepper pieces onto trees for ornaments...Top each tree with star
shape cut from lemon peel.... Dress up the trees with a tree skirt using
kale or Bibb lettuce.

For Snowman: Omit parsley,pine nuts and bell pepper. Mix cheeses together
and divide into 3 equal parts. Combine 2 parts to equal two-thirds pf
mixture; mix in pesto. Mix onion, mustard and pepper sauce into remaining
one-third mixture. Refrigerate as directed. Shape each cheese mixture into
ball; roll in 1/3 cup finely chopped blanched almonds. Wrap each ball and
freeze.

12 hours before serving, remove balls from freezer. Thaw in wrappers.
Arrange balls on serving plate with smaller ball on top for head of
snowman, flatten slightly. Insert pretzel sticks for arms. Decorate as
desired with sliced olives, capers, chopped bell peppers,ect...

NOTES : Makes 2 trees or 1 snowman....

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Cheese Stuffed Red Peppers

Cayenne pepper, Cayenne,

Serves: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Ground turky breast
1 ts Garlic -- minced
3 Red peppers -- large
4 c Water
8 oz FF Pepper Jack Cheese, HC -- Shredded
3/4 c Cooked borwn rice
3/4 c Cooked wild rice
1/3 c Green onions -- sliced
2 oz Pimiento -- choped
1/8 ts Cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 F. In 10" skillet, cook turkey and garlic until browned;
drain. Cut red peppers lengthwise in halves. Remove seeds and membranes,
rinse. In Dutch oven bring water to a boil; cook pepper halves 2 minutes;
drain. In large bowl stir together 1 c. cheese, brown rice, green onions,
pimiento, cayenne pepper and turkey mixture. Loosely stuff each pepper
half. Arrange in 12"x 7" baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Cover and bake at 350 F. for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with
remaining cheese. Continue baking until cheese melts. 6 servings, each 176
calories, 26 g protein, 15 g carbo., 2 g fat, 33 mg cholesterol, 299 mg
sodium.

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Cheese Production

lactic acid, rennet, casein


For most cheeses produced worldwide, cow's milk is used, however milk of other animals, especially goat and sheep is also widely used. The quality of milk used in (semi-) industrial cheese making is rigidly controlled in Europe. The majority of cheeses are made from heat-treated or pasteurised milk (either whole, low-fat or non-fat). If non-pasteurised milk is used, the cheese must be ripened for at least 60 days at a temperature of not less than 4°C to ensure safety against pathogenic organisms. Pasteurisation requirements for milk used to make specific cheese varieties are regulated differently in each country.

Cheese making involves a number of main stages that are common to most types of cheese.

The cheese milk is pre-treated, possibly preripened after addition of a bacteria culture appropriate to the type of cheese, and mixed with rennet.

The enzyme activity of the rennet causes the milk to coagulate to a solid gel known as coagulum. This is cut with special cutting tools into small cubes of the desired size – in the first place to facilitate expulsion of whey. During the rest of the curd making process the bacteria grow and form lactic acid, and the curd grains are subjected to mechanical treatment with stirring tools, while at the same time the curd is heated according to a preset programme.

The combined effect of these three actions – growth of bacteria, mechanical treatment and heat treatment – results in syneresis, i.e. separation of whey from the curd grains. The finished curd is placed in cheese moulds of metal, wood or plastic, which determine the shape of the finished cheese.

The cheese is pressed, either by its own weight or more commonly by applying pressure to the moulds. Treatment during

curd making and pressing determines the characteristics of the cheese. The actual flavour of the cheese is determined during the ripening of the cheese.

Different steps in cheese making are discussed below.

Pasteurisation

Before the actual cheese making begins, the milk usually undergoes pre-treatment designed to create optimum conditions for production.

Milk intended for types of cheese which require more than one month for ripening need not necessarily be pasteurised, but usually is.

Milk intended for unripened cheese (fresh cheese) must be pasteurised. This implies that cheese milk for types needing a ripening period of at least one month need not be pasteurised in most countries.

Milk intended for original Emmenthal, Parmesan and Grana, some extra hard types of cheese, must not be heated to more than 40°C, to avoid affecting flavour, aroma and whey expulsion. Milk intended for these types of cheese normally comes from selected dairy farms with frequent veterinary inspection of the herds.

Although cheese made from unpasteurised milk is considered to have a better flavour and aroma, most producers (except makers of the extra hard types) pasteurise the milk because its quality is seldom so dependable that they are willing to take the risk of not pasteurising it.

Pasteurisation must be sufficient to kill bacteria capable of affecting the quality of the cheese, e.g. coliforms, which can cause early “blowing” and a disagreeable taste. Regular pasteurisation at 72 – 73°C for 15 – 20 seconds is most commonly applied.

However, spore-forming microorganisms in the spore state survive pasteurisation and can cause serious problems during the ripening process. One example is Clostridium tyrobutyricum, which forms butyric acid and large volumes of hydrogen gas by fermenting lactic acid. This gas destroys the texture of the cheese completely (‘blowing'), not to mention the fact that butyric acid is unsavoury.

More intense heat treatment would reduce that particular risk, but would also seriously impair the general cheese making properties of the milk. Other means of reducing thermotolerant bacteria are therefore used.

Traditionally, certain chemicals have been added to cheese milk prior to production to prevent “blowing” and development of the unpleasant flavour caused by heat-resistant spore-forming bacteria (principally Clostridium tyrobutyricum). The most commonly used chemical is sodium nitrate (NaNO3), but at production of Emmenthal cheese, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is also used. However, as the use of chemicals has been widely criticised, mechanical means of reducing the number of unwanted microorganisms have been adopted, particularly in countries where the use of chemical inhibitors is banned.

Starter cultures

The starter culture is a very important factor in cheese making; it performs several duties.

Two principal types of culture are used in cheese making:

– mesophilic cultures with a temperature optimum between 20 and 40°C

and

– thermophilic cultures which develop at up to 45°C.

The most frequently used cultures are mixed strain cultures, in which two or more strains of both mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria exist in symbiosis, i.e. to their mutual benefit. These cultures not only produce lactic acid but also aroma components and CO2. Carbon dioxide is essential to creating the cavities in round-eyed and granular types of cheese. Examples are Gouda, Manchego and Tilsiter from mesophilic cultures and Emmenthal and Gruyère from thermophilic cultures.

Single-strain cultures are mainly used where the object is to develop acid and contribute to protein degradation, e.g. in Cheddar and related types of cheese.

Three characteristics of starter cultures are of primary importance in cheese making, viz.

– ability to produce lactic acid

– ability to break down the protein and, when applicable,

– ability to produce carbon dioxide (CO2).

The main task of the culture is to develop acid in the curd.

When milk coagulates, bacteria cells are concentrated in the coagulum and thus in the cheese.

Development of acid lowers the pH, which is important in assisting syneresis (contraction of the coagulum accompanied by elimination of whey).

Furthermore, salts of calcium and phosphorus are released, which influence the consistency of the cheese and help to increase the firmness of the curd.

Another important function performed by the acid-producing bacteria is to suppress surviving bacteria from pasteurisation or recontamination bacteria which need lactose or cannot tolerate lactic acid.

Production of lactic acid stops when all the lactose in the cheese (except in soft cheeses) has been fermented. Lactic acid fermentation is normally a relatively fast process. In some types of cheese, such as Cheddar, it must be completed before the cheese is pressed, and in other types within a week.

If the starter also contains CO2-forming bacteria, acidification of the curd is accompanied by production of carbon dioxide through the action of citric acid fermenting bacteria. Mixed strain cultures with the ability to develop CO2 are essential for production of cheese with a texture with round holes/eyes or irregularly shaped eyes. The evolved gas is initially dissolved in the moisture phase of the cheese; when the solution becomes saturated, the gas is released and creates the eyes.

The ripening process in hard and certain semi-hard cheeses is a combined proteolytic effect where the original enzymes of the milk and those of the bacteria in the culture, together with rennet enzyme, cause decomposition of the protein.
Other additions before making the curd

Calcium chloride (CaCl2)

If the milk is of poor quality for cheese making, the coagulum will be soft. This results in heavy losses of fines (casein) and fat as well as poor syneresis during cheese making.

5 – 20 grams of calcium chloride per 100 kg of milk is normally enough to achieve a constant coagulation time and result in sufficient firmness of the coagulum. Excessive addition of calcium chloride may make the coagulum so hard that it is difficult to cut.

For production of low-fat cheese, and if legally permitted, disodium phosphate (Na2PO4), usually 10 – 20 g/kg, can sometimes be added to the milk before the calcium chloride is added. This increases the elasticity of the coagulum due to formation of colloidal calcium phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2), which will have almost the same effect as the milk fat globules entrapped in the curd.

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Addition of CO2is one method of improving the quality of cheese milk. Carbon dioxide occurs naturally in milk, but most of it is lost in the course of processing. Adding carbon dioxide by artificial means lowers the pH of the milk: the original pH is normally reduced by 0.1 to 0.3 units. This will then result in shorter coagulation time. The effect can be utilised to obtain the same coagulation time with a smaller amount of rennet.

Saltpetre (NaNO3 or KNO3)

Fermentation problems may be experienced if the cheese milk contains butyric-acid bacteria ( Clostridia) and/or coliform bacteria.

Saltpetre (sodium or potassium nitrate) can be used to counteract these bacteria, but the dosage must be accurately determined with reference to the composition of the milk, the process for the type of cheese, etc., as too much saltpetre will also inhibit growth of the starter. Overdosage of saltpetre may affect the ripening of the cheese or even stop the ripening process.

Saltpetre in high doses may discolour the cheese, causing reddish streaks and an impure taste. The maximum permitted dosage is about 30 grams of saltpetre per 100 kg of milk.

In the past decade usage of saltpetre has been questioned from a medical point of view, and in some countries it is also forbidden.

Colouring agents

The colour of cheese is to a great extent determined by the colour of the milk fat, and undergoes seasonal variations. Colours such as carotene and orleana, a natural anatto dye, are used to correct these seasonal variations in countries where colouring is permitted.

Green chlorophyll (contrast dye) is also used, for example for blueveined cheese, to obtain a “pale” colour as a contrast to the blue mould.

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Cheese Fondue #3

gruyere cheese, cornstarch, nutmeg, Kirsch

By: Elizabeth Powell

Serves: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

2 c White wine
1/2 Clove garlic; pressed
1 lb Gruyere cheese; grated
2 tb Cornstarch
2 tb Kirsch
1/4 ts Nutmeg
1/2 ts Salt

Instructions:

In the top of a double boiler, heat wine until barely simmering. Add
garlic. Dredge cheese in cornstarch, add to wine and stir until cheese
melts. Add Kirsch and seasonings, continuing to stir until smooth. Turn
into Fondue pot, keep warm over alcohol lamp while serving.

Serve with chunks of French bread, slices of apples and pears, and
quartered carrots to dip in cheese.

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Cheese Making Through the Ages

hieroglyphics, Egyptian hieroglyphics, lactic acid

by Jean Feingold

The many different types of cheeses available mean there is something to suit every taste. It is generally believed that cheese was first made in the Middle East. Legend has it that a nomadic Arab made cheese by accident when a saddlebag filled with milk fermented due to the hot sun and the galloping movement of his horse.

Early cheeses were not the solid products we eat today. They were simple curds and whey, like what Little Miss Muffet ate. The curd is the solid part while the whey is liquid.

Workmen making cheese are depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics. In ancient times, the whey was eaten immediately while the curd was salted or dried for preservation. The Roman Legion helped spread the art of cheesemaking throughout Europe and England. The monasteries and feudal estates of Europe made great improvements in cheesemaking during the Middle Ages. Many of the classic varieties of cheese enjoyed today were developed by monks.

During the Renaissance, cheese decreased in popularity because it was considered unhealthy. By the nineteenth century, sentiment had changed and cheese production moved from farms to factories. No one involved in the early history of cheese could have imagined that today people would buy cheese online.

While most cheeses are mass produced today, some artisanal cheeses are still made

by hand using old-fashioned techniques. When you buy cheese online, it is possible to deal directly with the people who make the cheese.

How cheese is made today

Cheese can be made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep and even buffaloes. The basic principle involved in making natural cheese is to curdle the milk so it forms into curds and whey. Contemporary cheesemaking methods stimulate the curdling process by using a starter, which is a bacterial culture that produces lactic acid, and rennet, a coagulating enzyme to speed up the separation of liquids and solids. Different bacterial cultures are used depending on the type of cheese being made.

The least sophisticated types of cheese for sale are the fresh, unripened varieties like cottage cheese. These are made by warming milk and letting it stand, treating it with a lactic starter to help the acid development and then draining the whey. The cheese is eaten fresh. This is the simplest form of cheese.

For more complex cheeses, bacterial cultures are used to lower the pH or acidify the cheese. It is important to make sure the right amount of acid is produced or the cheese's texture will be poor. At this point, the cheese will begin to coagulate and form curds and whey. The process is enhanced by adding rennet.

The curd is then heated and cut, allowing whey to escape. The curd hardens before it is salted, shaped and pressed. Depending on the variety, the cheese will then be aged or ripened for different amounts of time. Bacteria are still growing in the cheese, resulting in flavor and texture changes.

Cheese rinds are formed during the ripening process, often naturally. The rind's main function is protecting the interior of the cheese while allowing it to ripen harmoniously. Its presence does affect the final flavor of the cheese. Every variety of cheese for sale has gotten to market after being made through some variation of this process.

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Cheese Grits

Grits, Velveeta, casserole


Serves: 12 Servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c Grits
1/4 c Margarine
3 Egg; beaten
1 lb Velveeta; grated
1 ts Salt
1 ds Tabasco or Pickapeppa sauce
Paprika

Instructions:

Cook grits according to package directions. Add margarine, eggs, cheese
and salt; cook slowly until cheese melts. Remove from heat and add Tabasco
or Pickapeppa sauce. Pour into a casserole or souffle dish and sprinkle
with paprika. Bake one hour at 250 degrees.

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Cheese Blintzes #2

crepes, cottage cheese, Ricotta cheese


Serves: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

---------------CREPES------------------
3/4 c All-purpose flour
1/2 ts Salt
2 lg Eggs
1 c Milk
2 tb Unsalted butter; melted
1 Stick unsalted butter at


Instructions:

---------------FILLING-----------------
-room temp.
1 lb Ricotta cheese (or dry
-cottage cheese)
1 lg Egg yolk
1 tb Unsalted butter; melted
1 tb Granulated sugar
1/2 ts Vanilla extract

Make the crepe batter:

*** Sift flour and salt together into a bowl.

*** In a large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer. Add milk and 2
tablespoons of melted butter, beating until well mixed. Add flour mixture
and continue to beat until smooth. Cover and refrigerate at least 30
minutes.

Prepare the filling:

*** Combine ricotta cheese, egg yolk, 1 tablespoon melted butter,
granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer until
smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

*** Preheat oven to its lowest setting.

*** Remove crepe batter from the refrigerator. It should be the
consistency of heavy cream. If too thin, add up to 2 additional tablespoons
of flour to thicken.

*** Melt 1 teaspoon of the butter in a 7-inch skillet over medium heat,
swirling pan to

coat the whole surface. Put 1+1/2 tablespoons of batter
into the pan, swirling quickly to spread batter evenly over bottom of pan.
Cook until air bubbles begin to form on top on top and the edges start to
curl away from the sides of the pan. Remove crepe with a spatula and flip
over, browned side up, onto a plate. Repeat until batter is used up,
melting 1 teaspoon of butter in the pan before adding each 1+1/2
tablespoons of fresh batter.

*** To make blintz, take a crepe, browned side up, and place 1 tablespoon
of filling in the center. Lift the far edge of the crepe up and over the
filling, then lift up the near edge, overlapping and crimping the edges
together to close. Fold sides up, again overlapping and crimping to
secure. Transfer to a plate, and repeat with remaining crepes.

*** Melt the remaining butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add
a few filled blintzes, seam side down, and saute until golden brown. Gently
turn blintzes over and cook until the other side is golden brown. Remove
blintzes from the pan and place on an oven-proof plate. Keep cooked
blintzes warm in a very low temp. oven as you saute the rest.

*** Dust with confectioners sugar, serve with fruit sauce or syrup. Makes
16-18 blintzes

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Cheese and Bacon Pinwheels

Rye bread, jelly roll


Serves: 28 Servings

Ingredients:

1 c Shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c Crisp bacon; crumbled
1/4 c Margarine; softened
2 tb Green onions; chopped
7 sl Rye bread; crusts removed

Instructions:

In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients except bread. Flatten each
bread slice with a rolling pin. Spread each slice with 1 1/2 Tablespoon
cheese mixture.

Roll up jelly roll style. Place 4 toothpicks into each piece, then using a
serrated knife, cut into 4 pices. Place on a cookie sheet.

Heat boriler, and broil for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until lightly browned
and cheese is melted.

Serve immediately.

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Better Mac And Cheese, Please

Macaroni and cheese, Alfredo sauce,


by Poellnitz, Vicki A

Treat your family to the ultimate feel-good food.

Macaroni and cheese makes it to the top of the list of comfort foods. Most of the mac and cheese served these days comes from a boxed mix or the freezer, but it's easy to make it from scratch. Ten minutes is all you need to stir up the sauce. Once you've reached this point, the variations are endless. Mix in any type of shredded cheese, cooked pasta, salt, and pepper, and you're set.

We recommend shredding block cheese with a grater for the creamiest results. VICKI A. POELLNITZ

TACO DINNER MAC AND CHEESE

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

PREP: 15 MIN., COOK: 25 MIN.

1 (8-ounce) package elbow macaroni

1 pound ground beef

1 (1.25-ounce) envelope reduced-sodium taco seasoning mix

¾ cup water

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1 (8-ounce) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

Toppings: chopped tomato, avocado, and green onions, sour cream, salsa

PREPARE pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

BROWN ground beef in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain.

RETURN beef to skillet; stir in taco seasoning mix and ¾ cup water. Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, 7 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates. Remove beef mixture from heat.

MELT butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat.

STIR in 1 ½ cups cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in cooked pasta and beef mixture. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese. Serve immediately with desired toppings. STEWART GORDON

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

HEARTY MAC AND CHEESE

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

PREP: 15 MIN., COOK: 17 MIN.

1 (8-ounce) package elbow macaroni

1 ½ cups diced cooked ham

½ small onion, chopped

Vegetable cooking spray

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1 (8-ounce) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

PREPARE pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm,

SAUTÉ ham and onion in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 5 minutes; stir in peas and next 3 ingredients. Set aside.

MELT butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat.

STIR in 1 ½ cups cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in cooked pasta and ham mixture. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese. Serve immediately.

CREAMY MAC AND CHEESE

MAKES 2 TO 3 MAIN-DISH OR 4 TO 6 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS

PREP: 10 MIN., COOK: 8 MIN.

1 (8-ounce) package elbow macaroni

1 (10-ounce) container refrigerated Alfredo sauce

½ cup milk

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground red pepper

1 (8-ounce) block Cheddar cheese, shredded

PREPARE pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

BRING Alfredo sauce and next 4 ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Stir in cooked pasta. Serve immediately.

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Baked Mac 'n' Cheese

casserole,

Serves: 2 Servings

Ingredients:

1 cn Campbell's Condensed Cheddar
-Cheese Soup (10.75 oz)
1/2 cn Milk (use soup can)
1 ts Prepared mustard
1/8 ts Pepper
2 c Hot cooked elbow or medium
-shell macaroni (~1.5 c dry)
2 ts Margarine or butter, melted
1 tb Dry bread crumbs

Instructions:

*** In 1 quart casserole, combine soup, milk, mustard and pepper. Stir
in macaroni.

*** In cup, combine margarine and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over
casserole.

*** Bake at 400'F. 20 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

Makes 2 1/2 cups, 2 main dish or 4 side dish servings.

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Almond-Blue Cheese Balls

Chives, Chutney, Parsley

Recipe by: Mrs. C. K. Payne, III

Serves: 24 Servings

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Cream Cheese
1/2 lb Blue Cheese
A Little Fresh Cream; as
-necessary
1 tb Onion; grated
1 1/2 tb Fresh Parsley; chopped
1 1/2 tb Chives; chopped
1 1/2 tb Chutney; drained-chopped
Salt And Pepper; to taste
Almonds; chopped

Instructions:
Blend and form in little individual balls adding drops of fresh cream to
adjust consistency of mixture. Roll in chopped almond and chill. Source:
Mountain Measures--Junior League of Charleston, WV ed. 1974

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Can Pizza Be Part Of A Healthy Diet?

healthy diet, weight loss tips , alfalfa sprouts

by Tracie Johanson

At any given time, approximately 65 million Americans are on a diet. As a nation we try every diet product that comes along, from diet pills to fat burner lotions to weight loss surgery. We attend Weight Watchers meetings for our weight loss support, and we seek out weight loss tips anywhere we can find them. We've tried the weight loss herbs, the Nicole Richie weight loss plan, and the fat flush diet. In other words, many Americans have tried every weight loss system on the market today.

Unfortunately, most people haven't yet written their own weight loss success story. Most people are seeking rapid weight loss through one method or another, yet almost two-thirds of our nation is still classified as overweight. About one-third of our population is clinically obese. Clearly, the average weight in the United States continues to rise just as fast as the number of crash diets advertised on television.

While it can certainly be argued that Americans don't exercise to lose weight nearly enough and rely too much on quick weight loss diets, it's also true that a healthy diet will can have a substantial impact on fat loss results.

Diet Dilemma:

Unfortunately, when most people consider weight loss nutrition they automatically think of low fat foods such as alfalfa sprouts, broccoli and nonfat cottage cheese. Just the thought of surviving on such meager fare leaves the dieter discouraged and disappointed. Unable to eat the foods they love, dieters give up all hope of achieving their spot on the ideal weight chart and

revert to their old pre-diet dining habits.

That's where most diets fail. Consumers, seeking honest weight loss help, are led to believe that in order to reach their ideal body weight they absolutely must give up all the foods they love and enjoy. Not realizing that this diet information is dangerous and self-defeating, the average dieter attempts to 'willpower' their way through day after tortuous day, denying themselves the very foods that they cherish the most. Such an approach almost never leads the consumer to a healthy weight because it's virtually impossible to deny yourself to this extreme. After the inevitable failure of this weight management technique, the dieter feels like a personal failure. Feelings of inadequacy set in, and it's easy to lose weight loss motivation altogether.

Thankfully, your weight loss story doesn't have to end here. An eminently better way to diet and lose fat is to make modifications to your menu that you can stick with for life. While it is possible to burn fat using the 'willpower through it' method, weight loss success is much more likely when small (almost unnoticeable) changes are made.

Americans Consume Piles Of Pizza:

Pizza is a perfect example of how you can make a minor modification to your diet, without giving up the foods you adore, and still attain some healthy weight loss. "Americans spent more than $22 billion last year on pizza, according to 'The Pizza Market' study conducted by Packaged Facts, a market research company. Helping to drive this trend is what many refer to as "consumers' growing love affair" with frozen pizza. About 7.7% of total dollars spent for pizza in 1995 was for frozen pizza, and growing sales are being spurred by the new rising crust varieties." (Source: Baking Business; 11-26-1996).

Most pizzas will do little to help your fast weight loss diet because they're typically loaded down with high-fat toppings like cheese and pepperoni. As an example, Pizza Hut claims that "If all the cows it takes to produce Pizza Hut cheese stood end to end, they would span the distance between the international space station and Earth at its point closest to the planet (333 kilometers or 207 miles)" (Source: Pizza Hut).

As a nation, our love affair with pizza has hindered our weight control efforts. Each man, woman and child in America eats an average of 46 slices (23 pounds) of pizza a year (Source: Packaged Facts, New York). A look at the Pizza Hut menu reveals that a single (100 gram) slice of Pizza Hut pan pizza (pepperoni) has 280 calories. That same slice at Domino's Pizza will cost you 310 calories. A single (153 gram) slice of Papa John's Pizza (The Meats) checks in at a whopping 430 calories, while a slice of pepperoni (111 grams) at Round Table Pizza boasts 310 calories. Finally, a (141 gram) deep-dish pepperoni slice from Little Caesars will set you back 350 calories.

Can Pizza Be Part Of A Healthy Diet?

With all those calories in pizza, and the pizza delivery truck just a phone call away, your diet and nutrition plan may be in jeopardy. But it doesn't have to be. The incredible pizza served up at your favorite pizza restaurant doesn't have to derail your weight loss plan. While the local pizza franchise won't ever be mistaken for the neighborhood quick weight loss center, and pizza probably won't ever qualify as a fat burning food, you don't have to give it up entirely in favor of the latest fad diet.

Many Americans are finding that their local pizza place is now offering healthier choices. With consumers concerned about so many carbs in pizza (due to the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet), and with high fat foods still a concern for many, pizza recipes are changing for the better.

Papa Murphy's deLITE Pizza May Fit Your Diet Plan:

Papa Murphy's Pizza is a fine example of a company that has listened to the customer and now offers a diet recipe on its pizza menu. Aware that many people are on a low-carb diet and weight loss program, Papa Murphy's has adjusted their pizza dough recipe accordingly. The result is their deLITE line of pizzas, where a slice of pepperoni will cost you only 160 calories. Mindful of the millions of Americans on a low carbohydrate diet, Papa Murphy's has cut back on the crust while preserving the flavor. Even the Papa Murphy's equivalent of the big sausage pizza, which they call the Meat DeLITE, has just 190 calories.

With their Cheese DeLITE pizza boasting only 140 calories per slice, and the Veggie DeLITE pizza coming in at just 150 calories per slice, we may assume that the pizza ovens at Papa Murphy's are working overtime!

So, Can Pizza Be Part Of A Healthy Diet?

While a steady diet of pizza will never be the next Weight Watcher diet, and the local pizza restaurant will never be a weight loss clinic, it is not unreasonable to claim that the Papa Murphy's deLITE line of pizzas can indeed be a valuable part of our diet and exercise program.

Traditional diets promising easy weight loss demand that the dieter forfeit their favorite foods. More often than not, such diet programs include giving up pizza. Such drastic actions are often a direct path to failure, leaving the dieter with a weight issue they cannot handle and a monumental feeling of failure.

A much better approach to any weight loss diet is making small but significant changes that the dieter can stick to for life. One such change is making a switch from regular high-fat, high-calorie pizza to the Papa Murphy's DeLITE line. Based upon a comparison to Papa John's (see above), substituting the Papa Murphy's DeLITE pizza will save you 290 calories per slice. Keeping in mind that the average American consumes 46 slices of pizza annually, the potential caloric savings is 13,340 calories per year. That's almost four pounds of fat that can be shed each and every year simply by switching to the DeLITE pizza!

Is the DeLITE pizza a guaranteed way to lose weight fast? Is the DeLITE pizza a diet food or even a low fat option? Of course not. But it will help most dieters stay on their plan, and thus gives them a higher probability of achieving their ideal weight. So while it's not a good idea to go into a pizza frenzy just yet, the DeLITE pizzas from Papa Murphy's may indeed be part of your healthy diet.

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California cheese production reaches milestone

CDFA, dairy industry,


California's cheese production passed the 2 billion-pound mark for the first time in 2005, reaching a record 2.14 billion pounds.

A preliminary report by the state's Department of Food and Agriculture also notes that the state's cheese production grew 7.1% last year, nearly three times the rate of cheese production growth nationally.

Cheese production in California has more than doubled over the past decade, from 1.04 billion pounds in 1996. California milk production also reached a record high in 2005, totaling 37.5 billion lbs, according to CDFA. "California's dairy industry is one of the largest agricultural forces in the state and a growing supplier of dairy products nationwide," said Stan G. Andre, CEO of the California Milk Advisory Board. "In 2004 alone, California's dairy business generated $47.4 billion in economic activity."

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Cheese Fondue #2

fondue, cottage cheese, cornstarch


Serves: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

1 c Cottage cheese; creamed
1/4 c Milk
2 tb Butter or margarine
1 1/2 tb Cornstarch
1 ds Garlic powder
1/4 ts Dry mustard
3/4 c Milk
4 oz Pasteurized process sharp
-Cheddar cheese; shredded
2 oz Pasteurized process Swiss
-cheese; shredded
1 Loaf (1-pound) French bread;
-cut into cubes

Instructions:

Mix cottage cheese with 1/4 cup milk in a blender until smooth.

Melt fat in a saucepan. Stir in cornstarch, garlic powder, and dry mustard;
mix well. Add 3/4 cup milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly
until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat. Stir in cottage cheese
mixture. Add remaining cheeses, stirring until cheeses are melted. Serve
with cubes of French bread for dipping into fondue mixture.

NOTE: Fondue may be transferred to a preheated fondue pot or chafing dish
if desired. Keep hot during serving by using an alcohol burner, canned
heat, or candle burner.

Calories per serving: About 210 for fondue mixture, without bread.

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Ricotta cheese

lasagna, ricotta cheese, manicotti


Ricotta is a fresh Italian cheese. It is traditionally made from fresh whey left over from the cheesemaking process. Ricotta is very mild, and it is used in many Italian dishes such as lasagna or stuffed manicotti.

You can use the whey left from all types of cheesemaking with the exception of the soft French-style goat cheese, soft molded or herbed goat cheese and Neufchatel. Those cheeses are made with drops of rennet which are not sufficient for ricotta.

The whey must be very fresh, so plan ahead to make ricotta on a day when you are already making other kinds of cheese. Yield is very low, and whole milk is added to boost the yield.

There are several ways to make ricotta. Here are some interesting ones to try. Ricotta can be used in many recipes, and it's great in cake mixes and other recipes. Besides adding extra protein, it makes cakes come out rich and moist. You can also beat it until smooth, add some herbs or dip mixes and have a terrific dip or spread. Because ricotta is such a mild cheese, it mixes nicely with other dishes. Be creative.

Old-fashioned ricotta

1 gallon or more of fresh whey
1 to 1-1/2 quarts milk

Heat whey to 195 [degrees] F in a large kettle, then slowly stir in the milk. Bring heat back to 195 [degrees] F, stirring often to prevent scorching. The ricotta is ready to drain when you see little white, fine-grained pieces forming in the pot. Line a colander with cheesecloth and pour the curds into the cloth. Hang to drain for one hour. When drained, remove the cheese from the cloth and add salt to taste. One-half teaspoon per two cups is about right. Store in refrigerator. Will keep for about a week. Use whole milk or cream for a richer ricotta.

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The Historic Roots of Pizza

mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, pizza oven

by Kadence Buchanan

Pizza is an oven-baked flat usually circular bread, covered with tomato sauce and cheese with optional toppings. All the basic ingredients of a healthy nutritional plan are used in this world-famous culinary product. From dining out to ordering in, pizza has evolved to one of the most loved food categories in the U.S. and around the globe.

The roots of modern pizza come from the ancient Greek colony of Naples in Magna Graecia, which is the part of southern Italy. As early as the 3rd century BC, Marcus Porcius Cato, the first historian of Rome, mentions that people in that area used to eat a flat round dough dressed with olive oil, herbs, cheese and honey. Even in the city of Pompeii, archaeologists have excavated shops that resemble modern pizzerias. Since the tomato was not yet known in Europe, the ingredients of the ancient pizza were somewhat different, but the concept remained the same. During the 16th century, when tomato was transferred from the Americas to Europe, the poor area around Naples begun adding this plant to their yeast-based flat bread covering it with mozzarella cheese. Soon, pizza gained tremendous popularity among the Italian people and in 1897 the first pizza was produced for the U.S. public by Antonio Totonno Pero who worked as an employee at Gennaro Lombardi's small grocery store in New York City's Little Italy.

Today, pizza has managed to become one of the main components of the growing U.S. restaurant chains. As early as 1954, Shakey's Pizza and Pizza Hut begun their pizza business and today, every U.S. city has a number of pizza restaurants to serve the ongoing needs of people for pizza. In fact, the American pizza business is dominated by companies that specialize in pizza delivery and well-known brands, like Domino's, Little Caesar's,

Papa John's Pizza among many others serve the needs of the U.S. customers on a daily basis.

The crust of pizza is traditionally plain, but companies have introduced variations with butter, garlic, or herbs and recently crust stuffed with cheese. Topped with tomato sauce and a number of ingredients, from pepperoni to mushrooms and bacon to spinach, today's pizzas are capable of feeding a large family or a group of friends watching a game on TV.

Of course, many households prefer the home-made pizza and again many variation s exist on the bread used for the crust and the ingredients with which is garnished. Among the most famous of all pizzas is the Chicago-style pizza, which is baked in a pan rather than directly on the bricks of the pizza oven.

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