Tips from the Big Cheese

How to store LEFTOVERS

The 3 C's of Storing Cheese :

Clean - Avoid handling the surface if possible

Cold - Keep it in the refrigerator

Covered - Wrap unused portions in plastic wrap, parchment paper, waxed paper or foil. You may wish to use a second layer like a Ziploc bag or an airtight container.

To Freeze or not to Freeze?
Cheese can be frozen. The nutritional value stays the same, however the texture will change. Frozen cheese is an ideal ingredient for baked dishes.

The How 2's of pairing

 

Dynamic Duo... Wine & Cheese

As a rule of thumb, match intensities...

big cheeses = big wines, lighter cheeses = lighter wines

Aged Cheddars - Cabernet Sauvignon blends, Merlot

Milder Cheddars - Chardonnay , Riesling Reserve

Monterey Jack - Oak-aged Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc

Mozzarella - Chianti, Beaujolais

Smoked - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc

Canadian wine critic Natalie Maclean has a great tool for connecting each type of cheese to a specific selection of wines available in our Ontario LCBO stores...

 

Also check out Tony Aspler's wine and cheese recommendations at www.tonyaspler.com

 

Longstanding Companions = Cheese + Beer

 

Try these pairs as recommended by Ian Coutts at the Great Canadian Cheese Festival:

Maple Dale's Smoked Cheddar + Church Key Loyalist Lager

Maple Dale's 2 Year Old Cheddar + Barley Days Brewery's Harvest Pale Ale

Weblinks

www.cheeselover.ca (Canadian Cheese Society)

www.cheesesociety.org (American Cheese Society)

www.dairygoodness.ca (Dairy Farmers of Canada)

www.cheese.com (all about cheese)

www.thenibble.com (great for recipes)

tourism.bayofquinte.ca/food-and-drink/tastings-highlight-some-of-the-regions-best/ (tap in to the cheddar and ale trail)

www.dcicheeseco.com/about_cheese/cheeseopedia (become a cheese whiz with this extensive resource of cheese related terms)

www.tonyaspler.com (expert on pairing cheese with wine and beer)