Cheese Please! Happy American Cheese Month🧀

May is American Cheese Month! 

Want to see this ATL & CO show live? Click here:  https://www.11alive.com/video/entertainment/television/programs/atlanta-and-company/american-cheese-month/85-9d058f98-ab11-45e7-89cf-e6c7e3486d87

Did you know that the United States produces over 600 varieties of cheese?

• The original American cheese is Cheddar. The English immigrants brought their prized cultures and traditional cheesemaking techniques along with them, and the rest is history.

You may know that Wisconsin is the cheese state and leads the nation in cheese production today, but did you know that California and Idaho were the second and third states producing the most cheese?

Of course, there are many cheeses here inspired by the century’s old tradition of cheesemaking in Europe – but did you know that the U.S.  also created cheeses that you may know and love?

• Colby is named after the small town in north-central Wisconsin where it was developed in 1874, is similar to Cheddar but does but is a softer, moister, milder cheese that’s great for snacking.
• Monterey Jack was first made by Mexican friars in Monterey, California, in the 1800s and first sold by an entrepreneur named David Jack – thus the name Monterey Jack
• Baby Swiss – Though it may not sound like it, Baby Swiss is an American cheese. A Swiss cheesemaker in Ohio named Alfred Guggisberg began making a younger whole-milk version of Swiss cheese in the 1960s and Americans loved its milder, softer taste.

And of course, there are other wonderful American artisanal cheeses that you may love like Humboldt Fog, Point Reyes Blue and Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam. There are even cheeses made in Georgia!

SO,,,Now that you’ve bought the cheeses, how do you keep and store them?

First of All – Cheese is alive! It needs to breathe:

• Wrap the cheese in parchment or wax paper, then tuck it into a loosely sealed container or plastic bag UNLESS it’s a ricotta, feta and mozzarella (which should stay in their original packaging with their brine
• Store the cheese in your crisper drawer – or many new fridges have a cheese drawer. There is more humidity in those places, so cheese can breathe.
• If you have left over cheese, you can add it to an omelet or frittata make a grilled cheese, create an unique mac and cheese or any add it to any casserole calling for cheese! Or toss them in the food processor with a bit of white wine or brandy and make a yummy cheese spread.

Wine pairing with Cheese:

It just makes sense… pair up your wines and cheeses by how bold or delicate they are. A rosé is often a good choice when you are serving up a platter of different cheeses. Today we are enjoying a dry, crisp and delicious American rosé made by a wonderful woman winemaker in California. Its the Grenache Rosé from one of my favorite California wineries – Acquiesce!