Today is National Cheese Lovers Day
Last updated on May 21st, 2021 at 02:25 pm
Smile and say CHEESE everyone! Today is National Cheese Lover’s Day! Cheese oh glorious cheese! How much do I love thee! As everyone knows, anything tastes better with a thick slather of cheese on top. Need to get your kids to eat their broccoli? Sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top. Need an extra dose of calcium? Grab a cheese stick. However, if your knowledge of cheese is limited merely to processed American cheeses you need to do one of two things:
- Fly to Europe and savor what fresh, unprocessed cheese tastes like, or
- The cheaper, and probably easier way is to go to a gourmet deli or even grocery store and look for their speciality cheese selection.
Did you know that there are more than 900 different varieties of cheese around the world? They can be hard, soft, moldy, fresh, made from buffalo, goat, cow or sheep milk, and can be infused with herbs, spices, or wood smoke. Germany is the world’s largest consumer of cheese, with 31.1 kg of cheese eaten by the average German each year.
In honor of National Cheese Lovers Day introduce your taste buds to an unfamiliar type of cheese! Have you ever tried Grilled Goat Cheese or Baked Brie en Croute? This recipe from Paula Deen will make your mouth water and your taste buds will beg you for more!
Baked Brie en Croute with Walnuts
Ingredients:
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, pre-packaged- defrosted 15-20 minutes and unfolded
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 (8-ounce) wheel Brie
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- Crackers, pears, apples, grapes, and cantaloupe for serving
Directions:
1- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2- In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Saute the walnuts in the butter until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon and stir until walnuts are coated well.
3- Place the walnut mixture on top of the Brie and sprinkle the brown sugar over the mixture.
4- Lay the puff pastry out on a flat surface. Place the brie in the center of the pastry. Gather up the edges of the brie, pressing around the brie and gather at the top. Gently squeeze together the excess dough and tie together with a piece of kitchen twine. Brush the beaten egg over top and side of Brie.
5- Place Brie on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes until pastry is golden brown.
6- Serve with crackers (not Ritz!), grapes, pears, apples, and cantaloupe.
