Cheese and Pregancy

Everyone has heard pregant women should not eat unpasterized cheeses. Here's a great post questioning that idea.

Say Cheese part 2: Tasting

Tasting cheese is like tasting wine, the basic elements are the same -- look, smell, taste and flavor. Same with wine, other foods, music and clothing, cheese is a matter of personal taste. Some might love stinky cheese and others hate it. As I've always said with wine, find what you like, and don't let anyone else change your opinion.Basics of Tasting:LookAs noted in the look section on buying cheese, you want to make sure the appearance of the cheese looks good. SmellSimiliar to smell section on buying cheese, you want to make sure the aroma is what you are expecting. TasteHere's where you find out the texture and open the gate to the flavor of the cheese.The style of cheese will tell you what type of texture the cheese has. Soft cheeses will release flavors sooner than harder cheeses.FlavorCheese will impart a specific flavor while eating the cheese. This is why it's important to make sure it is at room tempature so you can get the most flavor out of the cheese.Once you have your piece of room temperature cheese:1) Put it in your mouth2) Chew carefully3) Breathe through your nose and mouth -- paying attention to the various sensations as the cheese passes through your mouth. (Is it salty, creamy, crumbly, etc.)4) Eat up and enjoy!Like with wine, there are a number of terms to help describe cheese and once I find a way to post them and not take up 10 pages, I will.

Say Cheese part 1: Intro & Buying

Yesterday I picked up The All American Cheese and Wine Book. I haven't read much of it since I've been sick all weekend, but I've really like the book. It explains how cheese is made, how to taste cheese, the various types of cheese, wine pairings and than very cool recipes. There are a few things I think could be more clear. So I've made a few changes for below to make more sense.So, here's some notes on buying cheese:LookLook for cheese that is uniform, fresh-looking and in the style you are expecting (if it's supposed to be fresh cheese and it's hard, don't buy). If it's slimy, moldy, cracked, or dried, than it's bad and don't buy it. If the cheese is wrapped in foil ask to see it before you buy it. SmellThere is no sure way to know if your stinky cheese is supposed to be stinky. You can either ask the cheese vendor or pay close attention to the other charateristics of the cheese.TasteBy tasting the cheese, you will find the texture. Which is the best way to tell the style of the cheese. Is it soft, semi-hard, etc? Soft cheeses will release flavors sooner than harder cheeses.FlavorFlavor is what matters the most. If the cheese has a funky flavor (more on this later) than pass on the cheese.Final Thoughts-Always taste at room temperature. If it's too cold, the flavors will be muted. If you have to taste cold cheese, warm it up first with your hands.-Try to avoid eating the part of cheese that has been next to plastic wrap. Cut off a small slice that touched the plastic. Next posting, how to taste cheese.

Information Guide vol. 1

One bottle - 5 x 5 oz pours (I usually get 6 pours per bottle)One case - 12 bottles or 60 glassesOne barrel - 60 gallons or 20 cases or 1200 glassesOne ton of grapes - 2.5 barrels of wine or 50 casesOne acre - low yield, 2 tons or high yield, 10 tonsOne acre - 1000 vines or 333 casesOne vine - 11.2 lbs of grapes or 4 bottles of wine.