It' Cheesy!!!!!

To my delight, when I got home, I had gotten the 6 lbs of cheese I ordered. Yes, you read that right folks, 6 (SIX) POUNDS of cheese! I ordered the cheese from www.PennMac.com, the Pennsylvania Macaroni Co, The Strip, Pittsburgh, PA. That would be nearly 100 oz. of cheese. I was so excited, I had to put all the wedges out on the counter so I could see them! When I was a kid, I was allergic to cheese, and I would break out in hives, my eyes would swell shut, and I would be miserable. My mom would put me into an oatmeal bath trying to help bring down the swelling. Yup, for years I could not tolerate cheese. I never had mac and cheese growing up (can you believe it!). Then one day, as an adult, I tried mac and cheese, and it looked like I out grew the intolerance to the fabulous food called CHEESE! Yup, I love cheese!
The cheese that I got are all mostly extra aged cheese that can be kept in the fridge for many months, ready to eat. I also ordered this cheese in the winter so I know that the cheese will be ok traveling in cool temperatures. Do you want to know what I got? Here is the list: Italian Auricchio Provolone, aged for 1 year, domestic extra-sharp Provolone, French aged Mimolette, Spanish aged Manchego, Italian Reggiano Parmigiano, and Italian Recorino Romano.
Nashville has been way behind the curve when it comes to cheese up until recently. I think people here only knew of a few cheeses until now, and that would be American, cheddar, and pizza cheese. Up until recently, grated cheese sprinkled on Italian food is Parmesan from the shiny green can. Just this year, there is a cheese shop that has opened down the street from me and they carry some cheese. They are working hard to educate those who love cheese about really great and flavorful cheeses. They don't have the range of cheeses as my favorite cheese store , but hopefully they will over time.So, I opened all the cheeses, and here are two that I cannot get easily here in Nashville, Mimolette and aged Manchego. The Mimolette is a lovely French cheese that is salty, firm and a cheddar flavor. The Manchego has a lighter flavorful than the Mimolette, but it has a nutty flavor with nutty earthy nose. Both are excellent. I tried the domestic Provolone, and it has a sweet and sharp flavor that can hold up to any good Philadelphia cheese steak. The aged Italian Auricchio Provolone has a smoother, nuttier flavor than the domestic, and the texture is very stiff like a great aged cheese you would grate on top of garlicky pasta. I am in heaven!

tagged with: cheese, pennmac