glorious cheese!

Cheese is a part of the cuisine of nearly every culture, and variations on the theme are legion.

Cheese is usually categorized into four types: soft, semi-soft,
semi-hard and hard. Soft cheese and hard cheese are the type
of cheese will be focused on. The designation refers to the
amount of moisture in the cheese, which directly affects its texture.
Making cheese is an ancient practice, dating back thousands of years,
and the home cheese maker can usually find recipes for cheese that
falls into any of the four categories.

Soft cheese includes cottage cheese, cream cheese,
ricotta, brie, bleu, Roquefort, mozzarella, Muenster
and similar cheeses. These cheeses generally pair
well with fruit or meats, or can be used as breakfast
cheeses in an omelette or as pasta fillings. They are
usually mildly flavored and very high in moisture.


Hard cheeses include parmesan, Romano, asiago, Swiss,
Gruyere and others. Parmesan and Romano are most familiar
as the grated powder used to top spaghetti, but they are also
used as accompaniments for fruit, wine, nuts and other appetizer
items. Swiss is a popular sandwich cheese and melts well, unlike
some other hard cheeses.