In praise of cheap cheese

[misstenacity]

On a few occasions I've purchased those little single-serve Black Diamond aged cheddar slices for snacks. The cheese is bland but not horrible with a little bit of sharp twang - not bad for something so easily aquired and stored in a pocket or purse.

The second or third time I looked at the label to see where it came from, and saw, "...Mayville, WI". That's my hometown!

...but now I see sad news about Black Diamond's company, DCI, regarding Mayville: Plant Closing.

Now, if I want cheap hometown cheese I'll have to buy SQUEEZE CHEESE!

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

[ruthcooks]

Other old, probably cheap, cheeses were called rat cheese, hoop cheese and Longhorn (a type of mild cheddar, I believe). Some are still available if you look for them. The "surplus" cheese the government gives out (or did, anyway) to the people on welfare is also very good, and I've known people to buy or trade items with the recipients to get it.

I had some hoop cheese several years ago made by the Amish in east Tennessee and it was wonderful.

[MarketStEl]

I can't believe I did this, but I just used 1lb of 2% velvetta to make a huge pot of broccoli cheese soup.  It melts well, way better than regular cheddar cheese.

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I certainly can. Recall my first foodblog?

As "process cheese spread", Velveeta can contain as little as 51% real cheese. The liquids (water, milk) and emulsifiers added to make up the other 49% give it that superior meltability.

As I said about American cheese upthread, Velveeta is what it is. And what it is is unnatural. If you don't have a problem with that, it's perfect for the tasks it's called upon to perform, which usually have something to do with melting for sauces or dips.

[juliachildish]

Personally, I looooove string cheese. I should be too old for that sort of thing, but I still get a kick out of peeling it apart. And that stuff is pretty cheap. I also am fine with a cheapish cheddar or monterey jack for melting, sandwiches, quesadillas, that sort of thing.

The only cheap stuff I won't do is cheap "mozzarella". For some reason, I can really taste the difference much there than with cheddar.

[DCP]

Oh, I have fond memories of those Laughing Cow Cheese Bites... little tiny cubes of white "cheese," individually wrapped with the tiny tab that, when pulled, unzipped the foil wrapper all the way around. Squishy, squeezy, and oh-so-good, but portioned out in small amounts by mom, since these were not an everyday purchase.

I'm partial to the Laughing Cow wedges in the thin cylindrical container (Trader Joe's, Wegman's, and SuperFresh carry them around here) - in swiss, garlic/herb, and French onion flavors. Low-fat, creamy - hell, they keep an equally-respected place in my cheese drawer next to the Manchego, Gruyere, and friends.

[Pan]

Personally, I looooove string cheese. I should be too old for that sort of thing, but I still get a kick out of peeling it apart. And that stuff is pretty cheap. I also am fine with a cheapish cheddar or monterey jack for melting, sandwiches, quesadillas, that sort of thing.

The only cheap stuff I won't do is cheap "mozzarella". For some reason, I can really taste the difference much there than with cheddar.

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At Kalustyan's, Armenian string cheese is $13.99/lb, if I remember correctly. I would NOT call that cheap! For the record, I have a preference for the type that has parsley and hot pepper in it, but the regular kind with just nigella seeds is also really pleasant.

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

The "surplus" cheese the government gives out (or did, anyway) to the people on welfare is also very good, and I've known people to buy or trade items with the recipients to get it.

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The senior citizens club that my grandparents used to participate in used to get surplus cheese occasionally. Grandma was given some, and since she and Grandpa are lactose intolerant, they gave it to Mom.

It tasted like salty, yellow, greasy wax. The same stuff the schools used back then (late 80s, early 90s).

[MarketStEl]

The "surplus" cheese the government gives out (or did, anyway) to the people on welfare is also very good, and I've known people to buy or trade items with the recipients to get it.

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The senior citizens club that my grandparents used to participate in used to get surplus cheese occasionally. Grandma was given some, and since she and Grandpa are lactose intolerant, they gave it to Mom.

It tasted like salty, yellow, greasy wax. The same stuff the schools used back then (late 80s, early 90s).

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I'm guessing that the government must have used more than one producer for their surplus cheese.

My mom's sister worked for a mental-health agency in Kansas City and had access to undistributed USDA surplus commodities, so we occasionally got big 5-pound loaves of government American cheese. It was every bit as good as the Kraft American we bought at the supermarket.

[Lilija]

The government cheese of my youth was so bad, it stained your teeth orange. Vile stuff. Gooey and greasy even at refrigerator temperatures.

[jmcgrath]

American cheese is what it is.  You either like it or hate it, but it's true that nothing melts better.

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Cabot sells a nice sharp cheddar, presliced. Judging by how nicely it melts, I would guess that it is process cheese, but without the blandness of basic American.

Jim

[jmcgrath]

Never mind that--with this confession, you have just shut yourself out of ever being able to experience the original Philadelphia cheesesteak.

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Wit' Whiz?

Jim

Edited to explain an inside joke. "Wit'" is South Philadelphia slang for "with". "Whiz" is short for Cheez Whiz Whiz is a fairly common topping for Philly cheese steaks.

Jim

Edited March 9, 2007 by jmcgrath (log)

[Rebecca263]

American cheese is salty, slippery and kind of greasy, to me. But, I'm judging by the stuff you get in a apckage at the supermarket. Now, I've tried Velveeta. It's also salty, slippery and kind of greasy. I can't imagine eating it out of hand. It actually makes fudge that other people enjoy! If you check out my photo gallery, you'll see photos of my Kifddle making it with me! I also had Velveeta in macaroni and 'cheese'... seasoned with worcestershire sauce, and 'enhanced' with grilled tomatoes and some chopped cilantro. I admit, it will never be my favorite macaroni and cheese, but it has a pleasingly creamy profile, and it is EASY to eat.

Still, don't anybody send me any.

ETA: I always wanted to try cheese in a spray can!

Edited March 9, 2007 by Rebecca263 (log)

[bigbear]

Sometimes nothing makes me happier than a chunk of Cracker Barrel Vermont Sharp cheddar cheese 

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Bingo.

Shiny green wrap. I always stock up when they go on sale for half price. Great with apple pie.

[DCP]

ETA: I always wanted to try cheese in a spray can!

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It's pretty gross, IMHO. Was forced to try it during the formative years of high school and never since - in bacon flavor.

[MarketStEl]

American cheese is what it is.  You either like it or hate it, but it's true that nothing melts better.

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Cabot sells a nice sharp cheddar, presliced. Judging by how nicely it melts, I would guess that it is process cheese, but without the blandness of basic American.

Jim

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Cabot does produce both process Cheddar varieties (the flavored Cheddars you find in the regular dairy case of your supermarket) and a process American, but I can tell you, having used them, that the sliced Cheddar is not a process cheese--or if it is, it is made without emulsifiers; otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to find this cheese at Whole Foods, which used to carry it.

Looking through the Cabot Web site to find out more about the sliced Cheddar, I did stumble across a new specialty cheese that we should tell the folks on the Potato Chip thread about:

Cabot Harpoon IPA Cheddar Cheese

That's right, beer cheddar!

Outside of Massachusetts and New Hampshire (and the Vermont creamery, of course), this variety is available only at Trader Joe's.

[MarketStEl]

Never mind that--with this confession, you have just shut yourself out of ever being able to experience the original Philadelphia cheesesteak.

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Wit' Whiz?

Jim

Edited to explain an inside joke. "Wit'" is South Philadelphia slang for "with". "Whiz" is short for Cheez Whiz Whiz is a fairly common topping for Philly cheese steaks.

Jim

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A SEPTA ad from the campaign where I got the teaser photo for my first foodblog featured a trolley operator with the following quote:

"There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who like wit. And those who like witout."

"Wit" and "witout" properly refer to onions, though. The syntax is:

"[optional:Mushroom] Cheesesteak, [Whiz|Provolone|American] [wit|witout]."

(The Heineken brewery had an outdoor ad campaign locally that portrayed their beer as quintessentially Philadelphian. Coming as it does in bottles that are almost the color of Eagles uniforms, this was not a difficult stretch to imagine. One of the ads featured a bottle and the legend, "Cheesesteak, Heineken with." Nice try, but that would have been one soggy cheesesteak.)

Edited March 10, 2007 by MarketStEl (log)