Wisconsin Swiss & Gruyère Fondue
by Elizabeth of Guilty Kitchen
For me, cheese is a comfort food, a soothing reminder of childhood sandwiches, gooey sauces; and snacks packed with care for school. Cheese holds a special place in my heart and I eat it as often as I can (in moderation, of course). I buy a small wheel of Brie, a few cuts of aged cheeses and a little charcuterie, and I’m already feeling wonderful in the grocer lineup. There’s just something about eating in the way of the Italians/Mediterraneans that brightens my day.
Fondue, in particular, is something I like to make for romantic occasions. I used to make it for my girlfriends on Valentine’s Day when we were single and wished to drown our sorrows in a vat of bubbling comfort. Nowadays, I make it for my husband and myself. Stirring the bubbling pot of delicious, creamy goodness while he puts the little one to bed.
We cut the vegetables together, sipping our wine and giggling like children. A little wine for the pot, a little wine for the cook…
At long last our fondue is ready. My husband lights the flame to keep the fondue pot warm, while I plate all the goodies we will be dipping. I like to dip steamed, in-season vegetables as well as mushrooms, tart, crisp apples and big hunks of fresh sourdough bread. I feel just a little too naughty dipping only bread – so we fill up on veggies and consider this a healthy meal.
Fondue is one of the most interactive foods that one can share with family and friends, loved ones, even children. The simplicity in making fondue adds to its alluring persona. When I make fondue, it’s usually cheese-based, as I’ve found eating a big pot full of chocolate and its accoutrements (sweet fruits, marshmallows…) is too much for my stomach. Amazingly, a pot full of gooey cheese is almost soothing to my tummy, or maybe it’s really a moment of mind over matter.
Fondues also make a great party dish. Guests can choose a little, or a lot, of their chosen “dippables,” pile on whatever else is on offer, and scoot back to their table to enjoy. It’s also famous as an après ski snack. Coming in from a cold day on the slopes, what better to warm you up than a steaming bowl of cheese and wine?
Whatever occasion you are celebrating (Tuesday after work? Sunday afternoon?), fondues should be something you add to your repertoire. Although often misconstrued as complicated or overly fancy, fondues are actually quite easy and fast to prepare. Having the ingredients on hand helps of course, but don’t be afraid to whip this up at any time.
Wisconsin Swiss & Gruyère Fondue
by Guilty Kitchen
Serves 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
1 cup white wine or vermouth
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp Kirsch
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 lb Wisconsin Swiss cheese, grated
1/2 lb Wisconsin Gruyère, grated
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
Put lemon and wine in a small pot and bring to a light simmer over medium high heat. Mix Kirsch and cornstarch together in a small bowl and set aside. Add the grated cheese to the wine and whisk constantly until creamy and smooth (do not boil).
Stir the cornstarch/Kirsch mixture into the cheese and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Cook for about 5-8 minutes.
Tranfer your fondue to a heated fondue pot and keep a flame or Sterno underneath to keep it warm. Add nutmeg and pepper, to taste. Stir every now and then. Serve with your favorite lightly steamed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, asparagus), tart apple slices and sourdough bread cubes.
Wisconsin Cheese Board Love
by Mara of M Loves M
Hi everyone. My name is Mara and I blog over at M Loves M. I am a major cheese lover, as well as a sugar addict, and with Valentine’s Day approaching I thought it would be fun to incorporate both by making a romantic cheese board.
The first cheese on my cheese board is Merlot BellaVitano. This cheese has a creamy consistency similar to Cheddar, but is milder, and has hints of Parmesan. Pair Merlot BellaVitano with fresh blackberries and smooth dark chocolate. The blackberries and chocolate enhance the berry notes already present in the cheese.
Secondly, Pleasant Ridge Reserve, a Gruyere-style cheese, made with unpasteurized cow’s milk from pasture-grazed cows. I thought some chocolate and nuts would be the perfect companion for this three-time winner of the American Cheese Society Conference and Competition. Creamy and nutty, the cheese really stands on it’s own.
Last but not least, the crème de la crème! A wash-rind and soft-ripened cheese, don’t be fooled when you unwrap the boldly fragrant Petite Frère, it’s a sweet, decadent and flavor-complimenting cheese. I loved pairing fresh strawberries and a drizzle of honey with it. Together they were absolutely amazing, and the perfect end to a delicious cheese course.
I hope you all have a wonderfully romantic Valentine’s Day, whether it’s with your husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, best friend, family, dog or cat! I’m out of town with work on Valentine’s Day but as soon as I get back this is how I’ll be celebrating the holiday with my husband! Cheese and love forever.
Figgy Mushroom Pizza with Wisconsin Blue Cheese
by Katherine of Kath Eats
If cake is a way to serve buttercream icing and French fries are a way to deliver ketchup, then pizza is a means to eat lots of delicious melty cheese!
My husband is a baker and has been perfecting his pizza technique and crust recipe for years. He has finally nailed it, and I think the success is more a result of technique than ingredients.
We’ve used many different basic pizza crust recipes, so pick your favorite (white flour, herby, whole wheat or store-bought dough) and find yourself a pizza stone. The secret to our perfect pizzas is a hot oven and a hot pizza stone. Crank the oven to 500 degrees F and heat the stone inside. Assemble your pizza on a flat surface sprinkled with corn meal so the pizza will slide right
off. Roll out your dough, assemble your toppings, slide into oven and bake for 10 minutes. Crispy on the bottom, doughy on the top!
While my husband has mastered the crust, I’m usually in charge of coming up with the toppings. From sweet to savory, I’ve tried many combinations, but the one thing I can’t do without is the cheese.
This pizza featured Wisconsin Blue Cheese on top of a beautiful blend of figs, sautéed mushrooms and red peppers. Simple ingredients. Complex flavor.
After rolling out our dough, which was room temperature and nice and fluffy, I smothered it with some of Trader Joe’s fig butter. You could use any fig spread you wish here, or even a layer of thinly sliced fresh figs or dried figs – or any fruity spread, really – just something that spreads and is subtly sweet!
Next step was to sauté up some mushrooms. I used a mix of oyster, cremini and shiitake, but use whatever you like best! And don’t skimp on the butter.
With mushrooms laid down, I added red pepper slices for color and crumbled Wisconsin Blue cheese – about half the wedge.
500 degrees F and 10 minutes later, the cheese was melty, and the crust perfectly crispy on the bottom and puffy on the top. With the leftover cheese, I made a simple salad – Romaine tossed with toasted almonds, olive oil, smoked salt and Wisconsin Blue cheese.
Figgy Mushroom Pizza with Wisconsin Blue
by KathEats
Servings: 6 slices
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
1 pizza dough, any kind you like, room temperature
1/4 cup fig butter or spread, or other mildly sweet fruit spread
1 pint mushrooms of your choice, preferably a mix of shiitake, oyster and cremini, sliced
1 tbsp butter
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 – 1/3 lb Wisconsin Blue Cheese
Preheat oven with pizza stone inside to 500 degrees F. Roll out pizza dough into a nice circle.
Place circle onto pizza peel (or clean cardboard) sprinkled with cornmeal for easy sliding into oven. Spread on fig butter.
Sauté mushrooms in butter until they have softened and browned. Pour mushrooms onto pizza. Add sliced bell peppers. Sprinkle on crumbled Blue cheese.
Bake pizza for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is puffed and cooked through.
Slow Cooker Reuben Dip
by Dude Foods
As the highest rated television event in the United States each year, The Big Game is a great game to plan a party around. Even people who don’t normally enjoy football will watch it just for the commercials or the halftime show, so it’s the perfect excuse to spend an evening with your sports-loving and non-sports-loving friends.
Be sure to make plenty of food. On average, this game lasts over an hour longer than a regular football game, and there’s nothing worse than running out of food in the 4th quarter. Plus, who knows when a few unannounced guests might randomly show up to join the party. This Slow Cooker Reuben Dip, with delicious Wisconsin Cheddar and Swiss cheeses, will feed a crowd, so stock up on crackers and rye bread for dipping.
Get more party tips from Dude Foods and recipes for Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup and Deep Fried Chocolate Cheese Fudge at EatWisconsinCheese.com.
Slow Cooker Reuben Dip
by Dude Foods
4 cups (16 ounces) Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese, shredded
4 cups (16 ounces) Wisconsin Swiss Cheese, shredded
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups sauerkraut
½ cup Thousand Island dressing
1 pound corned beef, diced
Combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for two hours or until cheese is melted, stirring occasionally. Serve with rye bread and assorted crackers for dipping.
Around the Cheese Board with Chef Chris Koetke
by Wisconsin Cheese
Chef Christopher Koetke is not only a skilled and celebrated chef – he’s also executive director at Kendall College School of Culinary Arts in Chicago and an influential educator – working with culinary students around the world. Featured on EatWisconsinCheese.com’s “In the Kitchen” this month, we had the pleasure of talking with Chef Koetke about the importance of a good culinary education and the wonderful foods he and his students work with – including delicious Wisconsin Cheese.
How He Started Cooking:
When I was in sixth grade I was stressing out about what I would do one day and it just dawned on me – food. From that day forward I started working in restaurants. As a teenager I was always reading books about food and wine – it’s just in my blood – food and everything related to it.
On Education:
For me, there are some key concepts and very high standards that we deliver here at Kendall while teaching people how to cook as a professional. We make sure students understand the entire package – service and culinary arts. A lot goes into learning how to run a restaurant – developing key cooking skills, learning what “excellence looks and tastes like,” and understanding how to run a business.
On Wisconsin Cheese at Kendall College:
As I tell my students, there has been and will continue to be a cheese revolution in the United States, and Wisconsin is an example to the rest of the world of what we’re truly capable of creating here in the States. We’re very keen on making sure our students understand what extraordinary foods we have here in the Midwest.
On Wisconsin Cheese:
I will never forget going on a cheese tour in Wisconsin, years ago. I came back with this sort of “wait a minute” moment. Less than three hours from Chicago people were making some truly world-class cheese. From that day forward I was a gigantic fan of what’s going on in Wisconsin.
I am continuously amazed at the quality and originality of cheese that is coming out of Wisconsin – it just gets better and better.
Wisconsin Cheese Favorites:
I have a tremendous soft spot in my heart for Wisconsin Limburger. I am a secret fan of Myron Olson’s (cheesemaker) and the Chalet Cheese Cooperative – what he’s doing is incredible. Widmer’s Brick is also delicious. I love the stinky cheeses.
Find Chef Koetke’s favorite Wisconsin Cheese inspired recipes on EatWisconsinCheese.com.
Giveaway: Cheese Cupid Notebooks & T-shirts
by Wisconsin Cheese
Because you love Wisconsin Cheese, and we love you for loving Wisconsin Cheese, we couldn’t resist another giveaway – 10 Cheese Cupid Notebooks & Cheese Cupid T-shirts – a match made in heaven.
The giveaway is not closed. Thank you for your participation and continued support of Wisconsin Cheese.
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Giveaway: Cheese Cupid Aprons
by Wisconsin Cheese
Wisconsin Cheese. Check. Favorite libation. Check. Cheese Cupid apron?
With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, we wanted to give you and your loved ones something special – so we’re giving away five black Cheese Cupid aprons!
The giveaway is not closed. Thank you for your participation and continued support of Wisconsin Cheese.
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Wisconsin Parmesan Spinach-Walnut Pesto with Lemon
By Delia of Delia Creates
Super foods. We’ve all heard about them and how good they are for us. The problem is they aren’t always as tasty as they are nutritious. So I have come up with a delectable way to eat two of my favorite super foods, walnuts and spinach, in one bite, with a Wisconsin Parmesan Spinach-Walnut Pesto with Lemon.
The key ingredient that makes the super food flavors so harmoniously delicious is Wisconsin Parmesan cheese. It may surprise you that Wisconsin Parmesan cheese is not only easy on the pocketbook, and widely accessible, but a great contender to imported Italian brands.
I love to buy it as a whole wedge and grate it fresh whenever I want to add a little more zing to vegetables, pasta dishes, or soups. You may use the pre-grated cheese that comes in a tub, though you will get a slightly different texture and flavor. For my recipe I used a wedge of Wisconsin Parmesan and grated it fresh. It’s a great cheese to always have on hand. For my pesto though, it plays a much bigger role.
Pesto is most often made in a food processor. You can surely use one. I don’t have a food processor, just a food chopper, so my recipe reflects that. It’s a simple recipe that is excellent on pasta, with fish, and on pizza.
Spinach-Walnut Pesto with Lemon
By Delia of Delia Creates
Makes approximately 1 1/2 cups of prepared pesto
2 cloves of garlic, minced fine
1 1/2 c baby spinach, stems removed
1/2 heaping cup of walnuts
1/3 – 1/2 c olive oil
Juice of one small lemon (approx. 2-3 tbsp.)
1 tsp of lemon zest
1 tbsp hot pasta water or plain hot water – only if needed
1 c freshly grated Wisconsin Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
First, mince garlic in food chopper or processor.
Add spinach, walnuts, olive oil (I start out with 1/3 a cup and then add more as needed), lemon juice and lemon zest.
Pulse your chopper with very short bursts of energy until you have a nice chunky sauce. I sometimes stir the ingredients or shake my chopper between bursts to help all the ingredients chop evenly.
Add hot water and/or more olive oil to get a consistency you like. Be careful, you do not want it to be runny or over blended. It should be thick and chunky.
Empty your sauce into a bowl and gently fold in your freshly grated Wisconsin Parmesan cheese.
Add salt and pepper and more lemon zest to taste.
Around the Cheese Board with Chef Dean Maupin
by Wisconsin Cheese
Executive Chef Dean Maupin is a Southern-born chef who’s discovered Wisconsin Cheese. At Fossett’s, in historic Keswick Hall in Monticello, Virginia, recently ranked Condé Nast’s #1 small resort in America, Maupin reinterprets the culinary culture instilled by Thomas Jefferson, using fresh ingredients – many of them local. As our December Featured Chef, we talked with Chef Maupin about the ingredients, food and cheese he uses in his kitchen.
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Five Tips for Your Wisconsin Cheese Fondue
by Wisconsin Cheese
As the season of giving, cheer and entertaining continues, frequent parties with friends and family are always a pleasure, though often a lot of work. If there happen to be any leftovers from last week’s cheese plate (likely not) or if you’re merely looking for an easy and engaging way to entertain your guests, we have just the thing – fondue. Never meddled with melted cheese? Or perhaps you’re a fondue veteran? Amateurs and masters alike, our five tips for a Wisconsin Cheese fondue will ensure you and your guests a delightful and absolutely delectable evening.
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