food411 blog

We were contacted by Jaap Linssen, who “Out of love & respect” for truly authentic Farmers Cheese, has started an online shop to bring authentic Dutch farmer cheese to our doorsteps in the US. This is his effort to move away from mass production & offer you cheese that taste differently because of the different daily variables on the farm. The pasture where the cows grazes or the season all contribute to the flavor of the cheese. Farmers produce their cheese daily meaning you’ll taste what happened the day the milk was produced! We tasted the “mature” variety of his farmers cheese and it was creamy but yet still offered a great taste. The “old” variety must be loaded with flavor. There is such a difference when you taste real farmstead cheese.(see our cheese email)

The cheese is handmade on the Van Leeuwens farm in Holland. They make their cheese 4 times a week. The cows graze the banks of the river Lek which is an arm of the river Rhine. Below are the varieties.

Young, Van Leeuwen
Young cheese has aged about 4 weeks. It’s texture is very soft and the taste is the mildest in the range. Young cheese is kid’s favorite (as it’s mild). It goes well on a sandwich. However, don’t use other ingredients with strong flavor as this cheese’s taste will quickly be over powered. Young Cheese is great for snacking in cubes, with a beer, or a glass of white wine.

Young Mature, Van Leeuwen
This Cheese has aged for 8 to 10 weeks. It’s texture is smooth and it’s mild. Children will like this cheese. This cheese is great on sandwiches. Very suitable to serve as a snack with beer or light wines.

Mature, Van Leeuwen
Mature cheese has matured for about 4 months. It is a smooth cheese with a pronounced taste. This is middle of the road and will be enjoyed by everyone. Great on a sandwich or pizza. Combine with green olives, pickles, or nuts. You can snack mature cheese with all red wine or a beer. Try dipping the cheese in some mustard.

Extra Mature, Van Leeuwen
This is very tasteful cheese but still smooth. This cheese has aged for at least 7 months. Great on a sandwich. Cut in small blocks it’s a great addition to salads. As snacks you can serve blocks on sticks with black olives, sun dried tomatoes, figs, grapes, or walnuts. It combines with a full bodied wine or a special strong beer.

Old, Van Leeuwen
Old Cheese has the richest flavor. The older the cheese becomes, the harder and darker the cheese gets. Very old cheese even crumbles when one cuts it. Old cheese has matured for at least 10 months. Flakes of old cheese are great to go with green salads. Blocks of old cheese are a fantastic snack to go with a full bodied wine. Or, just treat yourself to an old cheese sandwich! Combine with Rucola, figs, or Parma ham.

The cheese is shipped as a “wheel”. The cheese is protected by its salty crust and is laminated. As long as the skin of the wheel is not penetrated you can keep the cheese in a cool place and let it mature. If you want to mature it, do not keep it in the fridge and certainly never freeze a cheese. It is best not to wrap the cheese. It needs to be able to “breath”. To improve the maturing process it is best to flip the cheese every now and then. You may also want to wipe the cheese with a damp cloth now and then to keep it clean.

As soon as you cut the cheese you need to keep it in the fridge (again do not let it freeze). As the protective lamination and salty crust are breached you should wrap the cheese in plastic to keep it from drying out. Before you eat the cheese be sure to remove the lamination. Even though cheese doesn’t spoil easily, once opened, you should aim to consume the cheese within 3 weeks.

Dutch Farmers Cheese contains no preservatives. If you wrap the “wheel” in plastic outside the refrigerator or do not consume the cut cheese quickly enough, it is possible some mold forms on the cheese. This does not spoil the cheese. Just cut off the piece that has formed the mold and the rest of the cheese is fine to consume.

Making the Cheese:
It takes roughly 10 liters of cow milk to produce 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) of cheese. On farms the milk from the evening and morning are collected and heated to 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). Starter culture and Rennet are added and in about 30 minutes the milk starts to solidify.

The solid mass is then cut into small pieces and stirred. This produces whey, a yellowish fluid. The little pieces are put into a cheese barrel and the barrels are pressed for the remaining of the day and the following night.

From the presses the cheese is placed in a salt basin. The salt forms a crust that makes the cheese more solid, protects it from outside influences, and adds taste.

After the salt basin the cheese is dried and laminated. The lamination will prevent it from dehydrating and protects it from outside influences.
The cheese is then laid to mature on wooden shelves.

During the maturing the fat and protein slowly transform into flavors and aromas. As the cheese matures it becomes harder and gains flavor.

We wish Jaap all the best with this venture, being able to receive this type of cheese to our doorstep is a wonderful thing! If you have been following our blog you will remember that we have been searching for this since our field trip to Holland (see our Gouda blog post). Hopefully, he will add the gouda with nettles soon!

Question:
name: Sue
email: XXXXXXX
state: Missouri
question: I am looking for a great tasting, no fail recipe for meatloaf. I used to make it all the time but mine lately falls apart. Thanks

Answer:
From: Chef Silvia

Hi Sue, 

I have two great recipes for meatloaf. One is my version for one of the tastiest meatloaf I’ve ever had. It is made with grilled eggplant which adds wonderful flavor and moisture. No need to add bread or eggs. The other key ingredient is combining pork sausage meat for intense flavor with ground turkey for leanness. All together this is an unbeatable combination that I served in my restaurant thousands of times for ten years. It was a customer favorite as well as a personal one. 

The second recipe is more traditional yet easy and also wonderful. Enjoy and let me know what you think. 

Eggplant Meatloaf

1 lb. ground turkey

1 lb. pork sausage (casings removed)

2 fresh eggplants, sliced thin,  grilled and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

black pepper to taste

Mix all indredients together and form into a loaf

Bake at 350 degrees (covered) for about 1 hour or until meat reaches 160 degrees on a meat thermometer

Gravy

Collect pan drippings and place them in a small pan

Add 5-6 tablespoons of flour and stir

Place pan on low heat & slowly add about a cup chicken broth, stirring continuously until gravy thickens

 
Traditional Meatloaf

1/2 lb. ground turkey

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. pork sausage (casings removed

1 egg (beaten)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

2-3 tablespoons fresh flat leaf italian parsley (chopped)

2 slices rustic bread (crumbled)
1 large vidalia or other sweet onion (medium diced)

1 large jalapeno pepper (small diced)

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

Saute the onions and the pepper in the olive oil over medium heat until softened. In the meantime, add all of the remaining ingredients into a large bowl and combine with your hands. Add the contents from the saute pan and mix. Form the meat into a loaf and cook at 350 degrees, covered, for about one hour or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees. 

Question:
name: Laurie
email: XXXXXX
state: Ontario, Canada
question: I make a lot of pickled eggs for my husband but when I put cloves of garlic in with them the garlic turns green. Am I doing something wrong and are they safe to eat?

Answer
From: Chef Silvia

Hi laurie, 

This is a good question and an important one. I use chopped garlic in many pickled recipes but I also refrigerate the contents. I know that it isn’t necessary to refrigerate what has been pickled however I do know that according to the health department during the years of my restaurant, I was not allowed to keep garlic in olive oil at room temp for extended periods of time since it would attract harmful bacteria so I would keep it in an open, refrigerated unit. So, in answer to your question–-No, it is not safe to eat.

What you can do is to make the pickled eggs without the garlic and simply add the garlic as needed to the portion you will be consuming. Thank you so much for asking this important question.  To find out more, go to:  
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/food-aliment/garlic-ail_e.html

Silvia

We discovered the terrific spice/rub blends from “Just Simply Good Stuff ” a while back. Robin’s homemade spice blends make cooking so much easier ( and delicious). Here are a few of her favorites just in time for grilling season:

Roasted Corn
Brush fresh corn with butter or olive oil. Sprinkle on Mediterranean Medley and Lemon/Lime Salt. Wrap in foil and grill or roast in 350 degree oven about 20 minutes or till done. This recipe is especially handy when you’re feeding a crowd. Just unwrap the corn and you’re good to go! (No need to pass around all of the butter and salt & pepper… it’s already done!)

Beyond the Border Fiesta Medley (Incredibly easy!)
1-15oz can Mexi- Corn w/juice (May substitute with whole kernel corn)
1-14oz can petite diced tomatoes w/green chiles
1- 4oz can diced green chiles (mild)
2 - Celery stalks diced
½ - Red Onion diced small (or 2-green)
½ fresh lime
1-2 tsp cilantro chopped (optional)
1- clove fresh garlic (chopped small)
1-2 Tbsp Beyond the Border spice
½ - tsp Lemon/Lime salt

Directions
Pour first 3 ingredients in bowl (one w/lid is best) add chopped celery, onion, garlic & cilantro, squeeze lime on top, sprinkle Beyond the Border & Lemon/Lime salt over mixture, stir well, cover, refrigerate 1-2 hrs or overnight. Serve as a side dish or use as a bed for our grilled chicken or pork recipes.

Medley Chicken
Squeeze fresh lemon or lime on boneless chicken breast shake on Mediterranean Medley and Lemon Lime Salt, rub in, put in re-closable plastic bag, marinate1-3 hrs, then grill, squeeze fresh lime on the chicken as you turn it. Serve with Rice Pilaf or Medley Potatoes! (Note: This can also be done on the stove, just dredge lightly in flour and fry in 1 tablespoon Butter or Olive Oil till done.)

Our chef Silvia gives cooking classes that are fun & action packed because she has the students do the cooking. Take a few minutes and enjoy a video of one of her classes. The menu she shares is:
*Grilled Portobello Mushrooms served over Field Green with Goat Cheese
*Bake Chicken with White Wine sauce ( one of her signaure sauces) with artichokes & capers
*Homemade Porfiteroles filled with ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce

So sit back and enjoy…Chef Silvia creates unique classes, warm & inviting.

click here to view her cooking class

Callie White’s “old school” buttermilk biscuits are a legend in the Charleston, SC area, especially at the many low country parties. She has just made them available online….and we were anxious to try them. They arrive frozen, bake them for 22 minutes and they are wonderful. Perfect southern buttermilk biscuits - so tender. The country ham biscuits (the ham is minced, so they are easy to bite) would make an excellent brunch item or hors d’oeuvre and,of course, the cheese and plain buttermilk would be a great side for most meals. We did not sample the cinnamon but can only imagine how delicous they would be for breakfast.

Callie’s Biscuits are a winner! They really do melt in your mouth. If southern food is calling, answer with Callie’s.

We are rarely shocked with our tastings, but recently we tasted about 15 different appetizers from Appetizers to go not expecting to be wowed. Most frozen premade appetizers are awful. These are wonderful. Fresh tasting, really great flavor combination. High quality bites - the quality you would expect from a caterer. Our one improvement would be having them arrive in lightweight tin pans so they could be popped in the oven. This would improve the convenience factor, making prep and cleanup almost zero.

While each and every gourmet bite we sampled was very good, our favorites were:
citrus lump crabcakes, poached pear/brie bundles & bacon wrapped sirlion/gorgonzola skewers. These are a great alternative to using a caterer!

Don’t forget, you don’t have to write any of our food resources down - the beauty of Food411 is that all these resources have been cataloged for you and are always available just by going on the Food411 website.

name: joseph
email: XXXXXXXX
state: ontario,canada
question: can cilantro be substituted for coriander

Hi Joseph,

Technically, cilantro is an herb and coriander is the seed from that
herb and used as a spice. Coriandrum sativum is the plant that yields
the leaves called cilantro, and coriander seeds. However the green
leaves are often referred to as both cilantro or fresh coriander.
They are in fact the same plant so yes, they are interchangeable.

Thanks for asking. There is much confusion about this.

Silvia

There is a new website Real Age (it is the “companion” to the book
You:Staying Young) that offers a wealth of wellness information. One of their recent articles tackled subject of the “salad bar”. Many of us choose this as the healthy choice but then make all the wrong choices as we fill our plates. This is not a new topic by any means but it is a topic that need revisiting often! We have reprinted their informative article below.

“Salad bars can be diet salvation or junk-food minefields. Here’s how to get from one end to the other without detonating an explosion of bad fats, sodium, sugar, and refined carbs.

1. Go dark on greens: Build a vitamin- and fiber-packed foundation by starting with roughly 1 cup of spinach and romaine leaves (for more than half of your daily vitamin A and all of your vitamin K, plus some folate and vitamin C). Skip ‘em: Lighter greens tend to offer less nutrition. Iceberg lettuce, for instance, delivers only about 7% of the A you need, some K, and not much else.

2. Go bright on veggies: Next, add about 1 cup of the most colorful crudités — think broccoli, carrots, cherry tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, beets. Ounce for ounce, vibrant veggies give you more fiber, minerals, vitamins, and disease-fighting antioxidants than their paler companions, like celery and cucumbers. Skip ‘em: Anything coated in mayo or an indefinable dressing, including carrot-and-raisin mixes, coleslaw, and potato salad.

3. Choose lean proteins: Aim for about 1/2 cup of these. Chickpeas and kidney beans are nifty sources of fat-free protein (6 grams each). Sliced hard-boiled eggs (8 grams) are another smart choice, just limit the yolk to limit the fat. Skip ‘em: Chicken, tuna, or crab salads — they’re usually made with high-fat mayo; three-bean salad, which typically is afloat in a sea of oil; and cottage cheese, which is high in aging (read artery-clogging) saturated fat.

4. Sprinkle on extra flavor and crunch: Like cheese? Add 1 tablespoon of Parmesan (22 calories) to punch up the flavor, or 1 tablespoon of walnuts or sunflower seeds for some healthy crunch. Both have good-for-your-heart fats that help your body absorb the nutrients in all those veggies. Skip ‘em: Cheddar cubes — you’ll quickly eat more than you need; croutons — they may look harmless but at 100 calories per 1/4 cup, they’re usually high-cal booby traps of refined carbs, sodium, and trans fats. Ditto for crunchy Asian noodles.

5. Dress for success: Now swirl on about 1 tablespoon of heart-healthy olive oil, a splash of vinegar, a grating of pepper, and toss, toss, toss. Ask any chef — it’s the secret to a perfect salad. Thorough tossing ensures that all the flavors and textures are evenly distributed and lets you use minimal dressing to maximum effect. Skip ‘em: Walk right past those vats of ready-made salad dressings. Even the low-fat or fat-free versions are usually loaded with salt, sugar, and additives. And just 2 tablespoons of regular blue cheese or ranch have about 160 fat-packed calories.

6. Prefer a fruit salad? Easy. Go for whatever’s fresh — melons, berries, pineapple, kiwi — and top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds for a sprinkling of good fats and crunchy flavor. Then buy a small container of low- or no-fat yogurt or cottage cheese for creamy protein minus the saturated fat in dairy foods. Skip ‘em: Syrupy canned peaches, apricots, pears, etc. They have far more calories and fewer nutrients than fresh fruit. “

vere, a chocolate company that we first told you about back in 2005, when we discovered them at the Fancy Foods Show in NYC, has recently introduced a new line - 100% organic dark handmade chocolate bars. These bars are flavored with organic, native ingredients & sweetened with organic raw sugar. Like all their chocolate the bars are created from single-varietal cacao bean grown the Ecuadorian rainforest. We love vere chocolates for many reasons - #1 they are delicious, #2 they are totally handmade from bean to bar, very low sugar, all natural, vere adds to the natural benefits of dark chocolate! #3 we love their packaging so simple yet so expressive.

These new bars have been created in 5 flavors - all fresh and fun. Our top pick is the Espresso+Anise - really a stand out. If you find yourself in NYC, be sure to take advantage of their Factory Fridays. They open their factory door to the public eveery Friday 12-6pm (12 W. 27th Street) 6th floor. Enjoy the samples and peek into their working chocolate factory!

Prosciutto, made in Iowa?

Iowa food artisans, Herb & Kathy Eckhouse, have created La Quercia, to create the first premium America prosciutto. (Prosciutto is traditionally made in Parma or in San Daniele, Italy. It is pork leg which has been dry-cured with sea salt, time, and care.) Their love of prosciutto developed in the 3 1/2 years they lived in Parma, Italy. They are using hogs that roam free on an organic farm and eat a diet of acorns. This produces a ham with a sweet, nutty flavor with marbling throughout. Many people may find it hard to believe that an American prosciutto rivals Parmas best but many top chef’s & food critics are singing its praises. Their motto: “We believe that the food we eat can delight us every day; it is our mission to help you make that happen.” We haven’t had the opportunity to taste it for ourselves but the good word is out and its spreading fast!

Right now their prosciutto, guanciale & pancetta can be ordered on their website.