Look at what’s in the Grilled Cheese Essentials Prize Pack from Jarlsberg USA!

It’s National Grilled Cheese Month and we’re celebrating with a 2-day Grilled Cheese Essentials giveaway. “Like” us on Facebook, share with your friends and you’ll be entered to win one of two prize packs containing:

• Lodge mini cast iron pan
• Cheese expert Laura Werlin’s Grilled Cheese, Please cookbook
• Boska Grater and Toastabags
• Jarlsberg Wedge and Sliced cheese
• Jarlsberg kitchen magnet, mini tote bag
• Woolwich Dairy Goat cheese mozzarella and brie

Head to the Jarlsberg Facebook app to enter today and tomorrow only (April 20 & 21, 2013)!

Not on Facebook? Not to worry! We’re giving away two more Grilled Cheese Essentials prize packs on Twitter. Today and tomorrow only, tweet the following message to be entered to win:

I’m fixing to win a #GrilledCheeseEssentials prize, b/c nothing beats a @JarlsbergUSA grilled cheese. RT for your chance to enter, too!

Approximate value of each prize: $75

Guidelines

Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary to win. Must be at least 18 years to enter. Shipping to continental US only, excluding Alaska. No PO Boxes. Eligible entries must be received between 12:01 AM ET April 20, 2013 and 11:59 PM ET April 21, 2013. Winner will be selected randomly from all eligible entries. Winners will be notified by email or Twitter and must respond with shipping information within 24 hours, at which time another winner will be chosen.

Two prize given away per day on April 20th and 21st. Odds of winning are approximately 1 in 500. Grilled Cheese giveaway prize value is approximately $75. No cash value will be awarded.

Laura Werlin, cheese expert and author of “Mac & Cheese, Please!”

Laura Werlin’s new cookbook is an ode to all things Mac n’ Cheese. You could win it as part of our Mac Attack Prize pack. Click the photo to head over to our promotion!

Laura, you are considered a foremost expert on cheese.  Can you tell us how you got started, and when you realized this would be your vocation?

I often say that the way I got into cheese is that it got into me. I’ve loved it ever since I grew teeth. I made it into a profession a little bit after that, though! I started by becoming a food writer. Very shortly after that I knew I wanted to write about cheese because it was my passion. I didn’t know anything about it, though, so I set out to learn. I haven’t looked back since.

What is the best way to store cheese?

Let me start with the best way NOT to store cheese: don’t wrap it in plastic wrap. That’s because plastic wrap often imparts a flavor. Instead, wrap it in waxed or parchment paper followed by a layer of plastic wrap. Even better is cheese paper, which is now available in many specialty food stores and online.

What cheese tool can you not do without?

There are so many cheese tools in my arsenal that I adore, but I guess a sturdy skeleton knife – the kind that has holes in the blade, which prevents cheese from sticking – is the best all-purpose knife. Although it’s designed for soft cheeses, it does the trick with firm cheeses too as long as they’re not too hard. For those cheeses, it’s best to choose a short, stubby knife. That allows you to dig out small chunks of cheese, which is a better way to serve (and eat!) the hard cheeses.

We understand you are also a pairings expert.  Any simple tips to share on pairing cheese with -  Wine?  Beer?

For wine, I like to pair lighter cheeses with lighter wines, and more often than not, white wines rather than red. That’s because red wines often have tannins from their skin and from oak aging, which create a kind of drying sensation on the tongue. Cheese often exaggerates those tannins, which is not something you want to do. If you prefer red wine, though, then choose one with lighter tannins such as a pinot noir, and match it with semi-firm cheeses such as a younger cheddar. Lightly oaked or unoaked chardonnays can be nice with Swiss cheeses such as Jarlsberg.

With beer, I find that lagers are compatible with semi-soft, milder cheeses like a young cheddar or Monterey Jack, while more assertive beer such as an IPA is quite good with a mild blue cheese. Dark beers such as porter love a hearty cheese like Irish cheddar, and Imperial stouts go nicely with aged cheeses such as gouda and parmesan.

We learned that you didn’t grow up on mac & cheese; in fact you always loved cheese in a big way, but noodles, not so much.  Can you remember the moment that changed?

I can’t quite remember exactly when I started liking noodles, but I do know I was well into adulthood before I did. One thing’s for sure: there’s no question that a cooking class I took in the late 90s cemented my love for the noodle.

With so many varieties of cheese to choose from, how do you determine best use of a noodle for baked macaroni?

While the shape of noodle makes some difference, what I discovered is that the size of the noodle matters more. If you use a pasta that’s particularly large, such as large shell pasta, the mac & cheese turns into a pasta dish rather than the creamy, cheesy concoction we love about mac & cheese.  If you stay away from large-size pasta, you’ll almost certainly be fine with whatever shape you choose. In the end, though, you can’t go wrong with the traditional small elbow macaroni.

Growing up, what were your family’s favorite cheeses?

I hate to admit it but there’s no question that single-wrapped American cheese slices made an early appearance in our household. But the for-company cheese was always and without exception Jarlsberg. That was half the reason I loved it when my mom entertained!

What cheeses are in your refrigerator, now?

The shorter answer to this question is which cheeses are not in my fridge?! Of course, I have Jarlsberg in it (actually it’s the Lite version because I like to use that in my lighter mac & cheese recipes), fresh goat cheese, a cloth-wrapped cheddar from Vermont, blue cheeses from Oregon, and Italian-style cheeses from Wisconsin, to name just a few.

Can you remember the first time you tried Jarlsberg?

I don’t exactly know when I had my first taste of Jarlsberg, but I do remember that it rocked my world. I couldn’t quit eating it. I couldn’t have been more than about 10 years old.

Thank you for sharing this delicious Asparagus, Swiss and Dill Mac & Cheese from your new book.  We agree it’s a perfectly light spring dish.  What wine would you pair with it?

The asparagus and dill in this recipe call for a sauvignon blanc, a pinot grigio, or the Austrian grape called Grüner Veltliner. Although all these wines are all fairly high in acidity (think green apple), you want to try and find one that’s a little richer in style because of the creaminess of the dish and, the star of the show – the cheese!  You might also look for an unoaked or lightly oaked chardonnay as well.

asparagus, swiss, and dill mac & cheese
Serves 6

This is as light and refreshing as a spring day. The dill adds a wonderful zing, and the vegetables make it flavorful and healthy. As with all the recipes in this chapter, feel free to make it a little richer by using regular cheese and/or full-fat milk. But as written, it’s good for the taste buds and the waistline.

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

8 ounces penne pasta (or use medium shell pasta)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion (about 6 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

8 ounces medium asparagus spears (5 to 7 spears), ends trimmed,

spears cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices, leaving 1-inch tips

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, plus sprigs, cut into 3-inch pieces, for garnish

Freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups reduced or low-fat milk

½ cup skim milk

6 ounces low-fat Swiss or Jarlsberg cheese, coarsely grated

(about 2 cups)

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

½ teaspoon dry mustard powder

Fill a 4- to 5-quart pot about three-quarters full with water and add 1tablespoon of the salt. Bring to a boil and add the pasta. Cook, stirring once or twice, until tender but firm, about 4 minutes, and drain. Reserve the pot. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, asparagus, carrots, and water and cook until the vegetables are tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the chopped dill and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Using the same pot you used to cook the pasta, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the flour and stir constantly until a paste forms, 30 to 45 seconds. Continue stirring for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the mixture starts to darken slightly and smell a bit nutty. Lower the heat to medium-low. Slowly add the milks and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and cook until the mixture is just beginning to thicken and bubble around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Add the cheeses and mustard powder and cook until smooth but not runny. It should be similar in texture to cake batter. If it’s soupy, continue cooking until it thickens.

Add the pasta and vegetables and stir to combine. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the dill sprigs. Serve right away.

Pgs. 122-123

mac & cheese, please

lighten up, cool down

Kicked Up Mac n Cheese from Bunky Cooks.

Kicked up Mac and Cheese

This twist on traditional macaroni and cheese adds a bit of Latin flair to what can otherwise be just a “cheesy” dish.  The flavors are perfectly balanced in this recipe with a bit of heat from the Hot Mexican-Style Chili Powder and a subtle smokiness from the Hickory Smoked Jarlsberg.  Combined with smoked chorizo and chopped poblano pepper, the taste and textures complement each other and are excellent.  Roasted corn, when in season, is a great addition to the dish.  You will love the rich and creamy texture of this version of macaroni and cheese.

Click here for the full recipe from Bunky Cooks!

Click here to enter our giveaway!

Not on Facebook? No problem. We’re giving away one of our Mac Attack Prize Packs through a Twitter promotion. Simply tweet the following message for a chance to win!

• I’m hoping to win #JarlsbergMacAttack Prize Pack featuring @lecreuset & @cheezelady. You can too, here: http://on.fb.me/ZGyveT RT to enter!

Laura Werlin’s new cookbook is an ode to all things Mac n’ Cheese. You could win it as part of our Mac Attack Prize pack. Click the photo to head over to our promotion!

You could win this lovely Le Creuset covered casserole as part of our Mac Attack Prize Pack! Click on the photo to head over to our Facebook promotion.

RUSTIC ROASTED VEGETABLE-CHEESE GALETTE

We interrupt our Jarlsberg Mac Attack program to celebrate National Pi Day…no, not “pie” day, but the day celebrating the mathematical constant 3.14!  We couldn’t help but share a favorite of ours, this gorgeous Jarlsberg and roasted vegetable Galette!

  RUSTIC ROASTED VEGETABLE-CHEESE GALETTE

14-ounce package refrigerated pie crust (two 11” rounds)
4 cups sliced cauliflower and/or broccoli
3 cups coarsely chopped fennel (core removed, one head)
2 cups (about one pound) chopped asparagus (tough white part removed)
1 cup chopped carrots and/or red bell pepper
1 cup chopped shallots
10 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or oregano, or 2 teaspoons dried
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 cups grated Jarlsberg cheese, divided
1 4-ounce log soft, unripened goat cheese (we used Woolwich Dairy fresh Chevrai)
Egg wash – 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 Tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 400°.  Line a large, lipped baking tray with foil and oil spray.

To prepare filling: Combine cauliflower, fennel, carrots, and shallots on the prepared baking tray, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and gently toss with rosemary, salt and pepper. Place garlic cloves on a square of foil, sprinkle with remaining oil and pinch the edges of the foil together. Place the packet on the baking sheet with the vegetables. Roast, stirring the vegetables every 10 minutes, until they are tender and beginning to brown and the garlic is soft, about 35 – 40 minutes. Set vegetables aside to cool a bit.  Unwrap the garlic and mince.  Add the minced garlic to the goat cheese

To assemble galettes: Unroll pie crust rounds onto sprayed squares of foil, about a foot square. Divide garlic cheese mixture evenly and spread on each round, leaving 2-inch border all the way around.  Toss 1 ½ cups Jarlsberg with vegetables; divide mixture and mound carefully onto the two rounds, also leaving 2-inch border. Top each with remaining Jarlsberg.

Fold border up and over the filling to form a rim, pleating as you go. Brush on egg wash (it will help to keep the pleats in place).  Refrigerate 20 minutes.  Bake galettes on baking sheet, 30 to 40 minutes (turning once after 15 minutes) or until crust is golden brown.  Let cool for 10 minutes.  Serve warm.  Each galette serves 6.

Note:  other popular galette fillings combine grated cheese with ham and egg.  Or, use pastry dough to wrap a hot, cooked sausage or kielbasa for a take on “pigs in a blanket.”

Click here to enter our giveaway!

You could win this lovely Le Creuset covered casserole as part of our Mac Attack Prize Pack! Click on the photo to head over to our Facebook promotion.

Laura Werlin’s new cookbook is an ode to all things Mac n’ Cheese. You could win it as part of our Mac Attack Prize pack. Click the photo to head over to our Facebook promotion!

Wishing all the world a Happy New Year!  May it be a year filled with peace, joy, and great life moments!

Champagne and Jarlsberg

Try this fabulous crabmeat gratin, courtesy of our friend and talented LA-based caterer, Gisele Perez –  Serve at your New Year’s Eve soiree.  It’s a dip that will win raves!

A delicious crabmeat gratin, courtesy of our friend and talented LA-based caterer, Gisele Perez.

It wouldn’t be a party without cheese, especially Jarlsberg.  Its mellow nutty flavor complements a variety of easy apps and is a real party-pleaser.  How will you serve Jarlsberg?

In a sandwich?

It wouldn’t be a party without cheese, especially Jarlsberg.  Its mellow nutty flavor complements a variety of easy apps and is a real party-pleaser.  How will you serve Jarlsberg?

In a salad?