Spring Break
Say cheese and die: A guide
Matt Brown explores the culinary possibilities of a campus favorite, cheese
by Matt Brown
Staff Writer
Food | 10/2/07
Posted online at 9:56 PM EST on 10/1/07
/ Last updated at 5:43 AM EST on 10/1/07
Cheese makes me very happy. Even when I say the very word itself, a smile sneaks its way onto my face.
Coagulated milk, though it sounds less than appetizing, is actually one of the most diverse food products in the world, with hundreds of different types made worldwide. The unrefined (in the cultural sense) American cheese-typically a cheddar by-product-the pseudo-classy Brie cheeses, and the hole-y and sliced Emmental (aka, Swiss cheese) are three that at least some college students are familiar with. (Thanks to Einstein's Bagel Bros., Brandeisians also know about Asiago.)
The two cheesy foods collegians know best would have to be pizza and macaroni and cheese-whether it's EZ Mac, the non-microwavable Kraft kind or a more "natural" variant like Annie's, we eat lots of it. And in a time crunch, they could taste worse. But, when you have an hour or so in which to prepare dinner, why not make the real thing?
But before you do, here's a super-easy fancy appetizer: Cut the top off a large loaf of sourdough bread, scoop out the inside and toast it. Rub the bread with a minced clove of garlic and some olive oil. Then, put in as much Brie as can fit, anywhere between half a pound and one pound-you can cut it up to fill more space.
Then stick the bread into an oven set at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Check the top layer of the Brie to see when it's ready. It should be clearly melted and bubbly. Break up the removed insides of the loaf, and dip it into the cheese, à la fondue. Once that's all used up, eat the bread bowl itself.
Preparing the main course is only slightly more difficult-unless you don't know how to use a grater. (They sell pre-grated cheese, so I guess you could just cheat and use that to begin with.) Start out by boiling water, and then add in the macaroni for about 10 minutes. Remember to stir occasionally so the noodles don't stick to the pot. While that's going on, get out a saucepan and sauté the minced half-onion in one of the tablespoons of butter. When that's finished, set it aside.
Coagulated milk, though it sounds less than appetizing, is actually one of the most diverse food products in the world, with hundreds of different types made worldwide. The unrefined (in the cultural sense) American cheese-typically a cheddar by-product-the pseudo-classy Brie cheeses, and the hole-y and sliced Emmental (aka, Swiss cheese) are three that at least some college students are familiar with. (Thanks to Einstein's Bagel Bros., Brandeisians also know about Asiago.)
The two cheesy foods collegians know best would have to be pizza and macaroni and cheese-whether it's EZ Mac, the non-microwavable Kraft kind or a more "natural" variant like Annie's, we eat lots of it. And in a time crunch, they could taste worse. But, when you have an hour or so in which to prepare dinner, why not make the real thing?
But before you do, here's a super-easy fancy appetizer: Cut the top off a large loaf of sourdough bread, scoop out the inside and toast it. Rub the bread with a minced clove of garlic and some olive oil. Then, put in as much Brie as can fit, anywhere between half a pound and one pound-you can cut it up to fill more space.
Then stick the bread into an oven set at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Check the top layer of the Brie to see when it's ready. It should be clearly melted and bubbly. Break up the removed insides of the loaf, and dip it into the cheese, à la fondue. Once that's all used up, eat the bread bowl itself.
Preparing the main course is only slightly more difficult-unless you don't know how to use a grater. (They sell pre-grated cheese, so I guess you could just cheat and use that to begin with.) Start out by boiling water, and then add in the macaroni for about 10 minutes. Remember to stir occasionally so the noodles don't stick to the pot. While that's going on, get out a saucepan and sauté the minced half-onion in one of the tablespoons of butter. When that's finished, set it aside.
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