What is your favorite cheese to eat out of hand?

[bakerman]

Cheddar, sharp! I really enjoy the Cabot Vermont cheddar, very good, they have a private stock is heaven and very sharp. The best cheddar I have ever had was from Shelburne Farms from Vermont, near Burlington. The place started as a Vanderbilt estate, now is a historical landmark, and an environmental education center. Their cheese is a farmhouse cheddar, all milk used is only from their swiss brown cows, that live on the property.

Funny story, when I moved to the south, the company that I worked for opened a grocery store in a rural town, we were a northern company. Many customers were upset because the majority of cheese we carried was white, they thought cheese was supposed to be orange, these were not kids, they were adults. When I worked the cheese shop people would ask me about this at least once an hour, I would ask them "what is cheese made from"? they would say "milk right"? I would say "yes, when was the last time that you saw orange milk?" I had to explain to them that cheese was naturally white and only became yellow when dye was added.

So I love cheddar, preferably white.

MAC

[Jon]

Mozerella String Cheese.

[radiodugger]

Just plain cheese?

#1...fresh mozzarella. there is nothing like it, with a little olive oil and ground pepper.

Muenster would be my 2nd choice, plain, out of hand.

Radio Doug

[Clove]

Originally Posted by Food Network Fan

If you were just going to eat a little cheese by itself or on a cracker, no baking ...melting... cooking or processing at all, what would you buy?

When I was planning a New Years Eve party, I found an Italian Cow's Milk cheese that was speckled with black truffles.
I used it as part of a cheese plate (with Asiago, Gorgonzola Dolce and Taleggio) and when I saw that no one was eating it, I asked why. The guests thought that it was either dirty (black spots) or peppered (black spots).
I realized that I should have labeled the cheeses but now had to tell all of the guests that it was black truffles!
Woof! It was gone before the meal started
This is the best cheese for me. With or without a cracker.

[Lucy]

Cheddar cheese is by far my favorite.

When I was a little girl, I used to spend lots of time with my grandmother. We'd sit down on the couch with a sleeve of saltine crackers, a block of hoop cheddar cheese, a knife and watch The Price is Right. She'd cut off slices of cheese and I'd dole out the crackers. It reminds me of her and I've always loved cheddar cheese as a result.

[Food Network Fan]

That sounds really nice. It's funny how food can be a memory for us. My grandmother loved puffed rice cereal because she never wore her bottom false teeth, they never fit right. So soft food was important to her. We would often eat it before bedtime for some reason.

She really liked the little flavored tubs of cream cheese you get already mixed in at the store. Whenever I see them at the store I think about her.

[Lucy]

It is funny how food can be a memory and how those memories cause associations with foods (both good and bad!). I think it may have something to do with why certain foods can be so comforting. I think this may be the case for me anyway, they can remind me of silly little happy memories.

[BerryBaby]

Speaking of grandmothers and comfort food...a little off the subject, but she would make bismarcks from scratch with homemade currant jelly in the middle. I have never been able to find one as fluffy and delicious as hers were.

Don't know how I forgot one of my all time favorite cheeses...BRIE! I cut the rind off and just eat it plain. I also do a wrapped brie in puffed pastry that is to die for!!

[Chefnot]

Originally Posted by Lucy

It is funny how food can be a memory and how those memories cause associations with foods (both good and bad!). I think it may have something to do with why certain foods can be so comforting. I think this may be the case for me anyway, they can remind me of silly little happy memories.

I agree. Foods trigger my memory all the time. I love it when it happens!