Cheese

Preparation

1. Cooked cheese that is rubbery, tough, stringy

   Step 1

   This happens when there is too much heat. The excessive heat separated the fat from the protein in the cheese and the result is a Welsh rarebit (or whatever) that is rubbery, tough, stringy, and often looks awful.

   Step 2

   This time, dump the cheese into a blender or food processor and blend at low speed for a minute or so to break down the rubberiness. Pour it back into the pan or, better yet, into the top of a double boiler and continue cooking. If the blending makes it too loose, add some browned flour (flour that you have browned on a baking sheet in a 400°F oven) until it is the proper consistency.

   Step 3

   Next time, cook the cheese from the start in the top of a double boiler, making sure the bottom of the top pot isn’t touching the boiling water below. It’ll take a little longer than using direct heat, but it’s foolproof.

2. Dried out, stale

   Step 4

   If it is extremely hard, grate it (any cheese can be grated) and use it as a topping for vegetables or eggs or in a soufflé.

   Step 5

   If it is dry but not all that dry, slice off the crusty edges (you can grate those) and either coat the bare edges with melted butter or wrap the whole cheese in a cloth that has been soaked in vinegar and wrung out. (Do you suppose that’s what cheesecloth is really for?) Store the cheese in the refrigerator, in any case. If you have Parmesan or pecorino romano that’s really too dry to use or you’re too lazy to grate it, throw it in the pot when making soups like minestrone.

3. Moldy

   Step 6

   Cut off the moldy parts; the rest of the cheese won’t be affected. To prevent mold from recurring, wrap the cheese tightly in plastic.

   Step 7

   Note: Please do not try to remove the mold from Roquefort or blue cheese. It is supposed to be there. Thank you.

4. Oily

   Step 8

   Wrap the oily cheese in paper towels; they will absorb much of the excess oil within 3 days or so. When the towels become too oily, change them.

5. Soft, difficult to cut

   Step 9

   Heat the knife or go out and buy a cheese-cutting gadget (a thin wire in a frame) for a couple of bucks.

6. Too much supposed-to-be-moldy cheese

   Step 10

   Combine leftover blue or Roquefort cheese with an equal amount (by weight) of sweet butter. Add a dollop of Cognac and store in a covered jar in the refrigerator. It lasts nearly forever and is a great hors d’oeuvre served on crackers.