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Amish Country Swiss Cheese Fondue
Swiss Cheese Fondue
There are countless recipes for fondue, but most contain some form of the original “Swiss” cheese. Many contain Emmentaler or Gruyere, but in today’s economic climate it is not always necessary to break the bank with expensive imports to impress your guests. The taste is what will impress them, and the best tasting fondue we’ve tried is made with Ohio’s Amish Country Swiss Cheese.
- 1 ½ Pounds of Grated Swiss Cheese
- 1 peeled fresh garlic clove
- ½ Pint of white wine
- 1 Ounce of kirsch
- 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
- pepper, nutmeg, or paprika to taste
Serves 5 guests.
Out ‘N About Columbus September 29, 2013
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukui2Rh4fgo&w=420&h=315]
Our Segment on Out ‘N About Columbus that aired on September 29, 2013. Here is where you can purchase some of the items that were referenced: Ohio Swiss Cheese, Yogurt Cheese With Garlic and Herb, Manchego Cheese, Smoked Cheddar Cheese, Heggy’s Chocolates.
Shislers Cheese House Copley on New Day Cleveland
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lby5HJNjAjo]
Shisler’s Cheese House Copley is owned by one of our family members. They are located at 1275 S. Cleveland Massillon Rd. Copley, OH 44321 and on the web at www.shislerswordpress-436460-1531479.cloudwaysapps.com.
Don’t Miss Out On The History of Lebanon Bologna
Lebanon Bologna
Resembling salami in texture and appearance, Lebanon Bologna is an all beef, semi-dry, fermented, smoked and cured sausage. This dark colored sausage comes with a distinctive tangy flavor. The traditionally prepared versions of this sausage are infused with a strong smoky flavor through hardwood smoking.
The origins of Lebanon Bologna can be traced back to the Pennsylvania Dutch. It was strongly influenced by the European slow-cured sausages. In Pennsylvania, this sausage is served as luncheon meat and continues to be popularly available. This sausage is produced in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, from where it derives its name.
Bologna was patterned and developed based on German slow cured products by German immigrant farmers settled here. Lebanon Bologna is one of the most unique sausages made in America though it has its origins in Europe.
Since the 18th century, Lebanon Bologna has been popular food stuff in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country. This identity food is an intrinsic part of the distinctive culinary heritage of south eastern Pennsylvania. Those who were born and grew up here ate many a slice stuffed in sandwiches smeared with cream cheese or served fried with eggs.
Lebanon Bologna comes in four different flavors namely the original, double smoked, sweet and honey smoked. Realizing the undesirable effects it can have on quality of the final product, very high heat is not used to manufacture this sausage. Thermal processing thus does not exceed 120 °F (49 °C). As high heat is out of question, microbial growth is controlled through other processes and ingredients.
In order to allow for reduction of nitrate to nitrite and for lactic acid bacterial enrichment, the stuffed and blended beef sausage is aged at least for ten days before it is smoked. The smoking phase lasts for four days during which fermentation continues to occur.
Most manufacturers today use good quality lean beef. Savory spices are added in a special blend; the bologna is seasoned and smoked naturally in wooden smokehouses outdoors. Bologna is then cured in a gradual manner over hardwood fires that are hand tended.
As Lebanon Bologna’s distinctive taste comes from the slow smoking method, all manufacturing units have smokehouses constructed of wood in old designs. Walk inside the smoke house and you will be transported right back to ancient times.
Lebanon Bologna was once a seasonal product available only during the November butchering season. Today it is commercially produced throughout the year.
Stop by Shisler’s Cheese House or check out our website and enjoy Lebanon Bologna today! @ $8.99 per lb.
Danish Blue Cheese: Good as Gorgonzola?
Danish Blue Cheese
Danish blue cheese is made from cow’s milk and is also referred to as Danablu. This semi-soft cheese is usually sold block, drum or wedge shaped. The cheese contains distinct blue veins and the cheese is light yellow, creamy white or off white in color.
Bite into this cheese and you cannot miss the salty, biting taste and the heady, strong odor. Just like other semi-soft cheeses, Danish blue cheese comes with the edible rind. During the process of cheese formation, small copper wires or rods are inserted into the cheese curds. As the cheese ages, the blue veins form.
Penicillium roqueforti fills into the pathways formed by the rods. This bacterium is evenly distributed through the mass and the cheese is then left to age for at least twelve weeks in a dark place. Danish blue cheese thus produced contains fat between 25 and 30 percent.
History
It was in the early 20th century that Marius Boel of Denmark created this cheese as a competitor to the Roquefort cheese. Danish blue cheese was indeed equal to its rival in all aspects including aroma, texture and taste. Blue cheese was in existence much before Danish blue cheese and Roquefort cheese. The Gorgonzola originated in 879 AD and Stilton came into existence in the 18th century.
According to the history of blue cheese, its creation was quite an accident. In olden days, all types of cheeses were stored in caves along with other products that had to be refrigerated. As there were no man-made refrigeration techniques available then, products were exposed to moisture and temperature fluctuations in the caves. This resulted in the formation of molds on some of the cheeses.
A worker who probably tasted the cheese along with the mold found it to have a much better flavor, better than the original. This led to further experimentation and molds started being injected into cheese to better the texture and flavor.
Uses
In many countries, Danish blue cheese continues to be served as a snack. This cheese is an ideal accompaniment for toast or crackers. It was served as a crumbly topping with fruits or on salads. In Denmark, this cheese is served for breakfast topping breads and biscuits, or served as a snack. In recent years, Danish blue cheese and other types of blue cheeses have gained in popularity and are used as topping for baked potatoes, steaks and hamburgers.
Is Danish Blue Cheese as good as Gorgonzola, Stilton, or even Roquefort? Quite frankly, it’s a matter of personal preference. To know your palate’s delight, you would have to taste them all side by side. But Danish Blue Cheese is definitely a delicious and lower-cost alternative.
Why Heggy’s Chocolates are better than the Rest
Heggy’s Chocolates Assortment
Ask any passionate chocolate lover and he (or she) will tell you all about the deliciously rich, creamy and smooth Heggy’s chocolates. Heggy’s Candy Company has been offering premium high quality chocolates for over nine decades. Since the time of its establishment in 1923, the company has been providing consumers with premium hand crafted candies and chocolates throughout America.
Today, Heggy’s continues to be a family owned and operated business. They have been serving the community and customers with a high level of commitment and have continued to keep the almost extinct handcrafting quality chocolates and candies alive.
Withstanding the test of time, they have perfected the art of creating masterpieces in chocolate. Every single piece of candy and chocolate offered by Heggy’s is created with a lot of necessary patience and care. Candies and chocolates manufactured by Heggy’s are also packed to precision in individual wrappers. This helps retain their delicious flavor and freshness.
No wonder there are many devoted candy lovers in America loyal to Heggy’s. Chocolates and candies are offered today by this brand over the internet expanding its reach. You can choose from the delicious catalog and have the exquisite flavor of Heggy’s delivered right to your doorstep.
Heggy’s chocolates and candies are ideal as gifts for any occasion. Enjoy the unique taste of their milk chocolates or choose from the exciting range of mouth watering dark chocolates. Bite into the delicious milk chocolate crunch and savor the elusive taste of those buttery peanut brittle bits dipped in rich milk chocolate.
Reach out for the maple walnut creams or enjoy the amazing taste of milk chocolate sprinkled with English walnuts with a soft cream center. The popular milk peanut clusters chocolates come with a vanilla cream center covered with chocolate and fresh ground peanut blend.
If you love dark chocolate, choose the dark chocolate crunch, maple walnut creams, dark chocolate peanut clusters, dark chocolate brownie, peppermint and jersey creams, dark chocolate coated caramel or dark chocolate French mint. There is no dearth of choice.
Heggy’s also has on offer a range of rich caramels including the delicious butterscotch, mouthwatering almond and exciting Brazil nut, pecan, walnut and plain vanilla caramel. This is not all. Heggy’s offers a variety of high quality nuts such as the Redskin Peanuts, Spanish Peanuts, whole cashews, natural pistachios, fancy mixed nuts, roasted salted pecans, roasted salted macadamia nuts, smoked almonds and blanched almonds. If you love chocolates, candies and nuts, Heggy’s is an experience not to be missed.
Restaurant Review: Thatsa Wrapp
Thatsa WrappDesserts
For those of you fortunate enough to live in our area, this will be our first attempt at a restaurant review. I have been doing some work up in Canton lately and one of the greatest benefits is having a wide array of restaurants available to have lunch. Having spent 18 years in big cities, one of the things I really miss is the abundance of small boutique reasonably-priced restaurants that are much less common in rural Ohio. So when I first began working in Canton, I set out to find one of those restaurants, and struck gold.
Thatsa Wrapp is located at 600 6th St. NW near McKinley Ave. in downtown Canton. The décor is contemporary eclectic, and changes slightly to match the season. They have bar seating and eight tables, with two more on the sidewalk weather-permitting, a nice touch for a small city like Canton. The staff is very friendly and outgoing, and they tend to remember what the regulars like. They are also well trained and know the menu well, so they are very handy when it comes to recommendations. They seem to have very little turnover, as I have mostly seen the same crew since I started going there, save for a few additions as their business has increased.
One of the first things that attracted me to Thatsa Wrapp was their more healthy variety of food. I was looking for a good lunch without an overabundance of calories. Of course, as their name implies, they specialize in wraps. I have not had a bad one yet, but my personal favorite is “The Bruiser”, a blackened steak wrap with crumbled bleu cheese, lettuce, tomato, and ranch dressing. Many of the wraps are made with chicken and vegetarian varieties are available. The sides that come with wraps include fresh vegetables if you want to save calories, a mildly spicy house potato salad, excellent homemade potato chips with a ranch dip if you are not counting calories, and the crème de la crème of all of their sides, smoked gouda macaroni and cheese. This was what made me decide that they were worthy of my first restaurant review, their expert use of cheese in most of their dishes. So I thought they would be a welcome addition to The Cheddarpress. They also have salads available for those who prefer a lighter lunch, but they are a pretty good size. I prefer the Asian Chicken Salad. My favorite dessert is the pumpkin cheesecake, which has a taste and presentation similar to that of a high-dollar fine dining restaurant.
Thatsa Wrapp is overall and excellent dining experience. They are also open for breakfast and offer an enticing breakfast menu, but unfortunately I don’t get to Canton early enough to try it. They have a large beer selection which is very reasonably priced. I have eaten lunch there on a regular basis, and have usually spent under $10 before tip. Of course adding beer or dessert will increase the average. After eating there regularly for a short period of time and having brought some colleagues in with me on occasion, the owner had the good graces to comp one of my lunches. This tells me that they also take good care of their customers. I would highly recommend Thatsa Wrapp, so the next time you are in downtown Canton, stop in for lunch! You can find them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/thatsawrapp
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- Thatsa Wrapp
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- Wrap & Homemade Chips
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- Desserts
Enjoy the Goodness of Uncle Mike’s Beef Jerky
Uncle Mike's Beef Jerky
Beef jerky is one of the most favorite snack foods. Beef is marinated in a curing solution and dried to lend a unique flavor and extend shelf life. Native Americans used to smoke dry meat in order to preserve it for a long time. And beef jerky meat processing technology finds its roots in this practice.
Uncle Mike’s beef jerky, backed by years of experience, today produces the finest quality beef jerky. If you love this snack, you must have certainly tried this brand. This beef jerky tastes as close to homemade snack as possible.
Beef jerky offered by Uncle Mike’s has the right moisture that enhances the taste. This is why it is so popular all over the world. Originally, the Amish method was used to produce Uncle Mike’s beef jerky. Amish method involves lack of preservatives and hormone free cows.
Uncle Mike’s offers beef jerky in three seasoned favors namely the hot beef jerky, original beef jerky and Teriyaki beef jerky. The main reason for the popularity of Uncle Mike’s beef sticks and beef jerky is due to the great care and attention that goes into the preparation.
Beef jerky is offered by Uncle Mike’s in six mouth watering flavors. A unique feature of this beef jerky is that it tastes firm and is not leathery like other jerky found today. Uncle Mike’s beef jerky provides you with that perfect protein boost and is ideal to be carried on your camping, hiking, fishing or boating trips.
Beef jerky is preferred by health and fitness enthusiasts as it has low fat and high protein content. Meat is cured using salt solution and moisture is reduced to half to make the jerky. Uncle Mike’s beef jerky is perfectly cured and has the right amount of roughness in texture and the exact amount of moisture.
All beef jerky offered by this brand come with a powerful flavor. They are popularly chosen by people who want a low calorie product that is nutritious, high in energy and protein and low in fat and cholesterol.
Try the delicious range of flavored Uncle Mike’s beef jerky. Some of the most popular types of beef jerky offered by this brand include the barbecue style, hot style, mild hickory smoked and teriyaki jerky.
If you have not tried this snack yet, it is time to taste the delicious and tasty Uncle Mike’s beef jerky. Uncle Mike’s makes delicious beef sticks as well.
Uses of Fresh and Healthy Amish Butter Cheese
Amish Butter Cheese
Add Amish butter cheese to any meal or snack and enjoy its creamy richness. This is a unique type of cheese with an exotic butter flavor that melts in your mouth. Made by the Amish, this butter cheese is used by people in many ways.
Amish butter cheese is derived from butterkase, its closest ancestor. Butterkase is a buttery and creamy cheese that originates from Austria and Germany. The cheese is pale yellow in color in spite of the red or golden natural rind. Butterkase is a popular cheese with 50 percent fat content. This cheese is semi-soft in texture.
Amish butter cheese does not come with the rind like butterkase. The pale yellow cheese with its buttery, rich, creamy flavor is obtained from cow’s milk. Good quality Amish butter cheese is made from milk collected from cows that are not on artificial hormones. No artificial ingredients, flavors or preservatives are added to the Amish butter cheese during the preparation process.
Most of the Amish countries including Illinois, Indiana and Ohio are authentic sources of genuine Amish butter cheese. From the Midwest region, this butter cheese is then distributed by vendors to other parts of the nation through retail stores and online.
Bite into a piece of delicious Amish butter cheese and you will find its creamy and smooth flavor mesmerizing. The cheese tastes just like havarti and is popularly used for melting in fondue recipes. Amish butter cheese is enjoyed by many as a snack. If you place an order for burgers or sandwiches in any of the Amish countries, you will find them dripping with the easy to slice, semi-soft Amish butter cheese.
If you are fond of only the best quality cheese, it is important to choose authentic Amish butter. Remember that while most of the products labeled Amish butter cheese are genuine, some of them may just refer to Amish as a method of cheese making. These do not come with the Amish guarantee even though the butter cheese is supposedly made without preservatives and uses the same hormone-free cows. This is because milk is obtained from cows owned by different people and there is no guarantee that all cows are hormone free.
Enjoy the goodness of Amish butter cheese melted, grilled or sliced. If you are a cheese lover, you will certainly enjoy its versatility and smooth flavor. This butter cheese is the perfect choice for snacks and sandwiches.
Enjoy Cooking with Baby Swiss cheese
Baby Swiss Cheese
There is nothing more satisfying than biting into a slice of semi-soft, young, fresh baby Swiss cheese made from whole milk. The characteristic small holes make this cheese all the more exciting and unique.
Baby Swiss cheese is a part of the Swiss cheese family that is known all over the world as the holey cheese. You can find this cheese at retail stores and delis, mostly in Ohio. To make it convenient for you to use it in sandwiches and other recipes, this cheese is sometimes sold pre-sliced. If you want it for larger cooking projects, you can buy baby Swiss cheese in wheels.
Swiss cheese is made from cow’s milk. Lactic acid in the cheese is broken down using bacteria to generate carbon dioxide which in turn results in the formation of bubbles during the process of aging. To obtain larger holes and complex flavors, the cheese is allowed to age for a longer time.
Many steps are altered during the cheese making process to make baby Swiss cheese. To obtain that exquisite, buttery rich flavor, whole milk is used to make the cheese. In order to slow down the bacterial digestion process, water is used to cut the milk. As compared to traditional Swiss cheese, baby Swiss cheese is aged for a shorter period of time to create the more mild flavor.
Bite into a bit of baby Swiss cheese and what will strike you first is its creamy, nutty and buttery flavor. This cheese is ideal to be used in a wide range of dishes and also melts quickly in the mouth. It is easier to work with this cheese as it comes with small holes and is easy to slice. The small holes make cooking with baby cheese enjoyable.
If you are planning to use this cheese for cooking purposes, it is essential choosing evenly colored ones with holes that are equally sized. The cheese should have a distinct buttery aroma and should resemble a pale straw. Before you buy the cheese, it is better to taste if the shop allows it as this is the only way to determine its quality. Otherwise, you must carefully observe for signs of cracking, mold and dampness. All these are indications that the flavor has been compromised.
Baby Swiss cheese can be layered with turkey, lettuce, ham, sliced onions and tomatoes on dark rye, light rye or wheat bread. Using this cheese you can make mouth-watering sauce for your steamed vegetables. Try the delicious French bread filled and baked until bubbly with chopped scallions and shredded baby Swiss. You can also enhance frittatas, omelets and quiches with this amazingly delicious cheese.
What’s your favorite use for Baby Swiss cheese?
