Max’s Kitchen: Live and Active Cultures

Pizza is undeniably the universal university food. For as long as people remember, pizza has served as not only an identifier, but a definer of a college lifestyle. However, the origins of pizza did not originate in a seedy dorm room with posters of Jimmy Hendrix and empty alcohol bottles hiding the walls, and a dank old-laundry smell in the air. No, pizza was conceived in the land of the renaissance, Italia. Modern pizza emerged during the 19th century, but topped flatbreads have been around since ancient times. Although the etymology is ambiguous, the first recorded use of the word “pizza” dates from 997 AD and comes from a Latin text from the town of Gaeta in Southern Italy.

It is said that the Italians may have invented pizza, but here in America, we perfected it. Every major city has their own style of pie, with crusts thick or thin, sauces savory or sweet, influences from the Phillipines to Latin America and toppings ranging from a mere sprinkling of goat cheese to pounds of meat, vegetables, and fruits.

As Pittsburgh does not have it’s own distinct style, an affront to the multi-ethnic community in my opinion, I figured I should propose one. You will find two examples of the Steeler-culture pie in the food sections, both fruity, sweet and entirely perfect.

Although yesterday’s post explained a great deal about the miracle that is cheese, it did not elaborate on the purchasing and storing of the product; an imperative knowledge that makes the difference between a cultured food from the heavens and a microbial house of ill repute. Hence it is a compendium on such procedures that is found below, to educate on the methods guaranteed to bring cheese from farm to table. It should be noted that any cheese, when purchased in wheel form, can be home-aged. Just store in the warmest part of the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Aging cheese will cause it to develop a ripe flavor, softer texture, and stronger smell. Particular cheeses that benefit from aging are mainly soft-ripened and washed-rind cheeses, although rounds of blue and hard cheeses will develop more intense flavors as time goes on. Age accordingly.

Fresh- Buy cheese that is uniform in color and texture, normally enamel white, and free of discoloration, holes in packaging, dry, brittle areas or wet runny areas. They should have little to no smell. When storing, make sure to wrap with wax paper and store in an airtight container. Left in this container, the cheese should keep for 1-2 weeks.

Soft-ripened- Buy specimens with dry but not brittle rind, uniform in color and without splotches. Cheese should be yielding to the touch, but should spring back. Look out for green, brown or black spots on the rind, as this will be an indicator of spoiled cheese. Also watch for brown or blackened rinds, as these indicate a rotten inside. Smell should be mild if moderately fresh; if ripe, they should be smelly but not offputting, look out for ammoniated smells. Store wrapped in wax/parchment paper and closed in an airtight plastic bag. Check the cheese regularly for discoloration; this cheese should keep 2-3 weeks.

Semi-soft-These cheeses should, like soft-ripened, be yielding to the touch. However, they should also spring back after being pressed. Make sure, like other cheeses, that these are uniform in texture and color, and watch for discoloration. These cheeses should be moderately mild in scent. Stored in parchment paper in an airtight container, these cheeses can keep for up to 3 weeks.

Semi-firm- These cheeses should be moderately hard to the touch, and should give very little when pressed. They should smell nutty, fruity, earthy or tangy but not like socks or rotten eggs. Stored properly, they can keep up to a month.

Hard-These cheeses should have a firm rind, with no soft spots. Smell should be nutty, smoky or tangy, not sour or bitter. They can be stored for months without significant loss of flavor, although they may dry out excessively over time, so be careful in making sure they are stored in airtight containers.

Blue-These cheeses should be treated like semi-soft cheeses; the exception being that they do not have to be uniform in color. Acceptable colors are white to yellow, with veins that are green, blue, black or violet. Just be sure it is the same color the whole way through. Store like other cheeses, as air and humidity are their enemies.

Washed-rind-These cheeses are pretty ambiguous when it comes to freshness. Some may be soft as butter, others may be springy. Some may smells like sweat, others may smell like Consult your local cheese-monger for advice on certain varieties. Due to their high bacteria content and high moisture level, these cheeses can spoil easily if not stored in airtight containers. Furthermore, they should be kept from other foods, as they can impart off-flavors in fat-heavy foods.

Now that you can classify, buy and store cheese, it is time to get to cooking. In the food sections you will find a blue-cheese mousse, and fontina stuffed sweet-peppers. As always, enjoy.

From a young age, I remember being told that cheese is everything. Not the processed, americanized form, mind you, but robust English blues, springy Finnish hard ripened cheeses, creamy French wheels and pungent, Old=World washed-rinds. The ability of dairy products to take on such vivid, complex personalities even as they sour is truly a miracle of microbiology. Although cheese can easily be a course or even a meal on its own, one can also use its unique flavors to create an unrivaled depth of character in soups, stews, casseroles, stuffings, dips, spreads, pastries, sandwiches, wraps, soufflés, confections…in all honesty, one could put cheese in absolutely any dish to enhance it.
Mentioned as early as the 8th century B.C. by Homer, and found in archaeological remains dating back 10,000 years, cheese has not only been featured in human history, it has dominated it. Though all regal, not all cheeses are created equal; however, this should not overwhelm, quite the opposite actually, the versatility should inspire experimentation in the kitchen. Incredibly, of the thousands of varieties of cheese worldwide, made from milk from nearly every domesticated mammal (cow, sheep, goat, buffalo and even moose), there are merely a handful of classifications in which every species can fit. Cheeses can all be separated and labeled as either fresh, soft-ripened, semi-soft, semi-firm, hard, washed rind and blue. Descriptions of each variety is as follows:

(It should be noted that many cheeses have a protected origin classification system, such as France’s A.O.C. or Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée. Like wines, honey and even lentils and vinegar, the classification sets strict guidelines for labeling, dictating that cheese grown only within a certain area can be called, say, roquefort or parmigiano-reggiano. Preserving the cultural hertiage and quality of a product is the goal of this measure, so that all consumers can know that they are actually buying what it says on the package)

-Fresh (i.e. mozzarella, feta, neufchatel, chevre, cottage cheese, ricotta)- These cheeses are, as the name suggests, fresh. This type of cheese spends no time aging, instead being consumed right after curdling. These cheeses tend to be mild, creamy, and soft, as well as easy to fabricate in the home. For instance, to make cottage cheese, one need only add 3/4 cup white vinegar to a warm gallon of skim milk 120 degrees), stir and let sit for about 30 minutes. Then, strain the curds from the whey using a cheese cloth, season with salt, and serve. The possibilities are endless, from mixing with fruit, to featuring in a mousse, to topping a pizza. As they contain no preservatives (like the bacteria in aged forms), all fresh cheeses must be eaten quickly, within about 1 week. As an added benefit, they tend to be lower in fat than other forms, so enjoy in abundance. Use in pizzas, mousses, spreads, cheesecakes, and quick cooking applications (Queso fresco, a fresh mexican cheese, if often used as the centerpiece for a meal, seared quickly and presented almost as if it were a steak).

-Soft-ripened-These cheeses are only slightly aged, and have a very creamy, runny texture, and high fat content. Some examples of soft-ripened cheese are brie and camembert. To make, the fresh cheeses are sprayed with a bacteria (harmless of course), and allowed to ripen. While they develop, the outsides of the cheeses gradually transform into a bloomy rind, or white and velvety on the outside. As time goes on, the bacteria from the outside invade the rounds, and soften the insides to an almost buttery texture. Depending on how long the cheese ages, it can be mild and milky, with some firmness left, or completely runny and pungent (as the bacteria slowly permeates the cheese). Be sure not to buy over-ripened cheese, as it has a nasty ammonium flavor. To ensure that this does not happen, always be sure to smell your cheeses; if they are too strong for your liking, check another. Your nose is your friend here. Soft-ripened cheeses are wonderful in salads, pastry, or paired with fruit. As with all cheese, be sure to warm to room temperature (that is, take it out of the fridge at least an hour before serving).

-Semi-Soft cheeses-these cheeses are slightly springy, aged cheeses that have a high moisture content. Examples include fontina, edam, gouda, swiss, port salut, havarti, and beerkase (containing, ironically no beer at all, though there are numerous cheeses enhanced with alcohol). These cheeses tend to be earthy and nutty in flavor, with a smooth but solid texture and sweet, tangy aroma. They tend to have wax rinds in order to inhibit bacterial interference, and are most often featured as a sandwich addition. Incredibly tasty alone or on a cheese platter with fruit, nuts, crackers, meats and chocolate, semi-soft cheese can also be featured as a compliment in desserts, such as tarts and cobblers, grated on top of pasta, bread, or pizza, or coupled with cheddar (a semi-hard cheese) in macaroni and cheese.

Semi-firm cheeses (manchego, cheddar, gruyère, aged/smoked gouda, asiago, comte, emmentaler)- These cheeses are aged much like semi-soft cheeses, the difference being that they are usually pressed to remove excess liquid and allowed to ripen for longer periods. With a moderately low moisture content, they can keep for weeks to even months, and have immeasurable uses. Tastes are usually sharp, tangy and earthy, with notes of honey, herbs, nuts, fruit, and even fungi (like mushrooms) and beans. Semi-firm cheeses are destined for additions, and one can find them flavored with ingredients ranging from wine to truffles to apricots. Use these cheeses in baked applications (such as the ubiquitous mac n’ cheese or other casseroles/gratins), grilled cheese and other gilled sandwiches, cheese sauces, paired with caviar and smoked fish, and used in stuffings or fillings.

Hard Cheeses-Italians emphasize the quality of these cheeses. Known as the kings of the cheese world, varieties like Parmigiano-Reggiano, pecorino Romano, grana padano, and aged asiago. They are pressed to remove moisture, aged for long periods of time, up to years, and have a very low moisture content. This fact contributed to their full-bodied, strong salty flavor, and unmistakable texture, crystalline and crunchy. Hard cheeses are very nutrient dense, though due to their strong flavor, they are used sparingly, so even those who are calorie conscious can work these into their diets. These cheeses are usually featured as a flavorant as opposed to a main ingredient, which allows them to find their way in everything from souffles to pizzas to pastas to frittatas to even crackers and cookies.

Blue-Veined Cheeses (roquefort, cambazola, stilton, gorgonzola-these cheeses are bold, pungent and smelly. The blue veins dancing patterns along the cheese are actually colonies of mold, carefully controlled to impart a tangy, rich flavor to the cheese. These cheeses are made by injecting penicillium cultures into the cheese as it ripens. This process actually preserves the cheese, as the penicillium keeps other, less desirable cultures from growing within the wheel. These cheeses are a bit salty, and much sharper than say, a cheddar; conversely, they tend to be creamy and crumby, softer in texture than most other aged cheeses. The bacteria that gives these cheeses their distinctive foot-smell and ripe taste is brevibacterium linens, the same bacteria found in smelly human feet. Although many may consider these a product that should be relegated to other countries as opposed to their kitchen table, these cheeses have much to offer besides their smells, and can play sidekick with the strong flavors in dishes of meat roulades, fruit pies, custards, dressings, and with dried fruit and nuts.

Washed-rind cheeses-These varieties-such as Brillant-Savarin (named to honor the French gastronome), muenster and limburger-are not for the timid. They, in fact, may represent the rite of passage culminating with the inception into the international cheese gourmands. These cheeses are made with love and care, as they require constant tending during the aging process. Throughout their developments, rounds are brushed with solutions like brine, beer, wine, brandy, or a mixture of ingredients, which encourages the growth of bacteria. They have flavors ranging from earthy and nutty to fruity and pungent (sweaty sock-esque), though they are most always very soft or runny on the inside (much like soft-ripened cheeses). As with any cheese, the longer they age, the more robust washed-rind cheeses become, so one should initiate themself with a younger specimen. As they are so strong, it is hard to feature them in recipes without overwhelming other flavors, so these cheeses are best suited for either savory or sweet cheese platters, though if you are adventurous, you could try and incorporate a bit into a tart, as a spread on bread or crackers, or in a dip coupled with honey, garlic and thyme.

Now that you are educated to the intricacies of the wide world that is cheese, I suggest that you buy some, and get to cooking, experimenting and otherwise expanding your palates!

What is This?
Sir, I bear a rhyme excelling
In mystic force and magic spelling
Celestial sprites elucidate
All my own striving can’t relate
It surely must and ere contains
all of heavens celestial brain

I am thinking of a number with these properties:

When I divide it by 2, the remainder is 1.
When I divide it by 3, the remainder is 2.
When I divide it by 4, the remainder is 3.
When I divide it by 5, the remainder is 4.
When I divide it by 6, the remainder is 5.
When I divide it by 7, the remainder is 6.
When I divide it by 8, the remainder is 7.
When I divide it by 9, the remainder is 8.
When I divide it by 10, the remainder is 9.

What is the lowest number I could be thinking of?

Well, it’s finally March, the time of the year that teases the beginning of spring and ushers in a plethora of seasonal produce. This characteristic of the month makes it a favorite for marketers, as they can begin selling foods that have laid dormant in the cold months. Farmers markets begin popping up, correlating with the rebirth of spring. In our investigation of the bounty of spring, we will begin with a relative early-riser–asparagus. Dubbed the food of the kings, this vegetable has been treated as gourmet fare since it’s incorporation into the daily diets of Europeans everywhere. Look in the Novice section for asparagus hors d’oeuvre, and fine in the advanced sections an asparagus sushi application.