Grating Cheeses
By dhouston
@dhouston (417)
United States
January 17, 2007 3:23pm CST
If you are a member of this group, it probably goes without saying that you appreciate good cheese and eschew the stuff that comes out of factories or is processed. That includes the nasty ground cardboard that comes in the round cardboard cans! So I am wondering what kind of cheese you enjoy grating over different dishes.
In addition to parmigiano (or the US-made parmesan), Italy produces other hard grating cheeses, including locatelli and pecorino romano. I actually prefer these two to parmigiano for grating over Italian and other dishes. They have more intense flavors that hold up better to the food.
However, when making recipes from Spain, very well-aged manchego is the cheese to use. After all, it is made in spain, and is the cheese Spanish cooks use when another kind is not specified in a recipe.
My favorite grating tool is the microplane.
What cheeses do you like to use for grating, and what is your preferred tool?
3 people like this
6 responses
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
18 Jan 07
Welcome to MyLot! I love cheese. My husband is from Holland and there is a cheese called Old Amsterdam. It is so wonderful. I love it straight off the wedge or crumbled over salads. I usually don't grate my own cheese. (a lightning bolt comes straight down from the heavens and blasts me out of my computer chair)
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Hope you can find it. I love the stuff. We were visting a Dutch friend this weekend and of course we got on the topic of cheese. Now I have to find some for myself!
@Willowlady (10658)
• United States
18 Jan 07
We don't normally grate our cheese. My family is not great gastronomics. They use that stuff in the cardboard container. When we get goats I will be making cheeses and a few of the grating kind and I bet that they will not go back after that. We don't really have a great cheese buying place in my area. So that will have to do!
1 person likes this
@Willowlady (10658)
• United States
20 Jan 07
Haven't gotten started yet so will have to keep you in mind. Til we get our house rebuilt and then some goats to tend to with love and joy, we will not be making such cheeses. It will be pretty easy though and perhaps I can share some cheese making on this site when I get started!! Thanks for your interest!!
1 person likes this
@rsmith512 (1561)
• United States
17 Jan 07
I like many different cheeses on my food! Cheese is just so delicious. I am from the US so I do call it parmesan, and I do like using that! I also like using cheddar, mozzarella, and swiss. I only like swiss in little slices. Otherwise, if it is in blocks it tastes disgusting!! And the only tool that I know used for grating is a cheese grater. Sorry!! :D
1 person likes this
@dhouston (417)
• United States
18 Jan 07
I've just uploaded a picture of a microplane together with ingredients for pesto. Unfortunately, I didn't realize the space for tagas is limited here, so I didn't get in the tag "microplane". Use the tag "pesto" or "grana padana" to find the picture.
A microplane is *much* sharper than a simple cheese grater! It makes a huge difference, especially for hard cheeses!
1 person likes this
@greengal (4286)
• United States
17 Jan 07
Ooh, I love cheese and any kind. I normally use parmigiano and also mozzarella and cheddar. It's only recently I started experimenting different cuisines hence have not incorporated a lot many varieties of cheese into my cooking. I saw a show on Food Network where Giada (the hostess) took a tour of Venice and Parma -- where Parmigiano Regiano is made. The process in amazing and I was fascinated. I had no idea so much went into making cheese!
@awesomehorizons (884)
• United States
21 Jan 07
I put cheese on just about everything possible. I use the normal cheese grater and and sometimes a food processer. I usually use cheeses like cheddar, provolone, mozerella in most of the recipes that I prepare.
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
17 Jan 07
I love cheese. I use a variety of kinds. I am excited to read your articles on Spain and look forward to more.
