Cheese

The word "fondue" has certain connotations, among them cheerful post-skiing Alpine dinners and mustard-toned pots from the 1970s. You might think, because that's what we've all been led to believe, that fondue is for fancy people. You need to have tiny forks and maybe a Swiss cookbook to do it, right? 

Few things pair as perfectly as alcohol and cheese. Sure you’ve heard of the classic wine and cheese combo as well as Kentucky classic beer cheese, but the truth is that any excuse to enjoy one of the best types of food while having a drink or two is a valid one.

If you brushed your hand against a table lamp and a genie magically appeared in your living room, what would you wish for? After that genie politely told me that he can't bring David Bowie back, and after he questioned whether I really want a tail, I'd probably just ask for an endless supply of cheese, which is honestly just like getting an endless supply of wishes.

In just one calendar year, the food world cycles through several different awards, all with varying degrees of prestige. The James Beard Foundation recognizes chefs, restaurants, authors, and hospitality leaders every May, while the World’s 50 Best Restaurants announces its list every summer.

Cheese, for those of us with lactose tolerances, is just the best. It's the best on a sandwich, or on a crackeer, or shredded in a salad. It's especially wonderful in its melted state. It glues lasagna together. Put out a big bowl of cheese dip at your next party, and that's the corner that people are going to flock to. 

To become a professional cheese grader, Rory O'Brien had to take a series of tests. He already held a BA in Culinary Arts and had been working as a chef for years. In 2008, he was hired by Ornua, the Irish dairy group that markets Kerrygold butter and cheese to the world, and was asked to take a sensory analysis test to see if he had the palate to grade cheese. 

Maybe you only know ricotta as the stuff that you buy in a tub about twice a year when you attempt to make lasagna. Maybe you're only aware of it because it can get gritty and unpleasant when baked, like in lasagna or dessert applications. For years, a friend of mine insisted that she hated ricotta, ranking it as a worse cottage cheese. But that was before, one day, I convinced her to try a dollop of fresh ricotta from the farmers' market, and I watched her face light up.

A good cheese sauce can save any number of less-than-spectacular meals and snacks. If your chicken turns out dry and flavorless, or all you have is a bag of tortilla chips and some pickled jalapeños, a cheese sauce can swoop in to save the day. Roast beef sandwich? Put some cheese on it. Steamed broccoli? Cheese sauce. Plain old boiled noodles? Cheese sauce turns that into macaroni and cheese.