Super Bowl LII
Essential Cheeses for Super Bowl LII
I don’t know how this happened, but I forgot it was the Super Bowl this week! Can I still call myself a New Englander after that sentence?? Undoubtedly, some of you who read this newsletter do not care one lick about the Super Bowl and are probably sick of hearing about it. Others of you might have been wearing your Pats jersey under the rest of your clothes for the past two weeks. Either way, I’m going to write about some of my favorite cheeses for classic game day dishes, whether your “game day” is the Patriots in the Super Bowl, the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic (next Friday!), cheering on your kid at hockey practice, or watching the snow fall from inside your house. Here we go:
Burgers – Ok, favorite burger cheese is TOUGH because there are so many different ways to go. Do I want gooey? Crumbly and tangy? A blue, perhaps? But if I must choose one, it will probably be Kaltbach le Cremeux for its melting richness. It isn’t too strong, so it won’t take over the meat or veggie, but it won’t get lost either if you’re like me and put every sauce within reach on your burger.
Nachos – I think I would go with a mix of cheeses here. The Italian cheese Raschera for its mild, melty qualities, and then a salty hard cheese, like the nutty Pecorino Toscano or the aged peppery goat cheese Selvaggio, to grate over the top to add extra zing.
Chili – I strongly believe chili needs cheddar. In this case, I would either go with the very pleasant and slightly tangy Westcombe cheddar, or I’d go big with the sharp, savory, crazy-flavorful Isle of Mull cheddar.
Wings – Now, I know wings themselves don’t have cheese, but let’s not forget about that blue cheese dip, amiright? Since blue cheese dip has other creamy elements besides the cheese, I want a blue that says, “HI I’M HERE!” So, I think I would crumble up a good hunk of Stichelton. It will look crazy because of Stichelton’s bright orange paste, but I think that’s part of the fun of this British blue.
And there you have it! Happy game day!
For the love of cheese and a reason to eat greasy food,
Kiri