index of cheeses

When one thinks of cheese, the first images most likely come to one's mind would be a tin or cubes of commercially available branded cheeses one picks up from a neighborhood grocery store - varieties would mean cheese, spread or slices.

Many of us are beginning to develop a fondness for rare wines, great cigars and fine chocolates but too few of us have made the same leap with regard to gourmet cheese. Once you discover the world of cheese beyond individually-wrapped slices and gooey pizza toppings, you will become as passionate as the most devoted connoisseur.

Gourmet cheeses are edible miracles that stimulate the senses in ways that no other food can match. In France, there is a saying that "cheese is milk's leap toward immortality." This quote of course does not refer to cheeses like the mild, gummy yellow cheddars that so many of us select as our default choice. Rather, it speaks to the supple, aromatic, savory cheeses made by skilled artisans in remote regions of the world.

Cheeses loosely fall into three categories. Industrial cheeses are produced for food processors who need bulk amounts of cheese to use as an ingredient in cheese-flavored foods. Commercial, mass-produced cheeses consist of waxy, pedestrian cheeses such as yellow Cheddar. Finally, gourmet cheeses are of a premium-quality and are prepared to elevated standards by fine craftsmen and craftswomen. They are made only from selected milk stock and thus each variety can only be produced in its particular geographic region. True Roquefort only comes from Southern France, just as true Fontina can only be made of milk from Italy's Val d'Aosta region. The distinct grasses and herbs indigenous to these regions are eaten by the milk-producing cows, goats and sheep and impart certain qualities to the cheeses that cannot be reproduced elsewhere.

		Port Salut Once made by Trappist monks who sold the formula and name to a French factory. Smooth, mellow with a slight tang.
		Parmesan The cheese you sprinkle over pasta tastes good eaten on its own. A very hard cheese, it is easily grated.
		Emmenthal Switzerland's most famous cheese, also made in France. Tears in the eyes mean a ripe cheese
		Leicester Usually available as red when the colour comes from food dye. Firm and smooth with a natural edible rind.
		Edam Best known Dutch cheese. Made partially with skimmed milk and has lower fat content.
		Cambozole A newly invented cheese known collectively as blue brie. Enriched with cream and is as much as 70 percent fat.
		Cheddar The most widely eaten cheese in the world and one of the oldest. Originally English, now made all over the world. Dyes added to get red cheddar.
		Gruyere The body and soul of fondues and excellent for sauces. Sweet with a fruity flavour.
		Gouda Made from full cream milk, young goudas are mild and buttery but a mature gouda is more tangy with a spicy aroma.
		Feta Cheese The most famous Greek cheese though this feta is probably Danish. Original made with ewe or goat's milk.
		Pyrenees A French cheese with a distinct look and a mild, almost bland taste.
		Rigote Originally made from goat's milk, but now mixed with cow's milk or even just cow's milk alone. May come stepped in wine, oil and herbs.
		Royal Blue A Danish blue made as a substitute for Requefort.
		Mozarella A sliceable fresh curd cheese, bland with a hint of sour and a pleasant elastic texture.
		Bonbel The French version of Edam sold in single portion wheels.
		Boursin Made with triple cream to give it a rich flavour. Otherwise it is mild and often flavoured with garlic, herbs or peppercorns.
		Leyden The caraway seeds liven this mild, almost bland, cheese.
		Fancy Cream Cheese To qualify as a cream cheese, it must have at least 45 per cent cream.
		Camembert The king of French cheese. Tender yet firm rind around a thick creamy cheese.
		Havarti A Danish cheese named after a famous cheesemaker. May be enriched with more cream for a buttery flavour.
		Brie A famous French cheese that goes back to the 13th century. Easy to like with a full fruity flavour, sweet and with a firm edible rind.
		Chevre Fermier A generic name for goat's milk cheeses which have a chalky texture and can smell quite frankly of goat.
		Roquefort The queen cheese dates back to the Gauls and is made with ewe's milk. Has to be made only in the limestone caves of Combalou in france to be a Roquefort.
		Stilton The king of English cheeses is protected by law and must be made only in certain counties in England. It is sometimes sold in pots to protect the unpressed cheese.
		Raclette The word means "scraper" and the cheese is used in a Swiss dish of the same name where melting cheese is scraped off and eaten with boiled potatoes

Soy Vs Cow's Milk

Soy Vs Cow's Milk

Let's compare 100-gram portions (3.5 ounces) of soymilk vs. cow's milk:

Cow's milk has 61 calories. Soymilk has 33 calories.

Cow's milk contains 3.34 grams of fat. Soymilk contains 1.91 grams of fat.

Cow's milk has 14 milligrams of cholesterol and no dietary fiber. Soymilk contains 1.3 grams of fiber and has zero cholesterol.

Cow's milk contains a full range of amino acids. Soymilk also contains a full range of amino acids. Both contain plenty of protein. Cow's milk actually has one- half gram more protein than the 100-gram portion of soymilk.

As for the nine essential amino acids in protein necessary for sustaining life, cow's milk and soy milk contain nearly identical amounts, but cow's milk does win this one by a whisker, containing a mere one-fifth of a gram more essential amino acids than the soy. That may be a hollow victory for milk lovers because one of the nine essential amino acids is methionine. Cow's milk contains more than twice as much methionine as does soymilk. The center atom of methionine is sulfur. Too much animal protein creates an acid condition in the blood which the body must neutralize by taking calcium from the bones. . Nations eating the most animal protein have the highest rates of osteoporosis.

Soymilk contains greater amounts of other amino acids including arginine, alanine, aspartic acid, and glycine. Arginine slows the growth of cancers by strengthening the immune system. Alanine aids in the metabolism of sugars. Aspartic acid increases stamina and plays a vital role in metabolism, acting as an anti-oxidant. Glycine is necessary for brain and nervous system functioning and muscle/energy metabolism.

When milk is pasteurized, Vitamins A, C, and D are destroyed. The same can be said for those vitamins when soymilk is manufactured.

Soymilk does contain more than four times the amount of thiamin (Vitamin B-1) and nearly twice the amount of niacin (Vitamin B-3) as does cow's milk. Soymilk also contains more magnesium, copper, and manganese than does cow's milk.

In order to absorb calcium, one needs magnesium. Copper also aids in bone formation. One early sign of osteoporosis is a deficiency in copper. Soymilk contains twelve times the amount of copper as does cow's milk.

Soymilk also contains 42 times the amount of manganese as does cow's milk. Manganese is also needed for bone formation. People with anemia rely upon manganese for iron storage. Trace amounts of manganese are essential for neural transmissions, protein metabolism, and many other body functions.

Source: www.thewolfeclinic.com

Hen's Eggs

Hen's Eggs

Whether it's soft-boiled, over-easy, scrambled, or poached, this is our tribute to - you guessed it - the egg! As I go on to 'eggs-plain' the ins and outs of eggs, I'm sure you'll find that this is 'eggs-actly' what you've been waiting for!

Hens' eggs come in shades of both white and brown. There is no difference in flavour or nutritional value between the two. Quite simply, the white egg comes from a white hen; the brown egg comes from a brown hen. But it's what is inside the hard little shell that's important. Each egg contains a membrane, a yolk, and whites.



Characteristics of the EGG
Egg Shell:

1. The color of the egg shell is determined by the breed of the hen

2. White feathers and white ear lobes yield white shells

3. Red feathers and red ear lobes yield brown shells

4. Brown eggs usually come from larger birds which require more food, therefore brown eggs are usually more expensive

Egg White:

1. Albumen (egg white) in raw eggs is opalescent

2. Cloudiness indicates the presence of carbon dioxide that has not yet escaped through the shell; this indicates a very fresh egg

3. A yellow or greenish cast in raw whites may indicate presence of riboflavin (Vitamin B2)

Egg Yolks:

1. Yolk color depends on the diet of the hen

2. No artificial color additives are permitted

3. Natural yellow-orange substances such as marigold petals may be added to light-colored feeds to enhance colors

Blood Spots:

1. Occasionally found on yolks; caused by a rupture of a blood vessel on the egg yolk surface during formation of the egg

2. Spot presence does NOT indicate a fertile egg

3. As an egg ages, the yolk takes up water from the albumen to dilute the spot; therefore, a spot indicates a fresh egg

4. Eggs with a spot is chemically and nutritionally fit to eat

Types
Organic Eggs:

1. Eggs from hens fed rations having ingredients that were grown without pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or commercial fertilizers

2. No commercial laying hen feed ever contains hormones

Free-Range Eggs:

1. True free-range eggs are those produced by hens raised outdoors or that have access to outdoors

2. Due to seasonal conditions, few hens are raised outdoors

3. Nutrient value unaffected (and NO better)

Fertile Eggs:

1. Eggs which can be incubated and developed into chicks

2. Not more nutritious, do NOT keep as well, and are more expensive to produce

Egg Size: (Influencing Factors)

1. As hens age, egg sizes increase

2. Environmental factors that lower egg weight: heat, stress, overcrowding, poor nutrition

3. Egg sizes: Jumbo, Extra Large, Large, Medium, Small, Peewee

4. Sizes are classified according to minimum net weight in ounces per dozen