Heini’s has a horseradish cheese at a reasonable price. I don’t know if it is cheddar though. Although Heini’s cheeses aren’t really fancy, don’t let the amish kitschyness fool you. They have very, very, good and simple cheeses made with very high quality milk in a traditional manner.
My favorite Horseradish Cheddar combo is Win Schuler’s Original Cheddar spread. You can very likely find it at your supermarket. It’s a fantastic taste, you’d be surprised.
Thanks for that info; to my shame, I didn’t know this. I’ve never tried gorgonzola in the unbranded form, for no particular reason.
I’ve not tried the dolcelatte but I have had both the dolce and the reserve (at least that is what the latter is called here in my area). The reserve is an aged version but both are very good. If you’re looking for maximum bleu cheese effect (great tangy taste) I would suggest Cabrales which is one of the Spanish bleu cheeses and it’s usually cheaper than the Gargonzola’s.
Happy cheese eating!
I just clicked on your Heini, devilsknew (sorry, couldn’t resist). Have you tried their yogurt cheese? I’m curious as to what that’s like.
::MsRobyn comes in, singing “What a Friend We Have in Cheeses”::
I’ve enjoyed unbaked brie with avocado slices.
Great. Now I’m gonna have to make a put stop to buy avocado and brie.
Robin
No, I’ve never tried their yoghurt cheese. Heini’s cheese was always a special treat that my family would bring back from our trips to Amish Country. It has been several years since we have been there and they didn’t have the yogurt cheese then. I believe it is a newer addition to their offerings.
It does sound very tasty and the flavors do run into the Gourmet. I suspect it is of high quality. The amish farmers still bring in their milk every morning in the old style milk cans.
I’m a simple guy when it comes to cheese. Hard and yellow or white and not too fancy. That said, I love Jarlsberg and wish I could get my hands on some more stripey jack, which is five British cheeses put together in one wheel.
Lessee, in my fridge’s cheese drawer I currently have:
Vermont white cheddar
D’affinois brie (or maybe it’s a camembert style)
Pecorino romano
Parmigiano reggiano
Swiss gruyere
and my favorite –
A nice, stinky “La Chatelaine” camembert. This sucker is really perfuming the entire fridge. Every time I open the door, you can smell it clear out into the living room. That’s how you know it’s a good one.
High-ammonia runaway Camenbert is something I can never quite enjoy; it hurts. I like it a bit under-ripe (heathen, I know), or baked in the box:
Remove cheese from box, unwrap, line box with baking parchment, poke holes in the top surface of the cheese, rub with a cut clove of garlic (or push some thin slivers into the cheese) sprinkle on some white wine and bake in a low oven for a little while until the outside goes sort of wavy and crusty and the middle turns into the stickiest food known to man. Very good with crusty bread, green olives and the remainder of the white wine.
I’m bumping this thread because the Cheese Pusher just arrived with a new stash. This time it’s Wensledale with Cranberries (I was mistaken about it being cheddar).
The verdict: It is truly a very pretty cheese, pale and creamy looking contrasting with the dark red of the cranberry pieces. It seems to feel light in weight for its size. Very interesting texture. In fact, I’ve never had a cheese with this type of texture. It’s has a fine crumble, but only sort of. It’s got a lovely, mild flavor and it works well with the cranberries, but I wish I had tasted straight Wensleydale before to do a comparison. I think this cheese would be wasted on a cracker or other “cheese vehicle.” Any kind of starch would overpower the flavor. As for pairing with drink, I’m not too sure a cider wouldn’t be too strong. Overall, I like this cheese and I will enjoy nibbling on it very much.
My beloved Brits, any tips on enjoying Wensleydale?
Not a Brit, but the suggested wine accompaniment would be a dry white such as a traditional white Cote D’Or Burgundy. I am curious though as to whether the cheese is cloth or plastic wrapped?
The wedge came from a wax-dipped wheel. It was packaged in plastic for sale of individual wedges. Why do you ask?
I have had Wensleydale before (without the cranberries) and it was wrapped in cheesecloth and was a PITA to cut. Just wondering!
Ah, I see. So what did you think of Wensleydale? How would you describe the texture?
IIRC, the first thing I recall about the Wensleydale was that it had a crumbly texture so when you cut the cheese it would fall apart. I loved the taste of it, along with the other English farmhouse cheeses such as Appleby Cheshire, and Keens. The taste was tart and nutty and the cheese itself didn’t have much aroma.
Enjoy!
I’ve seen them referred to as Dolce Gorgonzola, and Mountain Gorgonzola.
Ah yes, Gorgonzola. I’m afraid that I will repeat myself about this, but I regard that as a privilege that comes with age.
“Gorgonzola with Bartlett pears. If there was anything better in life, Og reserved it for him(her)self.”
There are some Portuguese cheeses (from the Açores) that are quite wonderful. They are available in Massachusetts in Portuguese stores; I’m not sure how available they are elsewhere. The Säo Jorge cheese is wonderfully sharp and a bit skunky. The Faial cheese is very mild, but delicious. There is a cheese from Pico that is only available in the Açores; it has a white cover not unlike that of Brie and Camembert and is similar in texture inside. A similar cheese may be available in the Portuguese stores, but it pales in comparison to the real thing. I’m not sure why it isn’t shipped here, but I think that it is because the amount of cheese produced can’t support export demands. It’s almost worth price of the airfare just to indulge in having it fresh. 
When my wife and I went for a visit, we returned with 35 lbs. for relatives…
It’s often eaten with fruitcake - that’s the traditional Yorkshire way. I’m not keen on fruitcake but have had it with ginger cake, which I thought worked quite well.
Just to set the record straight, and according to Steven Jenkins in his book The Cheese Bible, Gorgonzola is made and marketed in two styles: Dolce, which is the definitive, familar Gorgonzola, a soft, smelly and mild cheese and Naturale, which is an aged, firmer and more assertive variety. I prefer the latter and in my area it is sold as Gorgonzola Reserve. Whichever one you have and however you have it, I agree that it is right up there among my favorite bleu cheeses (Cabrales - as noted in an earlier post - is my favorite) though I do have to admit that bleu cheese is an occasional cheese for me (maybe once a month).
I do not recall seeing any Portuguese cheeses either in shops in the US or in either Paris or Rome when I was last there. I do recall the large Portuguese area along the South Shore of Boston but when I lived in the Boston area that was not my cheese eating period. I will have to check in Seattle the next time I go there.
Thank you, waterman. Always nice to have the correct terminology. And thank you for the tip about Cabrales. I’ll keep an eye out.
Yes, the Portuguese cheeses are chiefly available in Portuguese communities such as Taunton, Fall River, New Bedford. I believe that Somerville also has Portuguese stores (although I think that the one I used to go to in Union Square is now closed).
There are still a few between Inman & Lechmere, I believe, though I don’t know what their areas of specialty are.