Quick Tips For Cheese

via:http://www.cbc.ca/stevenandchris/2011/04/kitchen-quick-tips-cheese.html

Cheese, cheese, cheese. What do we love about cheese? EVERYTHING! That is to say everything except when cheese gets messy and smooshy and makes a mess on our cute little decorative cheese knives. Well, pay close attention because today Steven has some great tips to help you enjoy your favourite soft cheeses to the fullest!!

Cream Cheese

Cream cheese is a great cheese to have on hand, especially when it comes to baking. The biggest problem with cream cheese straight out of the fridge is that it's as hard as concrete, and almost impossible to stir. Normally we just don't have the time to leave it out so that it can get to room temperature. A great trick for getting cream cheese ready in an instant is to place the cream cheese (in the foil wrapper) in a plastic bag and remove all of the air from the bag. Immerse the block in a bowl of warm/hot water for about 5 minutes. If the cream cheese starts to float you might need to weigh it down so that it stays under the water. Remove the bag, take the cream cheese out and believe it or not, your cream cheese is ready for a bagel, for dips or for making your favourite cheese cake!

Grating Soft Cheeses

If you have made a lasagna or nachos or anything that requires grated cheese (specifically softer cheeses) you know what a pain it is to grate. Your grater ends up covered, and your block often crumbles apart before you have had a chance to grate it all. Well, a great tip for this problem is to freeze your cheese. If you pop your mozzarella, or your havarti, or whatever cheese you need to grate in the freezer for 15-30 minutes, it firms up enough that grating is a breeze!

King of the Soft Cheeses

Soft cheeses are heavenly. We all love a nice big cheese and cracker platter, and Steven is here to show you a trick that will make slicing the tricky little cheeses easier and without the mess. When slicing a soft cheese, first rinse your knife with warm water. The water creates a little barrier so that your knife cuts clean through the cheese with ease.

Vileda Viewer's Kitchen Tip # 1

"My quick tip is using my apple or potato peeler to grate cheese for onion soup or grilled cheese."