Cheese fondue is a fun and delicious way to heat up your kitchen and your body. A great many foods become scrumptious when garnished with cheese, but it does not get any better than when the food is dipped in a warm, velvety pool of this melted dairy.

The classic version of cheese fondue consists of a blend of Swiss Emmentaler and Gruyere cheeses. Today, however, many recipes have come to include cheddar, Gouda, and nacho cheese. Nacho and cheddar are two of the more popular kinds of cheese because of the wide variety of fare that can be dipped into them. Foods that go well with them include everything from cocktail wieners, potato wedges, and breads to baby carrots, broccoli florets, and pineapple chunks.

Regardless of the cheese used in a recipe, cubed and shredded forms are best for melting. Cheeses with a higher percentage of fat also melt well. Be aware, though, that cheese should be the final ingredient added when making fondue. The less heated the cheese, the better. Keep an eye on it and remove it from the heat source if necessary. Never allow it to boil, as this a surefire way to ruin your concoction. Fondue is not meant to be clumped and curdled.

Many traditional recipes include white wine or beer. One must take care when choosing the quality of these ingredients. With wine, especially, choose a dry variety that is of a younger vintage. The acid maintains thickness in the fondue and creates a smooth, creamy texture while preventing the formation of strings; however, do not use too much wine, as that can cause curdling and completely counteract the purpose of it. Bear in mind that as the fondue heats and simmers, it is important not to stir the mixture too much, as that will lead to stringing as well.

Using starches also keeps the cheese in the fondue from curdling. It can sometimes be a delicate process to find the optimum mixture of starch and wine, because too much of one or the other can cause separation, creating an oily and runny consistency. Sometimes cutting back on the wine and eliminating the starch altogether helps, but the lack of starch will lessen the creamy texture of the fondue.

When it is time to serve, the fondue can be transferred to a fondue pot, or caquelon. It sits on a set of legs just over a heat source, such as a gas flame, electric burners, or candles. This heat source should be just hot enough to keep the cheese simmering at most. Remember, boiled cheese is curdled cheese.

The fountain is a fun way to drizzle your food with a waterfall of fondue. It is nearly identical to the fountains utilized in serving chocolate fondue. It consists of a series of tiers set atop one another in the shape of a cone. The smallest tiers are at the top, and get wider as the cone descends. A pump brings the cheese to the top, and it then cascades down the sides, waiting to cover whatever is dipped in its stream.

Does it matter what you drink with a cheese fondue, or what cheese is in the fondue itself? Many would say, absolutely not, but the Swiss would totally disagree on the cheese front. Let’s see what beverage would go with any sort of cheese, including Gruyere.

Much has been debated for years in Switzerland over the perfect beverage to accompany a fondue. Some insist white wine is a good option as the alcohol is supposed to break down the Gruyère cheese. Others say just tea – without milk or sugar – is appropriate.

Wine with fondue slows digestion

A group of researchers from Germany and Switzerland recently set out on a mission to find out which drink provided the better digestion of the fatty cheese. They did not however, delve into which wine was the better accompaniment to cheese.

The experts in this small study gave 20 healthy men and women (aged 23 – 58), a cheese fondue with either a Swiss white wine and kirsch or black tea.

The people who drank the black tea digested the fondue in around six hours, compared to nine hours for those who had the wine and kirsch. Experts found absolutely no difference at all in symptoms like nausea, heartburn or indigestion among the groups.

Mark Fox, a consultant gastroenterologist from the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, England who led the research said, “the findings apply to any high-calorie, high-fat meal, like traditional Christmas feasts”. And where alcohol is concerned, he added “fatty foods take longer to be broken down in the stomach compared to other foods and adding alcohol complicates the process”.

So now we know that a cup of black tea, containing tannins, is the better accompaniment, if it’s digestion that concerns us, but I’m sure most of us would still opt for that glass of wine – or two! In fact, if we choose a red wine rather than a white, we will get some of those valuable tannins.

Wine and cheese properties

Why does wine complement a fondue so well? We must look at the constituents of both. As we all know most cheeses contain good quantities of calcium and fat. A 30 gram (1 oz) portion of cheese could provide between 20 and 25 percent of ones daily recommended amount of calcium.

On the other hand, the properties of wine couldn’t be more different. The nutritional values of a 100 gram (3.5 oz) sample of red table wine are as follows:

• Energy – 355kJ (85 kcal)
• Carbohydrates – 2.6 grams
• Sugars – 0.6 grams
• Fat – 0.0 grams
• Protein – 0.1 grams
• Alcohol – 10.6 grams

Wine contains numerous types of acid, and most of these acids, especially tartaric acid, must assist to an extent in the breakdown of fats. But, as usual the alcohol in the wine hinders the process.

When it comes down to what beverage to drink with a cheese fondue, science would probably recommend a cup of tea, while most of us would like to throw caution to the wind and go for the wine – or the kirsch.

We have only touched on the beverage side of the matter. Undoubtedly, there are many different cheeses to use in the fondue apart from Gruyère. I reckon the sky’s the limit here, so choose what cheese you like the most, and match it up with a wine, kirsch or even tea. And don’t overdo the alcohol intake!

Mac and Cheese Mac and Cheese these days might be one of the most popular sides. When you go to a restaurant, there are all kinds of specialty dishes.  I have the solution for you to make Mac and Cheese at home and you don’t have to even boil the pasta–talk about step-saving. No pots to wash!!  When Wal-Mart wanted a real family favorite at an affordable price-this was it and using the Great Value brand. I always use reduced fat shredded cheese as you get the cheesy flavor with all the health benefits and not the fat. Great Value does have reduced-fat Cheddar cheese. Try whole wheat pasta one time, for me please???  I can’t wait for you to try this simple recipe-let me know what you think!

One Step Macaroni and Cheese

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Meal Occasion: Lunch/Dinner

Makes 10 – 12 servings

Serving size 1 cup

Cost Per Serving: less than $1

Ingredients:

5 cups Great Value skim milk

1 egg

3 tablespoons Great Value sugar

1 tablespoon Great Value butter, melted

1 (16-ounce) package Great Value whole wheat elbow macaroni

Great Value salt and pepper to taste

2 cups Great Value reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven 350°F.

2. In bowl, whisk together milk, egg, and sugar.

3. In 2-quart oblong baking dish, combine remaining ingredients, reserving some cheese for later, if desired. Carefully pour milk mixture over macaroni and stir well.

4. Bake, covered, 60-65 minutes or until all liquid is almost absorbed. Uncover, add remaining cheese, and continue baking about 5 minutes more, or until cheese melts.

Tips:

o All in one dish with no boiling pasta–toss together, cover and bake.

o Make this recipe your own by using different Great Value cheeses, adding ground turkey, or chopped veggies.

Constipation is not a disease but it’s a symptom. Almost everybody experiences it at some point of time in their lives. Normal stool removal may be either 3 times a day or 3 times in a week. So if you are having the bowel movement less than 3 times a week you may have the problem of constipation.

A poor diet is the prime cause of low or no bowel movements. Most of these issues are temporary and not that serious. But understanding the causes, precautions and preventions will always help you find relief.Are cheese and constipation related to each other? It is a question that many people think about.

Here are a few points related to cheese and constipation that might help you locate the answers:

· Dairy products are one of the causes of constipation. These include cheese, quark, milk, yogurt, etc.

· Overeating of the dairy products causes digestion problems. These products, especially cheese are consumed in a large amount by the Americans. They put cheese in almost all of their dishes. Excessive consumption of cheese does leave you constipated. Constipation may sometimes bring quite a few complications. Precaution is always better than cure.

Here are a few preventive measures that would help you stay way from constipation:

· First of all bring in your diet as well some healthy changes in your lifestyle.

· Replace meat with the organic food. Raw vegetables are always preferred as they increase the fiber content in the food.

· You must further hold cheese from the menu. You may have a little organic cheese now and then, but adding it to all your meals may harm you as cheese and constipation are related terms.

· Try having fresh green lettuce and baked potatoes they are very helpful.

· You may have an apple, an orange or banana as the mid day snack.

· A balanced diet combined with good intake of water & regular exercise helps you have a healthy digestive system.

Did your doctor tell you that oral contraceptives can increase your hunger (so you eat more and gain weight!) and also that they can deplete your body of certain essential nutrients? As though refined foods and sugary treats weren’t good at this too ! Have you been taking an oral contraceptive for more than 7 years?

If so, it is likely that you are deficient in some nutrients and should be taking a supplement. Research has shown that the B group of vitamins are the most commonly depleted nutrients when taking oral contraceptives. Vitamin B is critical to keeping your nerves healthy (hence they are often sold as executive ‘stress’ vitamins)

A high-potency, B-complex vitamin (with at least 50 -100mg of B6, 1,000 meg of B12, and 800 meg of folate) should be taken alongside contraceptive pills. An increased need for vitamins C (1-3g, yes, not mg), E,(400-600 IU’s) and K may also result from the use of birth control pills- Vit. C especially can help to reduce the chance of vaginal infections. Cells that are replaced frequently, like those in the mouth and gut can become ulcerated if folate is depleted. Folic acid is a relative of Vit B and is important for brain health as well as cell repair and development.

You may never have heard of Tyrosine but you’ve probably heard of amino acids. Tyrosine is an amino acid which has many ‘jobs’ in your body but one is to keep your thyroid healthy. Low tyrosine can also contribute to depression. Depletion of tyrosine is one of the reasons ‘the pill’ is often associated with weight gain and moodiness. AH! is that a penny dropping? OK , next time you collect your script for Alesse, pop into the supermarket and grab a tub of cottage cheese at the same time as this the highest food source of tyrosine: 1 cup provides 1.5 g. Or you can take a supplement (1.5 g daily), particularly during the second half of your menstrual cycle.

It is likely that we are all slightly short of magnesium anyway so women who take oral contraceptives are even more depleted. deficiency often shows itself as muscle cramps, weakness, insomnia, kidney stones, bone loss, depression, nervousness, anxiety and high blood pressure.Take 500 mg at bedtime in a liquid or powdered form for easy absorption.

Copper levels in the blood may be increased by the use of oral contraceptives which can lead to depression and emotional problems. Limit your supplement to 1mg. Whole grains, nuts, seeds, and vegetables will ensure that copper requirements are met. If you normally take an iron supplement you may not need it if you take oral contraceptives. Iron levels may increase when you are on the pill as there is often less blood loss. Iron needs are probably reduced from the usual 18 mg. to around 12-15 mg per day. However, if your periods are heavy or you have anemia then you may need a different dose of iron. Check with your doctor first.

Zinc is another essential mineral depleted by oral contraceptives and is important for wound healing and combatting depression; supplement with 20 to 50 mg daily, which will also help to reduce copper levels. “As if I don’t have enough side effects to worry about!”- well, at least a quick blood test will show you exactly

where you stand with your body’s nutrients and you never know- that tub of cottage cheese may be just the thing to banish those monthly moods!

Source: Nutrition and Vitamin Therapy, Michael Lesser, M.D; Elson M. Haas M.D. Staying Healthy with Nutrition; Better Nutrition

French Toast is a satisfying meal because it contains eggs, milk, and bread. Depending on the ingredients, it can also be a caloric meal. For some reason (maybe magazine ads) I felt like making French Toast for breakfast, and I lightened the recipe considerably. A few ingredient swaps make this recipe lighter and healthier.

The recipe calls for four eggs. I used two eggs and a half cup of egg substitute. Fat-free milk and half and half also lightened the recipe. I used Neufchatel cheese because it has a lower fat content than cream cheese. For color and flavor, I sprinkled fresh raspberries on top of the casserole. You may add more raspberries if you wish, but be careful because the berries will exude juice as they bake. Instead of white bread, I used English muffins and the result was better than I hoped.

When I took the casserole out of the oven, the smell of raspberries and vanilla wafted through the kitchen.

Combining dry bread with eggs and milk is an idea that goes back to Roman times, according to “The Origin of French Toast,” an article posted on the Chef Talk website. While the recipe originated in France, many cultures, including the Romans, Germans, Spanish, and British developed similar recipes and names. In French, the recipe is called “pain perdu,” which means lost bread. In Spanish the recipe is called “torriga.” In England it is called “Poor Knights of Windsor,” which may be a reference to the thriftiness of the dish.

My recipe for Oven French Toast with Neufchatel Cheese and Raspberries is a make-ahead recipe and you refrigerate it overnight.However, you can make it early in the morning, refrigerate it for the day, and serve it for dinner with bacon, sausage, or ham. The custard ingredients may be combined with a whisk, but you will probably have a few cheese lumps. Blueberries and blackberries may be substituted for the raspberries. Use frozen berries if fresh aren’t available.

INGREDIENTS

4 English muffins, cut into one-inch cubes

4 ounces Neufchatel cheese,at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup egg substitute

3/4 cup fat-free milk

1/3 cup fat-free half and half

1/4 cup sugar-free maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 ounces of fresh raspberries, rinsed and dried

METHOD

Coat an 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan with baking spray. Scatter English muffin cubes in baking pan, making sure some are in the corners. Using an electric mixer, beat the Neufchatel cheese, eggs, egg substitute, milk, half and half, and maple syrup together until well blended. (There shouldn’t be any lumps of cheese.) Pour this mixture over the English muffin cubes. Sprinkle raspberries over top of casserole. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night. Remove from refrigerator and bring the casserole to room temperature. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and bake casserole for 40-45 minutes, or until the top starts to brown. Cut into squares and serve with butter and maple syrup. Makes 9 servings.

Why carry on to scrape your knuckles and your hands whenever you desire to have the ideal grate in your wisconsin cheese. There’s now an alternative for you personally. It will be the rotary cheddar grater.

If you’ve ever tried grating cheddar cheese or any other foods using a conventional grater then you definitely realize that it truly is simple to scrape your knuckles or your hands inside the grater. The rotary cheddar cheese grater solves this trouble. With the rotary grater you place the meals to the hopper and close it and it can be held in location there. Then you turn the rotar which spins the drum against the cutting gadget and out comes your grated parmesan cheese. All this is carried out within the system, which means you in no way need to be concerned about cutting your hands.

These kind of graters will grate a lot of distinct types of foods other than parmesan cheese. It is possible to grate chocolate as well as nuts inside a rotary cheddar cheese grater. If you have ever been to some restaurant and had the waiter grate cheddar cheese onto your plate at your table and wondered what that was known as. It will be the rotary wisconsin dairy product grater.

You can find a broad range of brand names and types of rotary graters. Some are much better than others. Most of them are at an extremely reasonable cost. Study the evaluations of what other people have stated concerning the brand that they’ve purchased prior to you choosing which one you’ll purchase. A couple of versions which have increased evaluations are the zyliss rotary grater and the Cuisipro rotary cheese grater. Whichever brand you decide on you will wonder how you ever lived without it.

Havarti is a semi-soft cheese that has a mild yet slighty nutty taste. This cheese, originally made in Denmark, is a common addition to cheese platters, sandwiches, fondues and sauces. It’s also available in a variety of styles as flavors like dill, caraway and even jalapeno. The jalapeno variety of havarti has just enough kick to spice up for favorite panini, salad or entree without overpowering it.

Here are two ways to try this tasty variety of havarti.

Havarti Macaroni and Cheese

Mac and cheese recipes are so wonderful because they’re easy to adapt. You can use nearly any type of cheese — or a blend — from havarti to cheddar, gouda and mozzarella. You can try this recipe with regular havarti cheese but the jalapeno adds a grown-up flavor to a meal that’s usually a favorite for kids.

Ingredients

3 cup pasta, uncooked

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1-1/2 cup milk

6 ounces shredded mild cheddar

4 ounces shredded jalapeno havarti

1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, prepare a baking dish with cooking spray or butter.

3. In a double boiler over gently simmering water, melt the two tablespoons of butter. Stir in flour, milk, salt and pepper. Stirring constantly, cook until sauce slightly thickens. Add both cheeses and continue cooking until melted.

4. Drain pasta and layer in baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and stir gently.

5. Melt remaining butter and mix with breadcrumbs. Spoon over pasta in dish.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.

Chicken Stuffed with Jalapeno Havarti

This cheese recipe requires only four ingredients. The spice is enough to satisfy the adult palate without turning away the kids, too.

Ingredients

Two boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 package of Dofino Havarti with Jalapeno, sliced

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Create a pocket in the chicken breasts by slicing into the side without going all the way through. Lay the chicken open.

2. Cover the chicken with saran wrap and pound it with a mallet until flat. You can also use the edge of a plate for this. Remove the wrap and sprinkle with chili powder. Add a single slice of havarti to each side.

3. Fold chicken closed and secure with toothpicks. Season with salt and pepper and bake in a baking dish, covered with aluminum foil, for about 30 minutes.

If you love grated cheese, you want to buy cheese, slice and eat it on a daily basis. Grated cheese is appetizing. The very sight of the cheese pleases both your eyes and the next thing you want is to eat it. This explains why the stainless steel cheese grater is one of the most useful tools in your kitchen. This amazing tool does not only help you grate the cheese but it also enables you to shred soft foods like orange, lemon or coconut.

Earlier, the graters available were the hand-operated types. You had to hold the block of cheese and glide it over the surface. At least the half of the cheese would melt in your hands and the flakes you got were not as firm. Furthermore the task was time-consuming. However, the time consumed would depend upon the types of recipes selected. Some recipes required one to chop up cheese for a few hours especially when the cheese was prepared for several guests.

What would have really help you in the situation described above is a stainless steel cheese grater. There are several benefits of owning a grater made of stainless steel. Its advantages include:

* It is very simple to use and anybody can use it.

* You will save a lot of your time and effort compared to using the regular cheese grater.

* Reduces risk of slicing your skin- when you use a regular cheese grater there is a risk that you might slice some of your skin too. This is fairly common while grating a big piece of cheese. If a grater bruises your skin, causing it to bleed, your blood could drip into the grated cheese. This could spoil your cheese and render it useless to be used in food. It would mean wastage of cheese.

* Stainless steel cheese grater is advanced technologically- the block of cheese is placed in a separate compartment and you rotate a handle to grate the cheese. The blades only touch the cheese and not your hands. This feature is unavailable in the manually operated cheese graters.

* Its lovely and fashionable- Another good point of a cheese grater made of stainless steel is that is looks very nice. You can place it on the dinner table. If someone wishes to have more cheese, you could grate fresh cheese right at the dinner table over his or her plate. This is different from the days when only the hand-operated graters were available. You would have to rush to the kitchen, search for the cheese grater and chop up extra cheese. This would mess up the kitchen surfaces and bore your guests, which was embarrassing.

So, you can see it is wonderful to have a stainless steel cheese grater in your modern kitchen. It’s a useful, a handy and an ultramodern tool that saves your time and effort. It is very safe for your hands as well and saves you from any kind of wastage of food. It has an aesthetic appeal as well as it stands proudly on your dinner table.

This recipe is really different, and a very easy pasta dish to make. It has some really powerful flavor combinations with the walnuts, sun dried tomatoes, the fresh basil, parmesan cheese, and the feta cheese. It will go really well with a nice salad, with a home made vinaigrette, and some garlic bread. You can always add some very good Italian style olives, if you want to add that flavor profile to this dish. I hope that you enjoy this recipe, it is easy, and it tastes delicious.

1 (9-ounce) package of linguine

3/4 cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes halves, drained

2 Tablespoons of canola oil, or olive oil

1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves

2 tablespoons walnuts

2 tablespoons pre-shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation:

• Cook pasta according to the package directions, Make sure you salt your water well, as it will flavor your pasta, and you will not require as much salt in the end product.
• Drain pasta through a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
• Do not rinse your pasta, and return the pasta to the pan.
• While pasta cooks, place your canola, or olive oil, sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil, walnuts, parmesan cheese, garlic in a food processor; process until finely chopped.
• Combine tomato mixture and about half of the reserved 1/2 cup cooking liquid stirring with a whisk. You may need to add about 1/2 cup of warm tap water if the reserve liquid is too salty.
• Add to pasta; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with feta