It was “confession” time around the dinner table at a recent gathering of some of my way cool foodie friends. The lively conversation was about what one favorite food that if banished from our plates we’d throw a fit and hang up our aprons. 

Some of the responses were chocolate (my mom would agree with this one), butter, Burger King Whoppers, champagne, salt, and when yours truly hit the hot seat, it was easy. In one word: cheese. Yes, cheese. 

I’ve never met a piece of cheese I didn’t love. (Well, maybe limburger is a stretch in the “love” department.) Given a choice between sweets and cheese, the cheese wins hands down every time. 

My proclamation led one of my gal-pals straight to the fridge to inventory what I had stashed in the bin: a really yummy super-sharp white cheddar (Cabot’s Vintner’s Choice), herbed goat cheeses (am in the middle of developing a creamy goat cheese salad dressing so need lots for testing), Parmesan (what’s a Caesar without freshly shaved Parmesan Reggiano?) Swiss (Peter’s fave sandwich is ham and Swiss), Gruyere (a really great mac and cheese has both cheddar and Gruyere, recipe below), feta (we’d grilled lamb burgers topped with feta the night before said party), good old American (think all melty-gooey in spinach and cheese omelets) and cream cheese, which isn’t really cheese at all. All right already, I really like cheese!

There are so many types of cheeses to choose from and who knows what they all taste like? Here’s another one of those “tape it to your cabinet door” charts that I hope will help you select a cheese you really enjoy.

Soft and semi-soft cheeses

BEL PAESE: Italian, made from cow's milk; mild, buttery taste.

BRIE: A French cheese made from cow's milk; creamy and buttery.

CAMEMBERT: French, from raw or pasteurized cow's milk; creamy & slightly tangy.

FETA: Greek, from sheep's, goats, or cow's milk; crumbly, tangy, salty.

GORGONZOLA: Italian, from cow's or goat's milk; semi soft pungent blue cheese.

HAVARTI: Danish, made from cow's milk and enriched with cream; buttery flavor.

LIMBURGER: Belgian, from cow's milk; very strong taste and aroma.

MONTEREY JACK: American, made from cow's milk; semi-soft and mild flavor.

MONTRACHET: French, from raw goat's milk; creamy and mild.

MOZZARELLA: Italian in origin, from whole or skimmed cow's milk; spongy and mild.

MUENSTER: German, from cow's milk; mild flavor.

PORT SALUT: French, from cow's milk; smooth and buttery.

ROQUEFORT: French, from raw sheep's milk; semi soft, blue-veined, sharp flavor.

Hard cheeses

APPENZELLER: Swiss, made from raw cow's milk; firm with a fruity taste.

CHEDDAR: English, made from cow's milk; firm and mild when new, firm and sharp when aged.

CHESHIRE: English, from cow's milk; firm but somewhat crumbly and similar to a mild Cheddar.

EDAM: Dutch, from cow's milk; known for its red wax casing; mild when young, sharper when aged. 

EMMENTALER: Swiss, from partially skimmed raw or pasteurized cow's milk; mild with a nutty flavor. “Swiss cheese” as we know it for sandwiches, is part of this group. The larger the holes the more pronounced flavor.

FONTINA: Italian, from cow's or sheep's milk; nutty with strong aroma; good melting cheese.

GOUDA: Dutch, from cow's milk; mild and nutty.

GRUYERE: Swiss, from cow's milk; firm and nutty and may have widely dispersed holes 

JARLSBERG: Norwegian, from cow's milk; firm, buttery, with a slight tang.

PARMESAN: Italian, from partly skimmed cow's milk; only those stamped Parmigiano Reggiano are authentic; hard and dry with a sharp flavor.

PROVOLONE: Italian, from cow's milk and usually smoked; firm, mild.

STILTON: English, from cow's milk; a crumbly blue.

Mini cheese balls

For the cheese mixture:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar or Parmesan
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

For the coating:

Chopped pistachios, chives, tarragon, hulled pumpkin seeds, crumbled cooked bacon, toasted almonds, or black and white sesame seeds.

To prepare the cheese balls: Mix the softened cream cheese with Worcestershire sauce, lemon zest, cheese, garlic and black pepper. With very clean hands moistened with a bit of water, form mixture into 1-inch balls. Chill 4 hours and then roll in choice of toppings. Serve with assortment of crackers.

Country breakfast quiche

• 3 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed, squeezed dry
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp. melted butter, divided use
• 1 tsp. mixed dried Italian seasoning blend
• 2 Tbsp. finely minced onion
• 1/2 tsp. salt, divided use
• 4 large eggs
• 1-1/2 cups half and half
• 1 Tbsp. all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 4 oz. bulk sausage (hot or mild), cooked and drained

Combine potatoes, Parmesan, 1 Tbsp. of the butter, Italian seasonings, onion, and 1/4 tsp. of the salt in a medium bowl and mix well. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch deep dish pie pan coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven for 18-20 minutes or until potatoes are set. Cool 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Whisk eggs, half and half, flour, remaining 1 Tbsp. melted butter, remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and black pepper in a medium bowl. Sprinkle Swiss cheese and cooked sausage over potato crust and then gently pour in egg mixture. Bake (oven is now at 350°F.) for 30 to 40 minutes or until puffed and golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand at least 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 8 servings.

Creamy (eggless) Caesar salad dressing

• 2 heaping Tbsp. reduced fat mayo
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. anchovy paste (optional)
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Combine mayo with garlic, lemon juice and zest, Parmesan, Worcestershire, Dijon and anchovy paste in a small bowl, whisking until smooth. Whisk in olive oil. Yield: dressing for 6 servings of salad.

Brie and apple soup

• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 cup diced brown onion
• 1/4 cup sliced leeks (white part only)
• 4 large tart apples, peeled, quartered and seeded (I use Granny Smith)
• 2 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
• 1 small sprig fresh rosemary (about and inch or so long)
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 3 cups light cream 
• 4 small potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 8 oz. brie cheese at room temperature and cut into pieces
• Additional kosher salt and white pepper to taste
• Additional rosemary sprigs for garnish (optional)

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven set over medium high heat. When bubbly, add onion, leek and apple, stirring to coat with the butter. Reduce heat to medium low; cook 8-9 minutes or until onions are softened but not brown. Add chicken stock, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf and rosemary and discard.

Meanwhile, combine the cream and potatoes in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Cook slowly, stirring frequently, for 12 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender. Combine potato/cream mixture with onion/leek/apple mixture and let cool slightly. Puree in batches, adding pieces of Brie while blending just long enough to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Yield: 6-8 servings. (This soup is one of my favorites but it is very rich; small portions are a must.)

Snow day Mac and Cheese*

• 1 (16-oz.) box elbow macaroni
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 6 Tbsp. all purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• Salt and white pepper to taste
• 2 cups coarsely grated extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese
• 2 cups coarsely grated Gruyere cheese
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. melted butter

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking process. Set aside. 

Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan set over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly taking care not to let mixture brown. Slowly whisk in milk, stirring constantly. Continue cooking over medium heat until sauce is thickened. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Add reserved macaroni, stirring to coat. Add grated cheddar and Gruyere cheeses, mixing well. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

Combine breadcrumbs with grated Parmesan cheese and melted butter and sprinkle over top of casserole. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for

20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 servings. (*Named by my son Scott when he had a snow day from school in 2nd grade and we spent the better part of the day with a lesson on preparing “real” mac and cheese.)

Final reminder: don’t forget to send in your entries for my holiday hors d’oevues contest. All entries must be received by January 19 via email at pander@maine.rr.com. Winners will receive a gorgeous apron and will be announced in my January 24 column.

Paula Anderson is a freelance journalist specializing in food, entertaining and nutrition. She writes for several newspapers, as well as Maine Food & Lifestyle Magazine. She divides her time between Scarborough and Big Pine Key, Fla., where she lives with her husband Peter. Correspondence can be addressed to her at the Boothbay Register, P.O. Box 357, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 or the Wiscasset Newspaper, P.O. Box 429, Wiscasset, ME 04578. You can also write to her directly via email at pander@maine.rr.com.