Macaroni magic

What better way to celebrate the versatility of cheese than pouring it over pasta and baking in the oven? 

Macaroni cheese is the ultimate comfort food; a golden bowl of squishy delight perfect for chilly grey days and dark nights. And, what’s more, it’s a super easy dish.

Before hitting the oven

I followed Nigella’s simple Mini Macaroni recipe from one of her previous books, Nigella Express. She lists not one, nor two but four different cheeses. I used all except the mascarpone — three seemed sufficient.

So, was my attempt as delectable as Nigella promised? 

Frankly, yes.

Show time

I went a bit overboard on the macaroni quantity so the sauce was spread thinner over a huge mass of pasta. I also used mature Gouda instead of Gruyère — Lidl was lacking in Gruyère at the time. While the result was tasty, it probably would have been improved with a stronger-tasting cheese, as recommended in the recipe.

Nevertheless, it had a peppery kick, and as I’d made six portions, I felt obliged to demolish another one a few hours later. Happy days.

Life is great; cheese makes it Feta

Feta is like a soggy version of snow. Like mozzarella, it has a moist (sorry), soft texture, and unlike mozzarella it is exceedingly salty. Used in moderation, it adds a wonderful tang to otherwise inoffensive dishes.

Feta

I’ve mentioned Feta briefly in a previous post, which mainly covered my adoration of the aubergine. Since then, I’ve attempted some other Feta-related feasts, and I thought it only right that I share them with you.

First up, a simple snack: Feta on toast with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This works because the sweet, crunchy pepper perfectly balances the salty, crumbly Feta—a glorious union of contrasting textures and flavours.

Feta, red pepper and balsamic vinegar on toast

And then there was the oh-so-simple pasta dish, adapted from Good Housekeeping’s recipe. This happened after I took pity on some Feta sitting forlornly in the fridge, and decided to roast it for dinner. After a short blast in the oven, the hot, sweet, juicy cherry tomatoes proved a delicious accompaniment to the cheese; I didn’t so much eat as hoover this meal.

Roast tomato pasta with Feta

Did you know that Feta has ancient origins and can only be produced in Greece, yet its name is actually borrowed from an Italian word meaning slice? Watch this video for 23 other fascinating cheese name snippets. 

The title of this post is my own twist on a quote from a cheese murder mystery author—eat your heart out, Broadchurch! With titles like As Gouda as Dead, Clobbered by Camembert and The Long Quiche Goodbye, author Daryl Wood Gerber has deliciously cornered the market in cheese-related crime. I'm with her alter ego Avery Aames: Cheese certainly does make life Feta.

Drunken cheese

Thought that only humans, and the odd wild animal, could get sloshed? Not so. I can confirm that certain types of cheese love a tipple too. Following from my previous wine-orientated post, the time is ripe to highlight some wine-soaked cheese.

I've previously mentioned stinky and stupendous Epoisse, which is bathed in brandy—a crucial aspect of its unique flavour. More recently, my pal, and fellow cheese fan, Juliet brought my attention to this fearsome specimen:

Gorgonzola matured in Italian white wine

Of course, I wouldn't eat this—as I’ve already mentioned, blue veined cheese ain’t my thing. If you decide to try it, apparently Gorgonzola goes well with short pasta such as penne, melted into risotto, or used as a pizza topping.

The Gorgonzola may not have been my cup of tea, but it inspired me to seek other inebriated cheeses. Happily, I came across the delightful St. Vernier. Much like Epoisse, it oozes and sticks to the knife. I have no problem with clingy cheese. Even its scalloped wooden packaging was charming; it resembled a large dairy daisy.

St. Vernier

St. Vernier is made in France from the milk of local Montbélliardes cows and its rind is washed with a white wine. Its flavour is delicately fruity and a little funky. I ate it simply with some Jacob’s cream crackers, but I imagine it would taste equally wonderful with a fresh, crusty baguette and a glug of Chablis.