The FastDay Forum

I love many of those runny, smelly French cheeses , but they have become ruinously expensive here in the U.S. and I can't justify buying $18/lb cheese, especially since they are sometimes in poor shape since local stores dont' know how to take care of delicate cheeses. So that kind of cheese is a rare indulgence. I envy all of you who routinely get to go to France!
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My one very odd cheese habit is to drop little cut up slivers of cheese into hot soup. Swiss cheese works best as it holds its shape. Delightful in a beef barley soup.

Heh. If you think cheese is dear in the US, you should try living in Japan. Silly prices for tiny tiny pieces of cheese. Luckily I work with a lot if French people who are generous with the cheese they bring back from home.

I also like a bit of cheese in soups.

And don't get me started on that crime against cheese of putting fruit in it. It's a waste if good cheese!

The dislike for cottage cheese in this forum group is quite consistent. I reckon there is cottage cheese and there is cottage cheese. the Aldi brand in Australia has a nice not sickly one. i think its actually the Bulla one rebranded but dont quote me. I cant stomach the Dairy farmers or weight watchers one.

I have one tub of aldi cottage cheese a week. learnt to quell my cravings.

With healthy eating in mind, are some of the processed and packaged cheeses on the supermarket shelf actually quite unhealthy for you. Is there any way of buying cheese that is better for you ? i.e. less preservatives or any nasties.

I'm guessing it's like anything else: look at the ingredient list. All cheese is processed, by definition, but it doesn't need to be full of additives. I certainly found super market cheese in the UK to be of astoundingly higher quality than in the US, and I'm guessing it was much closer to the real thing, if not the real thing.

We are big cheese lovers here, yum yum. Soft cheeses are a big favourite here, particularly a good brie. The biggest problem is I love to eat it with a good sourdough or ciabatta.

I agree with peebles; Trader Joe's is the bomb for cheese! We buy most of ours there; my son loves their 62% triple creme brie...about the only cheese I don't like (won't eat, actually) is cottage cheese. And that has nothing to do with my dieting history; I've just never liked it, it's so gloopy and gross!

Cheese is the reason I'm not vegan; I just can't give up all the variety and yumminess available. I like...really sharp cheddar; recently got a cheddar with mustard seeds and ale, yum! Brie and other soft ripened cheeses...goat cheese...Swiss...pepperjack...Gouda, especially the triple creme from TJ's. I also love artisan bread, often (on normal days!) I eat bread and cheese (and beer ) for dinner.

Oh, the only cheese I eat on light days is Parmesan; for the grated type, you can get a lot of flavor out of a tablespoon or two for not too many calories. Although I have gotten a piece of string cheese as an emergency measure when I was out on a light day and was ready to chew my arm off.

@peebles, I'll have to try that cheese/soup idea...I've long sprinkled parmesan and sour cream on tomato soup...yum.

I am a cheese obsessed. I eat cheese raw, have fondue, raclette, soufflés, pies, salades and it will even make my dinner with only smoked ham One exception, I can't stand goat cheese, it smells and taste like feet, even the fresh one, and it's worse when cooked.

To give you a list would be too long, I have quite a lot of cheddar now but also buy a whole brie (a small one but still), soft cheese in which I put some fresh herbs, st felicien, comté and some roquefort with which I have a conflicted relationship (I only like it hot).

No cottage cheese, or faisselle as I don't like the texture. I will have what we call petits suisses and I make my own yogurts. No cheese when I fast, except when I put a small amount in a soup.

My favourites are Cheshire, Caerphilly, Wensleydale, etc. Also a runny but not smelly Brie or Camembert. In contrast to almost all of you, I love cottage cheese and could eat it by the bucketful! And I also often add grated cheese to soup - particularly good with tomato soup.

I love cheese. I could eat cheese everyday. Cheese is my Ambrosia. The cheesier the better.
Apart from Goats cheese...........eugh....it smells like goats, it tastes like you are licking a goats behind ( not that I have licked any goats butts) or what I would imagine a goats behind to taste like! I like goats, but not goats behinds.
I feel very strongly about this.
Cheese is good,but not goats cheese!

Cauliflower soup
fish soup
spinash soup
carrots soup

Making a homemade soup is the best excuse ever to use cheese.....

I really hate goat cheese but would never have thought of comparing it to the taste of goats butts

I join in with those who can't stand cottage cheese. I also find soft goat cheeses unpleasant. Ditto real Camembert, but those are the only cheeses I can think of that I don't enjoy. I don't think I remembered to list a good imported Stilton, but yes, yes, oh, yes. Again I envy you Brits.

The cheese guy at Whole Foods gave me a container of Quark to try as a free sample. I had heard of it online but never seen it in an American store. Unfortunately, one bite was enough. Obviously an acquired taste. I'm curious if anyone who is used to eating Quark in Europe has tried the one available in Whole Foods. Was it representative, or was there something wrong with their version?

I join in with those who can't stand cottage cheese. I also find soft goat cheeses unpleasant. Ditto real Camembert, but those are the only cheeses I can think of that I don't enjoy. I don't think I remembered to list a good imported Stilton, but yes, yes, oh, yes. Again I envy you Brits.

The cheese guy at Whole Foods gave me a container of Quark to try as a free sample. I had heard of it online but never seen it in an American store. Unfortunately, one bite was enough. Obviously an acquired taste. I'm curious if anyone who is used to eating Quark in Europe has tried the one available in Whole Foods. Was it representative, or was there something wrong with their version?

Yes me @peebles Quark is disgusting wherever you are unless it is mixed with something like fruit. I do confess to using it in oatmeal pancakes but prefer fromage frais - and even then, it is not the same as hard cheese

I love cheese in all it's guises, although fruit cheese and Christmas cake(!) cheese do push my limits. Unlike the majority on here I love plain cottage cheese (Langley a farm, full fat - definitely not Tesco 'slush' though). I often mix half a tin of tuna with a half pot of cottage cheese for a tasty low carb, high ish protein lunch with some salad. I don't buy flavoured cottage cheese, preferring to ad my own. And grilled firm goats cheese with fresh tomatoes grilled is divine - to me.

I believe Slimming World use a lot of Quark in their recipes but I've never actually tried any.

I'm surprised at all the cottage cheese haters here. I really love it and it's such a good protein source.

Of course there's that Eurythmics song..........

Sweet dreams are made of cheese
Who am I to diss a Brie
I Cheddar the world
And the Feta cheese
Everybody's looking for Stilton...............

A few random thoughts on cheese:

When I did Slimming World I used to make a low-cal "cheesecake" which was made from cottage cheese, Quark and sugar-free jelly - nothing like proper cheesecake but surprisingly, people not on a diet used to like it!

I like goats cheese - well, someone has to to keep the goats in business!

I make a scrummy dish with camembert: cut it in half cross-ways then load the middle with a mix of cranberries/dried fruit, little brown sugar, cubed apple, flaked almonds, little melted butter and mixed spice, replace top then put rest of mixture on top. Bake in hot oven for about 20 mins then serve with bread or crackers. Never fails to impress at a dinner party and a lovely dish to dig in and share!