Blue cheese is a general classification of cow's milk and/or goat's milk cheeses with a blue or blue-green mold. The blue mold in these cheeses is due to mold spores from Penicillium roqueforti or Penicillium glaucum, etc. Today most blue cheeses (bleu cheese) are either injected with the mold, as with Roquefort, or the mold is mixed right in with the curds, as it is with Gorgonzola, to insure even distribution of the mold. Most of these cheeses must still be aged in the original caves where they were developed to bear the name.Most Blue cheeses are made from whole cow's milk, but there are also made with ewe's or goat's milk. These complex blue veined cheeses are generally ranked as some of the best cheeses in the world. They are strong flavored, and have a unique 'tang' that distinguishes these cheeses. Some of the best are Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola and Danablu.Lanark Blue is a Scottish blue cheese made from ewe's milk. It has blue green veins, a strong salty flavor, with a creamy white inside.
Some Blue Cheese History
Most of these cheeses were originally produced in caves in their respective areas, where the mold was naturally present. This combined with the unique nutrients that the mold grew on in the caves affected the flavor, texture and blue-green color of the mold in each of these cheeses. In the beginning, this was most likely discovered by accident when cheeses were stored in the caves, and they developed mold. Then someone decided to taste the cheese that others might have thought to be ruined, and realized how exquisite the taste had become.Some blue cheeses, such as Danablue, were developed later as less expensive alternatives to the higher priced Roquefort cheese from France.The process for making America's ‘Maytag Blue Cheese’ was developed by the Iowa State U. in 1941 (it is a process for making blue cheese with pasteurized milk.) Production was begun by Fred Maytag II (of dishwasher fame) when he heard about the new process. Maytag blue is also aged in specially designed caves.
Blue cheese Duck Butter Dip
This is a recipe I got from a restaurant from the owner/chef. It can be used with crusty bread, crackers, melba toast, or whatever you like. Different and unique."
Original recipe yield: 3 cups
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
3 ounces blue cheese, at room temperature
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup minced onion
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
1 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until light and creamy. Blend in the blue cheese, garlic, onion, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and salt. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate until serving
Blue Cheese Cake
"A wonderful appetizer that has an impressive presentation. You can make this up ahead of time. It's something you don't see often."
Original recipe yield: 6 cups
PREP TIME 20 Min
COOK TIME 1 Hr
READY IN 1 Hr 20 Min
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces crushed cheese flavored crackers
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces blue cheese
3 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup picante sauce
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Butter an 8 inch spring form pan. Sprinkle cracker crumbs on bottom and sides.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, blue cheese, eggs, flour, salt, picante sauce and sour cream. Slowly stir in the onions. Pour the mixture into the pan. Sprinkle the walnuts on top. Bake in the preheated oven 1 hour. Chill overnight. Serve at room temperature on crackers.
Gorgonzola Dip -Low Fat
"This is a great dip for veggies and chips. The distinctive flavors of Gorgonzola cheese and dill are blended into a smooth party favorite."
Original recipe yield: 2 cups
1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 cup low-fat sour cream or thick yogurt
4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 clove garlic, peeled
pepper to taste
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
DIRECTIONS
In a food processor, place low-fat mayonnaise, low-fat sour cream, Gorgonzola cheese, dill, garlic, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Sprinkle gelatin into mixture. Allow it to soften for approximately 5 minutes. Blend to mix in gelatin. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until serving.
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