Leaving, on a jet plane... Don't know when I'll be back again...

CheeseGuru is off on another adventure.  This time I'm headed to Nassau, Bahamas.  I don't know if I'll encounter any local or specialty cheeses, but you never know.  They could be hiding the goats and cows somewhere...

I'm keeping my mind open to all sorts of possibilities.   One of the island dishes is conch, a sea mollusk and an important staple of the Bahamian diet.  Upon doing some research on conch dishes I've found innumerable ways of preparing the conch - we're talking about Bubba Gump Conch-style... conch salad, conch fritters, conch chowder, cracked conch, stewed conch...and the list goes on.  

The only tie I can find to cheese at the moment is Bahamian Mac & Cheese, which isn't all that innovative.  For other local dishes and an extremely interesting list of food in general (including avocado cheesecake) go to http://www.bahamasgateway.com/bahamas_recipes.htm.

The Best Cheese Advertising Award Goes to...

ok - So who's seen the new Sargento's commercial?  It's great!  more Euro than American  in style - US advertisers just can't make food look that sensual.  Close up frame of someone cutting off a slice of cheese, frame of a woman eating the cheese and LOVING IT!  Then cut to a frame of pizza pie that looks super tasty.  

I only caught part of it because I was at the gym, and the music or voice overs could be a complete buzz kill (I was hooked into my iPod), but I have to admit that Sargento (who doesn't really make the best cheese) has a great ad.  Let me know if you've seen it so I can tune into that channel and try to catch it again.

It's all in the sauce!

One hasn't lived until one has made alfredo sauce, successfully, from scratch.  I tried my batch for the first time last week, and I have to admit - it was edible!  And I believe that the flavor for the alfredo sauce hinges mostly on the cheese choices.  I picked a block of aged parmesean and some lovely asiago. The following is a short (not quick) recipe for a cheese lover's sauce (beware, it's rich, so I recommend serving over pasta as a side dish):

1/4 c. butter

1 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream or half 'n' half

1/1/2 c. shredded parmesean

1/2 c. shredded asiago

2 garlic cloves

chives

black pepper

canned mushrooms

pine nuts

1 - heat butter over low/medium heat

2 - add garlic cloves (slightly crushed, but mostly whole) and simmer

3 - after 10 min, or when garlic starts to brown, add chives

4 - slowly add cream until cream is heated (do NOT boil - dairy fat will separate and you'll need to start over)

5 - remove garlic chunks and chives

6 - take bowl w/ freshly shredded parmesean and asiago, add 1/3 of the cheese to the heated cream mixture, stirring almost constantly.  it may take some time to get the hard cheese to "melt"

7 - add the second portion of cheese, melt and do the same for the remaining portion. 

8 - the hard cheese may not melt to satisfaction; it may be a bit grainy.  That's ok.  add black pepper to taste.

9 - 5 min before serving add canned mushroom pieces and pine nuts.  these ingredients will help thicken the sauce.  

10 - you can turn off the burner and set sauce aside while you prepare the remaining parts of the meal.  Simply reheat over low setting.  Pour over hot cooked pasta and serve. Enjoy!