A True Lover of Cheese :: David Pilkington

Tillamook Cheese Factory from David Pilkington on Vimeo.

Dave, you are a true inspiration behind and in front of the camera. Stay cheesy. Thank you for your contribution to this hallowed blog.

Extra wow.

It's like the coveted black Centurion Card from American Express. This black label represents a similar value. As some of you may know from previous postings, I upgraded from Mild to Sharp cheddar cheese. Well, Sarah, my wife, couldn't find the Tillamook Sharp and came home with Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Wow.

Why would I downgrade to Sharp now? It's almost like candy. Although, I could see this flavor being a bit too powerful for some dishes--especially any sandwiches. Get out there and pick some up. Once you go Extra Sharp, you won't go back. Oh, and by the way, this beaut is aged over 15 months. It's got half a year over its Sharp successor.

The Ultimate Cheesecake

It's hard to believe that I may have made the best cheesecake. I didn't even come up with the title. The credit goes to a favorite chef of mine--Tyler Florence. If you'd like to give this divine piece of food a shot, here's the link The Ultimate Cheesecake.

As for a review. Extreme. Highest. Incomparable. Maximum. Paramount. Preeminent. Significant. Superlative. Supreme. Surpassing. Unequalable. Unmatchable. Unsurpassable. Utmost.

So I substituted raspberries for the blueberries. I don't enjoy blueberries as a topping very much. Trust me, raspberries are better. I was bummed about not having a pan big enough to place the cake pan in with the water. I think this would have made it firmer? Yeah, I need to research how they achieve the velvety firmness. At any rate, the flavor is (refer to 2nd paragraph). The combination of lemon with the raspberries is phenomenal.

Endless Possibilites

Treat yourself to some delicious, moist muffins laced with eggnog. I had about a cup left of nog, and wondered what I could bake with it. A simple Google search revealed a number of recipes, and muffins seemed easy enough.

In review of the recipe, which will follow, I thought the muffins were excellent. However, I realized that some sprinkled sugar and cinnamon would have been a great finishing touch.

• 2 cups Flour
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 tblsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Eggnog
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1/3 cup Butter (melted)
• 1 Egg (beaten)
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Preheat oven 400*F

Combine dry ingredients

Combine wet ingredients

Mix together

Pour batter in lined or greased muffin cups

Bake for 12-15 minutes

Makes 12 muffins

Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese

They age this delicacy for over nine months, achieving the full-bodied flavor distinguished by sharper accents than the medium version. For so long I only purchased the medium cheddar. Like so many extraordinary things that come about by accident, I didn't realize I bought the sharp cheddar one day. Tillamook sure has perfected it. Now I can really distinguish the cheese flavor in any dish. Don't worry, it never overtakes flavors in the rest of your dish. Trust me on this, you'll never go back to medium.

Here's a real treat. Pick up some of these raw tortillas from Costco, spray some Pam on each side, shred the aforementioned cheese, and grill yourself a quesadilla. This snack really allows you to taste the full sharpness of the cheddar. If you're really in to detail, sprinkle a little Kosher (coarse) salt on the outside when it's done.

If you see it, get it!

Our first posting reveals the ultimate nog of nogs. All things considered, I have yet to taste an eggnog superior to that of Southern Comfort's Vanilla Spice Eggnog. This same brand carries the original flavor as well. However, I always crave this special flavoring. Typically, there is a separation of flavors at the moment of contact and post-swallowing. This savory brew doesn't have that. The flavors are seamless from start to finish, coating your throat all the way down.

You might think that since I have found the ultimate nog, why would I pursue anything else? Odd as it may sound, experiencing anything inferior to Southern Comfort's nog just makes me appreciate that time when I can guzzle the best again. And, who knows? Perhaps I'll find something better...