Bloggers’ Bites: Our Cheesiest Choices
Bloggers’ Bites is a series of posts chronicling the foodie adventures of Penn Appétit’s blog staff. In honor of our launch tonight, we asked our bloggers, “What is your favorite cheese dish?” (Be sure to join us at our launch TONIGHT at 6:15 pm in Houston Hall’s Golkin Room! Facebook event here.)
Nicole Woon: Nothing screams cheesy comfort food more than macaroni and cheese (it is the highlight on our cover, after all). What impresses me the most about the dish are the endless variations you can cook up. My personal pick? Lobster shells and cheese. Swapping out the usual curvy elbow macaroni with conch-shaped shell pasta enables you to take advantage of the noodles’ scooped shape and surface ridges, creating a sauce reservoir for a satisfying burst of gooey cheese with each bite. I use gruyere and white cheddar as inspired by Smitten Kitchen, giving the dish an ultra-creamy touch and the ideal cheese-stretching elasticity. Adding fresh, perfectly seasoned lobster meat brings coastal ocean flavor and elevates this already-luxurious dish to incredible levels. (Keep a lookout for my personal recipe on the blog soon!)
Chase Matecun: My passion for ricotta started at an early age. Spinach and ricotta stuffed ravioli was my first true love, but as I grew older my love for the cheese began to change. After tasting real ricotta in Italy, my new favorite became a much simpler cheese dish— a piece of crusty Italian bread topped with fresh, warm ricotta and a drizzle of olive or truffle oil. Biting into a ricotta crostini is pure pleasure—a smooth and sweet beginning followed by the satisfying crunch of the toasted bread, all complimented by the punch of flavor brought by the splash of oil. It’s simple, but delicious.
Rachel Dinh: Whether it’s Quiche Lorraine or Quiche Florentine, these rich, buttery pastries are certainly my favorite cheesy dish. I enjoy baking mine with either Swiss cheese and savory bacon, or Feta cheese and spinach – always topped off with freshly chopped herbs like parsley or basil. For a fun, holiday twist on this classic, cheesy French dish, try adding a just touch of nutmeg. You and the entire family are sure to enjoy!
Rachel Beeson: Cheeses are often associated with a heavy richness, but my favorite cheese dish is an airy light delight: pao de queijo. These little rolls have a melt-in-your-mouth quality while maintaining the substance to carry that savory tang of farmer’s cheese.
Jillian DiFilippo: My favorite cheese dish is the baked brie my mom makes every holiday season. The round brie is piled high with a medley of sautéed mushrooms, garlic, and scallions, and then baked until it starts to bubble. She serves it with golden brown crostini that have been brushed with olive oil.
Arianna Ulloa: My favorite cheese dish is down-to-earth, comforting, gooey, bubbling, oozing mac and cheese. I’m not talking the boxed stuff–I’m talking the real stuff, the one made with enough cheese to satisfy your daily calcium requirement for a month. The one that makes you feel like you should go run ten miles for your sinfulness except you can’t because you’re too satiated to move–that’s the one I love.