WEEKLY MENU 06.02.24
We’re getting ooey and gooey during the Weekly Menu 06.02.24~
Why are we getting ooey and gooey during the Weekly Menu 06.02.24? June 4th is National Cheese Day, baby! It’s about time, huh?
It’s a day dedicated to celebrating the rich tapestry of flavors, textures, and aromas that cheese brings to our lives. Whether you’re a connoisseur of aged gouda or a fan of creamy camembert, National Cheese Day offers the perfect opportunity to indulge in your favorite cheeses and discover new ones to delight your taste buds.
A Brief History: National Cheese Day may seem like a modern invention fueled by social media hashtags, but its roots trace back centuries. Cheese has been a cherished part of human diets since ancient times, with evidence of its production dating back thousands of years. In many cultures, cheese holds a special place in culinary traditions and rituals, symbolizing abundance, hospitality, and the simple pleasures of life. National Cheese Day started in 1914! We’ve been celebrating the creamy goodness for well over a 100 years.
How to celebrate during the Weekly Menu 06.02.24~
What’s the plan for the celebration? We’re getting cheese into as many dinners as are feasible without making us sick. Or completely stopped up. Ahem.
The trouble with this (apart from the obvious) is there are so many choices!
Classics
There are the typical ones, like toasted cheese, grilled cheese, and mac and cheese. You certainly can’t go wrong with those. This toasted cheese looks a lot different than the one I had growing up. American cheese melts differently, you know?
Boring, you say? We can take some ideas from Europe. How about Raclette and Fondue? They’re different but similar.
Raclette
Raclette is a type of cheese and a presentation. But, when people refer to “raclette,” they usually mean the dish rather than just the cheese. In this context, raclette refers to a traditional Swiss meal where the cheese is melted and then scraped onto various accompaniments.
The process typically involves heating a giant wheel of raclette cheese, either by an open fire or using a special raclette grill or machine. When the cheese melts, it becomes gooey and bubbly. The melted cheese is scraped off the wheel onto a plate or directly onto accompaniments such as boiled potatoes, cured meats, pickles, and vegetables. I really need some of this in my life. Sooner rather than later.
Fondue
Fondue is a fun, shared Swiss dish that involves dipping various foods into a pot of melted cheese, chocolate, or hot oil. The word “fondue” comes from the French word “fondre,” which means “to melt.”
The most common type of fondue is cheese, where a blend of melted cheeses is flavored with garlic, wine, and often a touch of kirsch (cherry brandy) or other spirits. The mixture is kept warm over a small burner or fondue pot, and diners use long forks to dip pieces of bread, vegetables, and sometimes meats into the bubbling cheese.
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Fondue gets a bad rap because it was trendy in the ’60s and ’70s. I say it’s time to bring it back! We did get two fondue pots when we got married. And, no, we didn’t get married in either of those decades. But the pots used liquid fuel instead of the nice electric ones now. No burned pots anymore!
The Swiss know what they’re doing with cheese.
We have many recipes featuring cheese here on The Well Seasoned Mom. Take your pick from any of these. (If you click on the picture, the magic of the internet will take you to the recipe.)
Weekly Menu 06.02.24
So, what made the cut for our Weekly Menu? Well, we’re sliding in a cheese plate cut with a sweet fig jam on Sunday. The combo is not only super simple, it’s very family friendly. I love the texture of aged Irish Cheddar, but any cheddar with a bit of assertion will do. We’ve planned for a cheesy desert with New York Style Cheesecake.
On Tuesday, the big day, we’re having plenty of cheese: a double cheese smash-burger (cheddar and blue cheese) with Cheesy Oven Fries (Cheez Whiz!). Maybe we should call it “National Melted Almost Cheese Day” this year.
We’re putting Bert to work again and again this week – because grilling/Blackstone season is in full swing. I’m so happy!
WEEKLY MENU 06.02.24
