In England, and at almost every well-appointed table in America, cheese is a positive necessity to a good table. Brillat Savarin, in his “Physiologie du Gout,” says, “Un beau dÎner sans vieux fromage est une jolie femme À qui il manque un oeil.”

Among the best cheeses of England are the Stilton and Cheshire; of France, are those of Neufchatel, Brie (fromage de Brie), and the fromage de Roquefort. The fromage de Roquefort is, perhaps, one of the most popular of all cheeses. The GruyÈre cheese of Switzerland is also a well-known cheese. It is made from new milk, and flavored with a powdered herb. In serving this cheese, French mustard, pepper, and salt are usually passed at the same time. The Roquefort cheese is made of a mixture of sheep’s and goat’s milk: the first communicates consistence and quality; the latter, whiteness and a peculiar flavor. The Parmesan (an Italian cheese) is made of skimmed milk. It is a high-flavored and hard cheese, and is not sent to market until it is six months old, and is often kept for three or four years. It is extensively used, grated, for cooking. The Stilton cheese is made by adding the cream of the preceding evening’s milk to the morning’s milking, producing a very rich and creamy quality. This cheese is preferred by epicures when it is old, after having been buried for some time in tin cans to become moldy. The Cheshire is made with rich new milk. This cheese can be appreciated without cultivating a taste for it.

Our American cheeses, since the introduction of the factory system, are exported in immense quantities to England, where they are much sought for, and considered by epicures as great luxuries. This is generally astonishing to Americans abroad, who, at home, often consider it only in rule to offer guests cheese of foreign manufacture. I think, however, in comparison with our own, the celebrated foreign cheeses have one advantage. The latter take the name of the exact locality where they are manufactured; consequently, when people speak of a Stilton or of a fromage de Brie they know exactly of what they are talking; not so of American cheese. American cheese means that which may be superior, good, bad, or indifferent: it is too general a name. America has hundreds of cheese manufactories, and not a famous one; although many of them make that which would do credit to America as the greatest cheese-making country in the world, if only these best specimens were more generally known.

I have taken great pains in trying to decide which of many samples is the best American cheese, and have decided upon one made in Otsego County, New York, which is called the “English dairy” cheese. Before proceeding any further, I shall enter my protest against that name. Why do they not call it Otsego cheese? If it were eaten in London, an Englishman would certainly flatter himself that it was made in England. If they will only change the name, then, I will take more pleasure in saying that the Otsego cheese is undoubtedly one of the best specimens of American cheeses. It has a dark-yellow color, is very rich, and highly flavored.

The pastures of Otsego County are exceptionally fine, and its general advantages of climate, etc., render its locality one of the best adapted for the manufacture of cheese.

One of the best specimens of cheese of a milder character, white and well-flavored, is made at Milan, Cayuga County, New York, the name of which might be Cayuga cheese.

Perhaps the cheapest of the foreign famous cheeses is the Neufchatel. It comes in little rolls about an inch thick and three inches long, is enveloped in tin-foil, and costs about twenty cents a roll. Two rolls are quite sufficient for a large dinner. It is a delicious cheese. Care must be taken, however, when purchasing, to ascertain that it is not musty.

The tariff may be saved by purchasing the Neufchatel manufactured in New Jersey and Westchester County, New York. As for that, the Stilton made in Cayuga County can hardly be detected from the Leicestershire manufacture itself; and, in fact, nearly all the famous cheeses are very perfectly imitated in America, so that those who choose may indulge in foreign names and encourage home manufacture at the same time.

In serving Stilton cheese, the top should be cut off to form a cover, and then the cheese should be neatly surrounded with a napkin. Whenever the cheese is taken from the table, the cover should be replaced.

Cheeses are generally cut into little squares and passed in a glass cheese-dish. No morsel of dried cheese should ever be thrown away, as it can be used grated for macaroni, cheese omelets, etc.

Cheese should form a course at dinner. For further particulars concerning cheese as a course, see page 345.

Welsh Rare-bit.

Toast carefully thin square or diamond-shaped slices of bread, with the crust removed. While hot, butter them slightly; then dip them for a moment in a pan containing enough hot water to half cover them; they should be only slightly moistened. Now place each slice on a separate hot plate, allowing one slice for each person at table; sprinkle over a little salt, and pour over them enough melted cheese to cover them. Select rich, new cheese, as it is more easily melted. It can be melted in a little cup. It should not be made until almost ready to serve, as the moment it is finished it should be eaten; otherwise the cheese will harden, the toast will become cold, and the dish altogether will be quite ruined.

This is a favorite dish for gentlemen’s suppers or for lunch; yet it is sometimes served at dinner for a cheese course by itself, or for decorating a platter of macaroni with cheese.

This simple receipt is decidedly the best one, I think; yet some spread also a little mustard over the toast, and others add a little ale to the melted cheese. Sometimes the toast may be dipped into ale instead of hot water, and some serve a poached egg on each slice of Welsh rare-bit; still others mix the yolks of eggs into the cheese when melted.

The Welsh rare-bit makes a decidedly pretty course, served in little chafing-dishes in silver, or plated silver, about four inches square, one of which, standing in a plate, is to be served to each person at table. The reservoir contains boiling-hot water; the little platter holds the slice of Welsh rare-bit, which is thus kept hot.

Cottage Cheese.

Place a pan of clabbered sour milk over the fire, and let it become well scalded; then, pouring it into a clean cloth, squeeze out all the water, leaving the clabber quite dry. Put this into a kitchen basin, and work it with the hands, making it a little moist by adding cream. Add also a little butter and plenty of salt; mold it into little balls.

Ramekins (Ramequins À la Ude, Cook to Louis XVI.).

Ingredients: Four ounces of grated high-flavored cheese, two ounces of butter, two ounces of bread (without crust), a scant gill of milk, one-third of a tea-spoonful of mustard, one-third of a tea-spoonful of salt, small pinch of Cayenne pepper, yolks of two eggs, whites of three.

Crumb the bread, and boil it soft in the milk; add the butter, mustard, salt, pepper, cheese, and the yolks of the eggs; beat thoroughly; then stir in the whites of the eggs, beaten to a stiff froth. Pour this into little round paper cases (see page 61), which require only a few minutes to make; fill each one about three-quarters full; bake the paste about five or six minutes, when it should be puffed high above the edge of the paper. Serve the ramekins immediately, or they will fall. A good cheese course for dinner, and nice for lunch or supper.

Ramekins, with Ale (Warne).

Ingredients: Four ounces of cheese, two ounces of fresh butter, half a French roll, two eggs, half a cupful of cream, half a wine-glassful of good ale.

Boil the roll and cream together until quite smooth; rub the grated cheese and the butter smoothly together; then mix all, adding the ale and the yolks of the eggs well beaten. When the paste is smooth, stir in the whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff froth; put the mixture into paper cases; bake about fifteen minutes, and serve very hot.[I]

Pastry Ramekins (Warne).

Ingredients: Some good cheese, puff paste, the yolk of one egg.

Take some puff paste, and roll it out rather thin; strew over it some good grated cheese, and fold it over; repeat this three times, rolling it out each time; then cut the ramekins with a paste-cutter in any form you please, brush them over with the yolk of a well-beaten egg, and bake them in a quick oven for about fifteen minutes. When done, serve them quickly on a hot napkin.

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