Cheese

There are ingredients you add to a dish and ingredients that are the dish. Cheese is almost always the second one.

People don’t order a burger for the bun; they don’t make mac and cheese and say the pasta’s the best part. Cheese is why so many recipes are interesting to people – it’s the soft, yellow, very tasty, salty stuff that improves anything it touches.

The range is really amazing; a good, strong cheddar does entirely different things from a soft, creamy brie. Gruyère becomes unbelievably smooth when melted. Ricotta will make a pasta dish taste as if it was prepared in a Roman restaurant. They each have something unique to offer, and understanding which one to choose is most of the challenge.

The recipes here really showcase cheese – cheese is the star, and isn’t just put on something or used as decoration; it’s the entire reason for the recipe.

Start below.