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Sat 14 Jan, 2006 09:57 am
I have a stupid cheese question.
We have been buying a popular brand name American cheese at the deli counter of our local supermarket for at least two decades now. Why is it, all of a sudden, that we can no longer get the slices to separate? Did my entire family just suddenly become surprizingly inept in the art of cheese slice separation? Or, as I'm more inclined to believe, is it part of a larger marketing scheme by the supermarket chains to pass off some other older, lesser quality cheese product as the more expensive, quality brand in an effort to increase demand and thus increase prices of their own store brand cheese?
OK. So I'm being a little sarcastic and bitter under the guise of humor. However, the initial question was sincere. Why is the cheese suddenly diffiucult to separate? It drives me nuts every time I try to make a simple grill cheese sandwich.
That's enough venting for now. Thanks for reading.
Well, my experience has shown that placing the sliced cheese in the micro-wave for 1 minute reduces the need to have "a slice" of cheese (processed cheese no doubt) you can then just spoon it on. You have option of buying real cheese and slicing it yourself.
As the president of Cheese Slice Seperators Local 4412, I can tell you that our recent contract negotiations with your supermarket clearly state that cheese slice separations must be done by professionals.
You are no longer allowed to do this at home.
Please stop by your nearest chapter of CSS and, for a reasonable fee, we will be happy to help.
Part of the problem may be that your processed cheese is being sliced thinner than it used to be. Ask the deli clerk for a thicker slice and see whether this helps.
Two other factors are Time Without Refrigeration and Weight Bagged on Top of Cheese. If the cheese is at room temperature for any length of time, the slices aspire to becoming reunited. If other groceries--even cold cuts--are plunked on top of the bonding cheese....
Finally, haste. It is possible to separate the slices very gently with a butter knife. If you choose to be professional about this, chill the butter knife before attempting separation.
Ask the chees slicer of your choice to put some parchment
paper squares between the slices and the problem will be solved.
I'm surprised it isn't done in the first place.
Blessed are the Cheesemakers
This is a problem for our friend DW-40. We ask Mr Cheeseslicer to spray a bit of WD-40 on each slice as they are piled up on the weighing thingy , Presto, no sticky cheese slices
It's clearly an American problem. In Europe, cheese lovers
buy a bigger chunk and slice it at home as needed.
farmerman wrote:This is a problem for our friend DW-40. We ask Mr Cheeseslicer to spray a bit of WD-40 on each slice as they are piled up on the weighing thingy , Presto, no sticky cheese slices
As a matter of fact they, don't stick to anything after you ingest them either...It's quite a ride.
farmerman is a jokester, ignore him.
But he's on to a new diet fab - anything coated with WD-40
will flush right through your body without having time to
digest.
Do they have processed yellow orange cheeselike food material in Europe, Calamity?
My guess on why the slices aren't separating, Maxpower, is either that temperature hasn't been kept constant, or that the recipe for the cheese has changed, having more oil in it now, or some other variation.
ossobuco wrote:Do they have processed yellow orange cheeselike food material in Europe, Calamity?
No osso! Velveeta and the likes are on the banned list in Europe
Remember how Mel Brooks said the word cheese was invented?
Hey now!
This guy is making a grilled cheese sandwitch. You can tart them up with all kinds of your fancy schmancy cheeses if you want but you'd be completely ruining the ultimate comfort food of the world.
American cheese on white bread, smashed thing and grilled to perfection.
If you serve it on wax paper in a red plastic basket.....
.... with a side of Lays potato chips.....
Heaven.
Yikes!! You're spending too much time with Mo boomer.
Thanks for the replies to my rant/question.
I realize that sliced American cheese is not the cheese connoisseur's cheese of choice. I personally prefer a nice sharp cheddar or hauffman myself.
However, there is a place, at least in this house, for sliced American cheese. And until that reason moves off to college, I am forced to endure the torture that is separating the American cheese slices.
I guess I'll stick with the ripping off whatever I can method. The WD-40 method sounds a little too toxic to me.
Incidently, if you haven't noticed, I'm a bit of a jokester myself.
Good day.
boomerang,
You've got that right. There isn't much better than a grilled cheese sandwich with sliced tomato on light Rye with a bowl of soup.
mmm mmm good!
maxpower_hd wrote:There isn't much better than a grilled cheese sandwich
May I slightly disagree?
You can ask you lover to take little bites of cheese and give it to you in your mouth...
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