Maureen of Scranton is looking for a substitution for gruyere. Listen above for Chef Sara’s suggestions. What follows is a little information on this versatile cheese.

Gruyère is named after a Swiss village. It is traditional, creamy, unpasteurized, semi-soft cheese. The natural, rusty brown rind is hard, dry and pitted with tiny holes. The cheese is darker yellow than Emmental but the texture is more dense and compact. Slightly grainy, the cheese has a wonderful complexity of flavors - at first fruity, later becomes more earthy and nutty. To make Gruyère, raw milk is heated to 93 degrees F and liquid rennet is added for curdling. The resulting curd is cut into small pieces which release whey while being stirred. Curd is cooked at 110 degrees F and raised quickly to 130 degrees F. The pieces become shriveled which is the cue to place the curd in molds for pressing. The cheese is salted in brine for 8 days and ripened for two months at room temperature or a quick method: 10 days at 50 degrees F. Curing lasts from 3 to 10 months (the longer the curing period the better the cheese).

Gruyère is generally regarded as one of the finest cheeses for cooking, having a distinctive but not overpowering flavor. In quiche, Gruyère adds savoriness without overshadowing the other ingredients. It is a good melting cheese, so particularly suited for fondues, along with Vacherin and Emmental. It is also traditionally used in French onion soup, as well as in Croque Monsieur, a classic French toasted Gruyère is generally regarded as one of the finest cheeses for cooking, having a distinctive but not overpowering flavor. In quiche, Gruyère adds savoriness without overshadowing the other ingredients. It is a fine table cheese, and when grated, it is often used with salads and pastas. source: Wikipedia

A great online resource for cheese information and purchasing is found at igourmet.

Once it becomes a little colder, we must organize some cooking sessions about racelette!