The delicate dance of melting cheese on top of a hamburger on the grill can sometimes get messy. Messy in a good way. Except when the cheese doesn’t melt all the way through turning instead into a semi-solid glob of yellow-orange not-so-goodness. One could leave the cheeseburger on for longer, but not without risking it becoming overdone. Ah, but there is a solution to get all that melty goodness without turning that burger into a hockey puck. Put a lid on it.

Since it is probably a good idea to use something that can stand up to the heat of an open flame, the all-metal construction of the Nordic Ware Basting Cover would do the trick. Or you can do it like they do down in the French Quarter of New Orleans and use a hub cap instead. But then again, considering the price of car parts in general, perhaps this would be a more economical way to melt the cheese — leaving lots of money leftover to replenish the hockey puck supply with the real thing.

Who knew that individually-wrapped processed cheese slices came directly from cows? Apparently they do. At least if the cow in question is the Joie Moo-Moo Cheese Slice Holder Pod. As for which came first? Well, that’s just one of the great mysteries going on inside of the refrigerator.

Sliced cheese is one of those things that make things better. Just think how it makes a ham and cheese sandwich (at least) twice as good! The Nuance Cheese Cube is a cheese slicer that looks good in use or not. The stainless-steel and ABS contraption features cool a design and an adjustable cutting height, so those ham and cheese sandwiches can not only taste good, but look good too.

Mmmm… Back to school. It sounds delicious; at least it does to parents and marketers everywhere. Hurried and harried parents not only like to see their kids off to school for some free babysitting, but they like to do so with the minimum amount of hassle. Making time-friendly recipes like the one below help:

Ingredients:

1/3 cup red or green grapes
1/2 ounce Cabot Mild Cheddar or Monterey Jack, cubed
Heaping tablespoon roasted almonds

Directions:

1. Combine in small bowl.

That would be for something called a Munch Bowl. Keep reading to see some others in the form of a press release from Cabot. (Which are juuuuust a little more involved.)

[Read more →]

Freshly-shaved parm is a great way to add texture and flavor to anything from pizza to salads. And now, paper too. The Parmesan Cheese Pencils form The Deli Garage are a clever spin on the traditional method of shaving the cheese. Formed into the shape of a pencil, each cheese stick is embedded with extra flavor: chili, pesto or truffle. A pencil sharpener is included with the ‘pencils’ and allows for instant shaving of the cheese over anything and everything, including delicious, delicious words.

(Via Jazarah! and Oh Gizmo!)

It only takes one time to learn the error of trying to grill a block or wheel of cheese by putting it directly on the grill. Fortunately, for many of us that one time never happened. Unfortunately, because we know cheese to melt, we never tried it. Luckily, for the adventurous and non-adventurous alike, there is a simple solution.

The Gourmet Cheese Grilling Planks are made from maple wood and are perfect for creating smoky and gooey melted cheese out on the grill. After soaking for one hour, the 6-inch square planks are ready to go. Place brie, cheddar, or whatever on the planks and create your own smoked cheese–without it falling into the fire. Can be reused if not too charred, although that might just bring more flavor to the party. For well under ten bucks, it’s an experiment worth trying.