Dairy Category

Dairy

This category includes milk and cream, cheese, eggs, and cultured milk products, like yogurt, buttermilk, and sour cream.

mysost, Primost, brunost
mysost
This a sweet whey cheese that is made with cow's milk and often some goat's milk.
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Neufchatel, Neufchâtel
Neufchatel
Neufchâtel is very similar in taste and appearance to cream cheese, but it's made from cow's milk instead of cream so it contains less fat and more moisture. Cheesecakes made with it cook more quickly and are more prone to cracking. Use it within a few days after purchasing, and throw it out if mold appears. For best results, serve chilled.
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Nøkkelost, Nokkelost
Nøkkelost
This Norwegian cow's milk cheese is seasoned with caraway seeds, cumin, and cloves.
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Oka
Oka
This Canadian semi-soft cow's milk cheese has a mild, nutty flavor and melts nicely.
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Ossau-Iraty cheese, Ossau-Iraty-Brebis-Pyrenees
Ossau-Iraty cheese
This little-known Basque cheese is made from raw sheep's milk, and it's creamy, nutty, and mellow.
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Paglietta
Paglietta
This soft Italian cow's milk cheese resembles Brie and Camembert. Use it within a few days after purchasing. For best flavor, serve at room temperature.
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paneer cheese, Indian curd cheese, panir cheese
paneer cheese
Indians like to serve this bland fresh cow or buffalo milk cheese with spinach or peas. Use within a few days.
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Parmesan cheese, Parmigiano
parmesan
This firm cow's milk cheese is pungent, nutty, and salty, and it's terrific grated on salads, pasta, or pizzas, or served simply with figs, pears, or crusty bread. The best parmesan is the Northern Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano, but less pricy domestic parmesans are also well regarded. Aging increases the price and flavor.
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pasta filata, plastic curd cheeses, pulled curd cheeses, spun curd cheeses
pasta filata
These cheeses are stretched and pulled like taffy before being molded, which gives them a springy, elastic consistency. It is made from cow or buffalo milk. Unlike many cheeses, they stand up well to cooking. This category includes mozzarella, Provolone, Scamorza, string cheese, and Caciocavallo.
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pasteurized process cheese
pasteurized process cheese
Look for this in deli counters and in holiday gift packs. This cheese is a blend of fresh and aged cheeses, and it's pasteurized to stop the ripening process. This improves shelf life but impairs flavor. Nuts, fruits, and other seasoning are often added.
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pasteurized process cheese food
pasteurized process cheese food
This cheese is similar to pasteurized process cheese, but it contains more milk solids and water. Velveeta is a popular brand.
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pasteurized process cheese spread
pasteurized process cheese spread
This cheese is similar to pasteurized process cheese, but it's moister. Cheez Whiz is a popular brand.
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Pecorino Tuscano
pecorino
This is a firm and salty Italian sheep's milk cheese that's a close substitute for parmesan. There are three main varieties: Pecorino Romano, which is the best choice for grating onto a pasta dish or salad, Pecorino Toscana = Pecorino Tuscano, which is made in Tuscany, and Pecorino Sardo = fiore sardo, which is produced in Sardinia. Don't confuse Pecorino Romano with other firm Romano cheeses, which usually aren't as well regarded.
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pepper jack, jalapeno jack
pepper jack
This a version of jack cheese with spicy peppers mixed in. It is made from cow's milk.
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Petit-Suisse, Petit Suisse
Petit-Suisse
You can buy small six-packs of this rich fresh cow's milk cheese all over France, but they're hard to find in the U.S. Gervais is a popular brand.
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picon, picón, Picon cabrales, picos de Europa
picon
This excellent Spanish blue cheese comes wrapped in maple leaves. It's moist, crumbly, and pungent. It is a mixture of cow's, sheep's and goat's milk.
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Pont-l'Evêque, Pont l'Eveque
Pont-l'Evêque
This ancient and well-regarded French cow's milk cheese isn't as stinky as other washed rind cheeses. It's best not to eat the rind.
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Port Salut cheese, Port du Salut
Port Salut cheese
Port Salut is a mild French semi-soft cow's milk cheese. Don't confuse with Danish Port Salut, which is also called Esrom cheese.
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pot cheese
pot cheese
This cow's milk cheese is similar to cottage cheese or farmer's cheese.
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powdered egg whites, egg whites, powdered
powdered egg whites
Look for this in stores that sell cake decorating supplies. Just Whites is a popular brand. For information on how to make meringues safely using raw egg whites, visit the Other Safety Factors section of the American Egg Board web site.
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powdered milk, milk, powdered
powdered milk
To reconstitute, combine one part milk powder with three parts water.
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pressed cheese
pressed cheese
pressed cheese Notes: These are cheeses which are pressed to remove moisture during their production, and then soaked in a salt bath and aged. This broad category includes most semi-firm and firm cheeses. During the production of some pressed cheeses, the curds are cooked to expel even more moisture. These firmer cheeses usually have hard rinds, which are sometimes coated with wax. Cooked pressed cheeses include Gruyère, Emmental, Gouda, and Parmesan. Uncooked pressed cheeses aren't as firm. They're often sweet and fruity when young, and they develop a more earthy and grassy flavor as they age. Examples include Cantal, Tommes de Savoie, and Morbier.
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processed cheese, process cheese
processed cheese
These products combine cheese with gums and stabilizers that improve shelf life but compromise flavor and texture.
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prostokvasha
Postokvasha is a thick sour milk popular in Russia. It is similar to yogurt or kefir.
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provolone
provolone
This Italian cow's milk cheese is like mozzarella, only firmer and more flavorful. It's often used in sandwiches and on on pizza. Provolone dolce is aged for up to three months. Provolone Valpadana is aged longer, and has a sharper flavor.
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quark, curd-cheese, quarg, quark-curd, topfen
quark
This versatile fresh cow's milk cheese resembles soft cream cheese. Germans (who call is quark) and Austrians (who call it topfen) use it to make everything from cheesecake to gravy.
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queso blanco
This popular Hispanic fresh cheese is often added to casserole or bean dishes, since it holds its shape well when when heated. It is usually made with cow’s milk or a combination of cow and goat’s milk. It's a good cheese for frying or grilling, though queso para freir is a better choice if you can find it.
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queso Chihuahua®, queso Menonita
queso Chihuahua®
This is a soft mild white cow's milk cheese.
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queso enchilada, anejo enchilado, queso anejo
queso enchilada
This is a hard Mexican grating cheese that's coated with red chile paste. It is usually made with cow’s milk or a combination of cow and goat’s milk.
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queso fresco, queso de metate
queso fresco
Mexican cooks like to crumble this mild grainy cheese onto soups, salads, casseroles, and bean dishes. It is usually made with cow’s milk or a combination of cow and goat’s milk. It softens but doesn't melt when heated.
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queso panela, panela, queso de canasta
queso panela
This popular Mexican cow's milk cheese is mild and crumbly, and it doesn't lose its shape when heated. It's often mixed into bean dishes or casserole fillings or crumbled over salads and tacos. It can be fried, though queso para freir or queso blanco hold their shapes better. Queso panela is sometimes served with tropical fruit as a snack or appetizer.
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queso para freir
This fresh Hispanic cow's milk cheese is salty and crumbly. It's terrific for making the Caribbean specialty queso frito (fried cheese) since it holds its shape when when heated.
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qurut, kashk, quroot, yazdie
qurut
Reconstituted dry qurut is an acceptable substitute for fresh. Where to find it: Middle Eastern markets.
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raclette
raclette
People often melt this Swiss cow's milk cheese and dip new potatoes into it.
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raw milk, fresh milk, real milk
raw milk
A few decades ago, the cream in milk would rise to the top and a glass of milk sitting on the counter would gradually turn sour. No more. Most commercial milk today is homogenized so that the fat is broken into small particles which remain suspended in the milk, and pasteurized to kill bacteria, including the friendly varieties that gave milk a sour tang. Raw milk isn't pasteurized; producers instead keep their cows and dairies clean in order to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination. Some people insist raw milk is more healthful than commercial milk since it contains active enzymes that help with digestion and absorption of nutrients. Many cheesemakers prefer it since pasteurization diminishes the cheese's flavor potential and homogenization gives it a waxy texture. Unfortunately, it's illegal to sell raw milk in many states.
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Reblochon cheese
Reblochon cheese
This rich and creamy French cow's milk cheese is quite mild for a washed rind cheese, but it's complex enough to be popular with gourmets. The rind is edible, but too pungent for many people.
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reduced-fat cheese, low fat cheese, low-fat cheese, reduced fat cheese
reduced-fat cheese
These can be gummy and insipid, and they usually have a shorter shelf life than their fattier counterparts. Reduced-fat cheeses become rubbery if they're allowed to dry out during cooking, so keep the cheese moist by adding extra liquid or by sealing in the dish's moisture with a pot lid or aluminum foil.
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Requeson cheese
This fresh Hispanic cow's milk cheese resembles ricotta cheese, and is used to make dips and desserts.
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ricotta cheese
ricotta cheese
This Italian fresh cheese is made from the watery whey that's drained off in the production of mozzarella, provolone, and other cheeses. It's similar to cottage cheese, though it's smoother, less salty, and richer in calcium. Don't confuse ricotta cheese with ricotta salata, which is a drier, firmer cheese used in salads and pasta dishes. You can eat fresh ricotta straight from the tub with fresh fruit, but it's more commonly used as an ingredient in pasta dishes and desserts. Italian ricotta cheeses are made exclusively with whey, while American versions add milk as a stretcher. Low-fat versions are available, and they work quite well in cheesecakes. Use the cheese within a few days after purchasing, and throw it out if mold appears or if it tastes too acidic. It can be made from cow, sheep or goat milk.
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