Before I was old enough to go to school, my adventurous parents moved us to Provence, where they set about learning the craft of making goat cheese. When we moved back to the United States in 1973, goat cheese was still practically unheard of here. That changed in the ’80s, however, when goat cheese, particularly soft fresh goat cheese, became the rage. For a while, it seemed as if every salad at every restaurant came with goat cheese croutons, and that everything from lasagne to baked potatoes was being stuffed with it.

Yet instead of wearing out its welcome as simply a trendy sidekick to sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese has become a lovingly accepted staple of restaurant and home kitchens. And why not? Mild, yet uniquely tangy, fresh goat cheese—also called chèvre (pronounced SHEHV)—is especially versatile in cooking. It mixes well with other ingredients, and it’s wonderful in both savory and sweet preparations. And because goat cheese is lower in fat, it doesn’t have that heavy oiliness associated with many cow’s milk cheeses.

选择柔软的新鲜山羊奶酪

软新鲜山羊奶酪但风格的奶酪made from goat’s milk. These cheeses, which are from a few days to a few weeks old, are sweeter and milder than longer-aged types. The other basic styles—semisoft, surface-ripened, and hard aged—are generally better suited for eating out of hand than for cooking.

采样不同的制造商和样式。在一家好的奶酪商店，您会发现各种各样的柔软新鲜山羊奶酪（请参阅相反的照片）。许多人是从法国进口的，但是当地农场生产商那里也有一些很棒的家山羊奶酪值得寻求（请参阅资料来源小组）。

在超市，采摘可能会更薄，也许是一个或两个品种。如果您在看起来大量生产的东西之间有选择的选择 - 雕像塑料包装通常是赠品，而看起来更手工的东西，请与后者一起使用。

最广泛的新鲜山羊奶酪是批量生产的法国蒙出包。尽管它可能缺乏个性，但蒙特拉切特的一致性和微妙的风味是许多烹饪菜肴中的资产。

Handle fresh goat cheese more like ricotta than mozzarella

所有新鲜奶酪中的水分含量较高，意味着它们融化的融化程度与坚固的奶酪不同。柔软的新鲜山羊奶酪也不会像瑞士人或帕玛森奶酪那样褐色。烤面包丁烤几分钟，上面放着一轮山羊奶酪，即使其内部温暖和融化，山羊奶酪的外观也几乎不会改变。

烤山羊奶酪也不会散开，例如马苏里拉奶酪。因此，我在蛋t上薄薄的山羊奶酪将山羊奶酪擦拭，而不是将其撒在上面，以确保每一口都有一些奶酪。加热时保持其形状的能力使山羊奶酪成为填充物的绝佳候选者，例如填充鸡胸肉的馅料。但是，一旦您触摸了热山羊奶酪，就会发现它的形状虚幻。在热意大利面上撒山羊奶酪，它将保持在团块中，但是一旦您将意大利面和奶酪扔在一起，奶酪就会融化成一种奇妙的酱汁般的稠度。

When cooking with goat cheese, note that its saltiness will vary, with imported cheeses usually tasting more salty than domestic ones. Remember to taste and adjust your seasonings to account for this.

软新鲜山羊奶酪的来源

新鲜的山羊奶酪是由全国各地的手工制造商制作的。尽管下面的大多数生产商都会通过邮件出售其奶酪，但有些仅出售给零售商或当地商店​​。在您附近寻找生产者。

• Capriole, Inc. Greenville, Indiana (near Louisville, Kentucky)http://www.capriolegoatcheese.com/
• 纽约教练农场松平原http://www.coachfarm.com/
• 加利福尼亚州红木山农场塞巴斯托波尔http://www.redwoodhill.com/
• 缅因州威斯康星州的Squire Tarbox Inn Innhttp://www.squiretarboxinn.com
• 佛蒙特州黄油和奶酪韦伯斯特维尔，佛蒙特州http://butterandcheese.net/
• 马萨诸塞州的韦斯特菲尔德农场哈巴德斯顿http://www.chevre.com/