Here are a few of my favorite cheeses in general. The ones that are starred are the ones that I feel are the best in mac and cheese.
- Boursin* - Boursin is not an actual type of cheese; rather, it is a specific brand. However, I've never really seen any other brand of gournay cheese, and I believe that this is the most popular by far. It's a creamy, slightly crumbly cheese infused with herbs, which gives it a great and unique taste. It is my favorite cheese and, in addition to being great in mac and cheese, is fabulous in grilled cheese or on crackers. Boursin Light is also delicious, and is much more spreadable as well.
- Brie - I know this is a bit of a cliché, since everyone loves Brie. However, no one can deny that it's absolutely delicious. Furthermore, though it bears more than a passing resemblance to Camembert, it is infinitely superior. I truly believe that a good baked Brie is like a little piece of heaven; in fact, baked Brie was one of the central components of my 22nd birthday party. I even made cheese fries with it the other day (for the record, delicious). I have never actually tried it in mac and cheese, so that may need to be my next project; if you've tried it, let me know how it was!
- Smoked Gouda* - I honestly don't see how anyone could NOT love smoked gouda. It has a distinctive and delicious flavor that is almost barbecue-esque. It's also delicious in mac and cheese, particularly with elbow noodles or similar shapes. Simply Google the term "smoked Gouda" and you'll see that many others agree.
- White Cheddar* - I know, I know. Like Brie, cheddar is a bit of a clichéd favorite cheese. And yes, I know, there's essentially no difference between white and orange cheddar save for the color. However, for some reason white cheddar always tastes better to me. I think it's the fact that the white color seems classy and simple, whereas orange kind of evokes images of Kraft (not that there's anything wrong with that).
I have a poster entitled "Cheeses of the World" (a mini picture of it is above) and I'm trying to work my way through the cheeses on it, albeit with mixed results. What are some of your favorite cheeses?
