damona cheezes

I am obsessed with the Damona cheeses, after friend Ju brought the brie to my birthday and I made my first ever cheese platter. IT WAS AMAZING. After you get used to the faint coconut aftertaste (it's a very coconut-based cheese) it's so gooooood. So brie-like, perfect at room temperature and great with some figs on some gluten-free crackers.

Anyway so I purchased the brie, the mozzarella and the pepperjack because they were onsale this week at the Cruelty Free Shop in Fitzroy. Brie, amazing at room temperature spread on pumpkin sourdough. Highly recommend.

I used the mozzarella in a tomato-based pasta sauce, added to my bowl after all was done. The mozzarella has sun-dried tomatoes through it, and it was melty but added a bit too much of a coconut aftertaste to my pasta. I won't use it again on my pasta, but I am going to give it a go on pizza soon.

Today I made cheese toasties out of the pepperjack. It's not peppery at all, and melted really beautifully into the sourdough. Again with the coconut aftertaste, but I'm looking forward to making a tomato and cheese toastie in the very near future.

Overall, I'm a big fan of the Damona cheeses. The brie remains my favourite, but I'm enjoying the pepperjack a whole lot. I remain mixed on the mozzarella.

Damona cheeses are made in Coburg! What a good, local cheese.

nacho cheese nachos

After all that talk of nacho cheese dip, we finally made nachos and nacho cheese dip at the same time!



It was basically the greatest. Making both the nacho sauce and the nacho cheese at the same time doesn't add anything to the cooking time, as the nacho cheese is easy to cook whilst simmering, but I would suggest perhaps making it in advance, otherwise the nacho cheese is a bit runny. But still delicious!

I am really loving this nacho cheese dip. It goes with everything!

nacho cheese nachoes
half a red onion (diced)
one clove garlic (minced)
four tomatoes (diced)
one can refried beans
handful mushrooms (diced)
1 can kidney beans if that's your thing
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
a few shakes of oregano and parsley
two squeezes of tomato sauce
corn chips
rice if that's your thing

method
In some oil, fry the onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, parsley, and tomato sauce. Don't let the spices burn! Fry until the onion softens, then add the tomatoes and kidney beans, and leave to simmer, lid on, for ten minutes. Then add the mushrooms, and simmer lid on for another six or seven minutes. Add the refried beans and allow to heat through, then serve, topped with delicious nacho cheese.