Say cheese!

I will forever be grateful to the California Cheese Board for giving me my first assignment as someone who blogs about eating.

Apparently, they had been following my blog and didn't even know that I write for a food magazine! My guess is that they have a super secret department that sniffs out cheese-lovers and that's how they found me. This was how I found myself at the wonderful Lolo Dad's Brasserie in 6750 in Makati, sampling the cheese-filled delights conjured from the imagination of Chef Ariel Manuel. First we were given samples of some cheeses produced in California. Not a proper platter, just enough to discern the different flavors. The California Pepper Jack tastes like pepper-infused mozzarella and would go great in meat sandwiches. The Provolone has a mild flavor, as does the Swiss, which was almost bland, but in a good way. The Sharp Cheddar lived up to its name, being full-flavored and salty, and the Colby Jack was a mix of mild and sharp. I liked the little flags that came with it. I imagined that we were decimating cheese forts. Then came the food. The Silver Lake Sharp Cheddar and Romaine Lettuce Soup served with Salmom Bruschetta was creamy, the lettuce tasting more like spinach (yay!), the flavors really coming together when you eat the mild soup with the crisp, salty bruschetta. The California Select Farms Pepper Jack, Swiss and Provolone Mushrooms and Fresh Spinach Pizza was probably one of the best pizzas I've ever had (right up there with a particularly good batch from Shakey's). The cheese made the already fresh mushrooms taste fresher. The ingredients were spread thinly on a thin crust, resulting in a light, flavorful pie. It made me too full to eat the next dish. The Baked Cheswick Colby Jack, Pancetta and Rigatoni Pasta with Vegetable Fritters was basically mac and cheese on steroids. This is what mac and cheese should taste like, the cheese melty, with a fresh, complex flavor (not just cheese spread) with just the right amount of saltiness and a bit of smokeyness courtesy of the pancetta. The fritters were an awesome plus, mushroom-flavored mush enclosed in a crunchy crust. The dish made me want to be a kid again. Of course, a kid wouldn't have been able to enjoy the meal with a glass of Beringer Chardonnay, a nice white wine. I confess that I know nothing about wines and I'm still learning. All I know is that the Beringer went down smooth, with no harsh aftertaste. A lovely meal made with lovely cheeses. And I'm not just saying this because they invited me. To learn more about the best combinations for pairing California Cheese with California Wines, log on to http://www.realcaliforniamilk.com/recipes. California cheeses are available in SNR and leading supermarkets in Metro Manila. For more ideas on preparing California Cheese dishes for this Christmas, log on to http://www.realcaliforniamilk.com/category/courseoccasion/christmas.