A food mantra of mine is: a true foodie eats good cheese and chocolate. If you've only experienced the everyday cheeses at your grocery store (the ones that consist of American, Colby, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, Cheddar, etc.), it is time to branch out. There is nothing wrong with the aforementioned cheeses. I incorporate them into my everyday cooking, but there are more varieties of cheese out there that you should try, and start incorporating into your meals. They range from mild to "stinky" and everywhere in between.
My current favorite is Havarti cheese. If you haven't tried it, it is a great cheese to 'get your feet wet' and branch out beyond the most common types of cheese. Havarti cheese is a very mild cheese that has a soft texture, is rindless, and has a buttery taste. I love cutting it straight from the block and eating it as a snack. Havarti cheese melts very well, and is good when paired with a stronger cheese in grilled cheese sandwiches, melted over eggs, added to a BLT sandwich, etc. Because of the mildness of this cheese it goes well into many different kinds of dishes. Havarti comes plain, and also has different herbs and flavors added to it. I particularly like the varieties with dill, basil, or jalapeno. The added flavors are often mild and add depth to the flavor, but the creaminess of the cheese makes it so that the flavored varieties can still be used in a multitude of ways.
Do yourself a favor and go pick up a block of Havarti. You'll be glad you did.
