For
teeth reasons, cheese should be considered a dessert. According to The Guardian, eating cheese after a meal
is "one of the best and easiest ways to combat acid erosion in your teeth."
This is because cheese is an alkaline food. Alkali neutralizes corrosive acids
(which sweets are loaded with). Cheese is the ideal dessert—it's chemistry.
Not
all cheeses are created equal on the pH scale. Soft cheeses—like feta and
brie—are not as high in alkali as cheddar, the alkaline champion. Cheddar
should be the new trendy dessert. We're joking, but the science is for real. Science Daily notes that studies suggest
that cheese helps prevent cavities more than other dairy products, like milk or
sugar-free yogurt. This may be because you chew it, thereby increasing saliva
production which is "the mouth's natural way to maintain a baseline acidity
level." Cheese is the ideal dessert—it's biology!
Photographers
tell people to "say cheese" before snapping a picture because, while saying the
word "cheese," your mouth forms a sort of smile. The link between cheese and
dental health gives another layer of meaning to the phrase that basically means
"show your pearly whites." As if you needed a reason to love cheese any more
than you already do. Here are five amazing local places to get your cheese.
St. James Cheese Co.
St.
James Cheese Co. is an elegant shop with an extensive selection and
knowledgeable cheesemongers who will happily guide you through their robust
world. Not only that, but this place is one step ahead of us in the idea of
making cheese a sophisticated dessert air. They've managed to create tiered
cakes made out of artisan cheeses. The "Southern Collection" cheese cake (not
to be confused with cheesecake) is built of five layers of stacked cheese
wheels, with names such as Snow Camp, Green Hill, Dancing Fern, Thomasville
Tomme, and Appalachian Cheese. The way St. James talks about cheese waxes
poetic, using descriptors including "lush cream-like and butter flavors" and
"floral notes, herbaceous overtones, and a clean citrus finish."
Nor Joe's
When
you walk under the green, white, and red awning with the boot of Italy front
and center, you know you're headed into a grocery that knows what they're
doing. Nor Joe's in Metairie is that
place. Behold their barrels of cheeses before going to the counter to order
slices of classics that include mozzarella, provolone, and Swiss by the pound.
Be sure to try some of their specialty options, such as spiced cheese spreads.
Alberto's Cheese & Wine Bistro
Before
Alberto's Cheese & Wine Bistro
was a French Market treasure, Chef Juan Hernandez was sharpening his culinary
skills in Madrid. There, he worked with companies that catered to big-name
stars and members of the Spanish royal family. From crumbles on salads to a
five-cheese plate, Chef Hernandez pairs wide-ranging flavors, textures, and
forms of cheese, including asiago, feta, provolone, Swiss, American, fresh
mozzarella, cheddar, goat cheese, and gruyere with the freshest Mediterranean
ingredients.
Bacchanal Wine
Where
there's wine, there's cheese. Bacchanal
has hundreds of wines, but what we're really zooming in on is their Three-Cheese
Plate, which comes with a French Brie du Pommier, a Spanish La Peral Blue, and
a Point Reyes Toma from California. Call in for a yard-dining reservation or
order online for takeout.
Keife & Co.
Following
the trail of vino brings us to Keife & Co.
Don't be fooled by the modest square footage here; this expansively curated
shop is stocked floor-to-ceiling with wine, spirits, and specialty foods. Keife
& Co. has a focus on "products of integrity and limited availability." If
you call in with your budget and special requests, their experts will curate a
platter of your dreams with meats, cheeses, accouterments, and spreads. Social
gatherings might be on hold for now, but definitely keep their cheese and
charcuterie boards in mind for when they return. In the meantime, visit the
cheese counter. Consider it "research" for your future platter.
