Ancient records indicate that making of cheese dates back over 4,000 years. Although no one knows how the first cheese was made. A theory that through the transportation of milk in bladders made of ruminants. The definition of a ruminant is an even-toed ungulate mammal that chews cud regurgitated from its rumen. Storing the milk in such a manner would cause it to coagulate separation into curds and whey. Although the original process may never be known by the time of the Roman Empire the art has become a highly valued process through Europe the Middle East. Hundreds of varieties of cheese were produced and traded across the Roman Empire. Many kinds of cheese which are well known today were first produced and recorded in the late middle ages such as cheddar in the 1500's Parmigiano-Reggiano in 1957, Gouda in 1697 and Camembert in 1791.

France has a long history of making over 400 varieties of cheese. In its early days of production, it remained a local product simply identified by the origin in which it was made. British cheese making began about 2,000 years ago in Pre-Roman times. Cheshire and Lancashire are two that evolved into what we recognize today. As in France most of the cheese making was localized and done by farmers as well as in monasteries. Switzerland, of course, is known for its cheese, Emmental is a firm cheese with a pale yellow color and buttery, mildly sharp taste. Emmental features the characteristic holes typical of swiss cheese.

English Puritans dairy farmers brought to America in the 17th Century their knowledge of cheese making, following the Revolutionary War, New York was known as the great cheese state. The Southeastern section of Wisconsin was settled in the 1830's. By 1850, s immigrants from Germany, Norway, and Switzerland arrived and coupling with American Pioneers stated farmstead cheese manufacturing. It took generations for Wisconsin to evolve and in 1868 Nicholas Gerber opened the first Wisconsin Cheese Factory. by 1910 Wisconsin surpassed Ohio and New York and became the number one in cheese production in the USA.

The invention of processed cheese in 1911, a combination of at least two different types and made popular by James L. Kraft who became known as American Cheese.

Here is a recipe made with delicious cheese.

Cheese Fondue

2 cups shredded natural Swiss Cheese

2 cups shredded Gruyere

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 clove garlic, cut in half

1 cup dry white wine or nonalcoholic white wine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons Kirsch, dry sherry, brandy or nonalcoholic white wine

1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch pieces

1. Place cheese and flour in resealable plastic bag. Shake until cheese is coated with flour.

2. Rub garlic on bottom and side of fondue pot, heavy saucepan or skillet; discard garlic. Add wine. Heat over simmer setting or low heat just until bubbles rise to surface (do not boil). Stir in lemon juice.

3. Gradually add cheese mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly with wooden spoon over low heat, until melted. Stir in Kirsch.

4. Keep warm over simmer setting. If prepared in saucepan or skillet, pour into a fondue pot or heatproof serving bowl and keep warm over low heat. Fondue must be served over heat to maintain its smooth, creamy texture.

5. Spear bread with fondue forks; dip and swirl in fondue with stirring motion. If fondue becomes too thick, stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup heated wine.

Fondue is French for "melted" Be patient when making cheese fondue, and allow each addition of cheese to completely melt into the wine before adding more. Serve with tossed green salad and make a meal.

Source by Debora J Reckley

You've seen all the commercials about fiber. Fiber can be wonderful for your body and health. Your doctor tells you to eat more fiber, your spouse tells you to eat more fiber, even your neighbors are telling you to eat for fiber. But, why exactly you should eat more fiber. The main benefit is that it keeps you regular, and that means have regular bowel movements. All the benefits of fiber and what it can do for you is better serve to be written in another article because it is long and exhaustive. I'm here to tell how to get fiber in your diet and a very easy way. Some of you may already be doing this and some of you maybe missing out and this changing one simple purchasing decision.

What am I talking about? I'm talking about rye bread. It is high in fiber and other nutrients compared to just plain white or wheat bread. One slice of rye can contain 4 grams of fiber! Yes, you read that right. That's around 10% of the recommend fiber wake for the day for a 2000 calorie diet. If you ate 2 slices of rye bread, say you're eating a sandwich, then you'll have 20% or more of your fiber needs for the day.

And if you're a baker or like to bake foods you can search the Internet for a ton of rye bread machine recipes to follow and experiment. Do you know how much fiber is in plain white bread? Plain white bread contains only.6 grams of fiber. That means if you're eating a sandwich with plain white bread instead of rye you are getting 1.2 grams of fiber instead of 8 grams.

The next time you are in the supermarket and have to make a choice between choosing white or rye to buy, think about what you are putting in your body. Or if you are ordering a sandwich from your favorite deli or making a sandwich for your kids, just an easy and simple switch to rye bread instead of white can mean having almost seven times as much fiber for your and your kids diet. For the next loaf that you bake, use a rye bread machine recipe instead of sourdough.

Fiber is recommended by every doctor and nutritionist as part of a healthy whole diet. In our fast pace lifestyle these days it is becoming harder and harder to keep track of everything we eat and read all the labels in the supermarket that we buy, but if you want more fiber in your diet, remember to buy rye instead of white bread .

Source by Alfredo Egypto

Have you ever wanted to make the same delicious food that you enjoy at Applebees? There may be a way for you to save a lot of money by preparing the same delicious meal at home. Here are a few ways to try to copycat your favorite Applebee's restaurant recipe:

1.) You may be able to obtain the recipe from the restaurant by visiting their website or by asking the waiter for a copy. Some chefs are flattered that someone would ask for their recipe. You may already already identified most of the ingredients in the recipe just by taste and appearance. If you just need to figure out a few unique ingredients, do not be afraid to ask what they are.

2.) Reverse engineering is another method you could try to reproduce the restaurant's recipe. Order the dish as carryout, take it home, and analyze it. You can make a game of trying to identify different ingredients in the dish by taste. Some people are really good at this, so invite your friends to help. Once you've identified the basic ingredients, experimenting by trying different combinations of seasonings and cooking methods.

3.) Compare the taste of your experimental dish to the carryout food from the restaurant until you get it right.
The menu may even give you most of the ingredients in the item's description. Write down the information on the menu and the answers you get from the waitress. Take a picture of your plate when the food is served and try to reproduce it at home.

And here is a copycat version Applebee's Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip:

Ingredients needed –

* 1 (14 ounce) can of artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

* 1 (10 ounce) box of frozen chopped spinach, pre-thawed

* 1 cup shredded parmesan-romano cheese

* 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

* 4 ounces of pre-softened cream cheese

* 10 ounces of pre-made alfredo sauce

* 1 teaspoon of finely minced garlic

* pepper (optional ingredient)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl, mix well, and spread the mixture into a small baking dish

3. Bake for approx. 25-30 minutes or until all the cheese is melted

4. Serve with bread

However you reproduce the recipe of your favorite restaurant food, be sure you write it down so that you can prepare it as often as you like and get the same results every time you make it. Have fun copying that next Applebees recipe!

Source by Choy Chang