10 ways to celebrate American Cheese Month

October is American Cheese Month. Go beyond American and cheddar and try something new.

Mon, Oct 03 2011 at 6:13 PM EST

Photo: cookbookman/Flickr

The American Cheese Society has declared Oct. 1-31, 2011, American Cheese Month. It’s a “celebration of North America’s delicious and diverse cheeses, and the farmers, cheesemakers, retailers, cheesemongers, and chefs who bring them to your table.”

That’s enough for me to celebrate. I love cheese. Here are 10 ways you can celebrate American Cheese Month, too.

Visit a local cheese maker and watch how cheese is made.
Find out if you’re local grocery store carries any local cheeses. If they do, buy one instead of your normal block of cheddar from the dairy aisle.
Follow the cheese trail. Like a wine trail, a cheese trail takes you from one cheese producer to the next — all located close to each other.
Make your own cheese. Mozzarella cheese is considered one of the easiest cheeses for beginners to make.
Order cheese for dessert. Finer restaurants will often have a cheese option for dessert along with sweets. Any cheese tray can be ordered for dessert, so even if a cheese tray is listed as an appetizer, order it for dessert.
Attend or host a wine and cheese tasting.
Attend or host a beer and cheese tasting.
If you’ve never tried a cheese that isn’t from cow’s milk, branch out and try goat’s milk or sheep’s milk cheese.
Follow a cheese blog. Culinary Arts College has a list of what they consider the 50 Best Cheese Blogs on the Web, including my favorite, Madame Fromage.
Build a better grilled cheese sandwich. October’s cooler weather is perfect for easy grilled cheese and tomato soup dinners. Try one of these 10 grilled cheese sandwiches that switch out American cheese and white bread for new flavor combinations.