The Chi of Cheese

New! All new! (how many times can we say "new"?)

2009-02-11T05:26:00.000-08:00

Hello all you cheesy fans!

NO the Chi of Cheese has not gone defunct and YES we still follow the Way of the Cheese!

Our lives have just gotten a re-boot in the form of a diabetes related health issue (your cheesy reviewer, Bodog, is a type 1 diabetic) but we will soon be back with more reviews and more vids extolling the virtues of CHEESE!

We have new products and new advice and new reviews: all with a NEW low-carb slant (in keeping with maintaining our new good health). We're here to defend the basic wonderfullness of cheese and prove:

That you CAN enjoy cheese and lose weight! (Mrs Bodog aka MrsEvilGenius eats a modified Paleolithic diet with cheese and has lost over 140lbs. No lie!)

That you CAN enjoy cheese and be healthy! (Bodog has recovered completely while eating a low-carb diet with plenty of CHEESE!)

That you CAN enjoy cheese and be diabetic! (See above!)

Stay tuned ...

Meanwhile you can follow Bodog on Twitter if you'd like:

Pringles Restaurant Cravers Cheesy Fries flavored Chips

2008-07-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

The Great Potato Chip Wars. Seems every week there are more and more potato chip brands and flavors. They all tend to blur together and I generally stick to a basic chip like Lays or Pringles, depending on my mood. Well, a new Pringles flavor caught my eye, Restaurant Cravers Cheesy French Fry flavored chip. Let's see how the new Pringles flavor turns out...

So that's a recommendation for Pringles Restaurant Cravers Cheesy French Fries.

If you missed the Cheesy Frogoritos episode, check it out here.

And be sure to show your love of all things cheesy with this shirt available at Attack of the Radioactive Tees.

And remember...follow the way of the cheese...and keep it cheesy!

Official Chi of Cheesy Hotdogs

2008-07-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

On July 4th, 2008, Joey Chestnut beat out Takeru Kobayashi at the 93rd Annual Nathan's Hotdog Eating Competition injest 59 hotdogs in 10 minutes and swallowing an extra five in tie-breaking eat-off with Kobayashi. In honor of that impressive feet, the Chi of Cheese brings you the Official Chi of Cheesy Hotdogs!

Now you, too, can enjoy your hotdogs the Chi of Cheese way.

Also in honor of Joey Chestnut's victory this past 4th of July, the Chi of Cheese, in collaboration with Attack of the Radioactive Tees, has created the All-American Hot Dog shirt. It may be after the 4th of July and the Hot Dog Safari in Boston, Massachusetts was on June 1, but the West Virginia Hot Dog Festival is around the corner on July 26th, and this shirt is great if you just want to show your love for hot dogs and the United States.

Available at Attack of the Radioactive Tees

Happy 4th Everybody!

2008-07-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July America!

There are many things that make America great! Cheeseburgers, popcorn, ice cream, hot dogs, muscle cars, baseball! Oh, and of course Freedom and Liberty. But let's not forget...American Cheese!

So celebrate American Independence and display your love for American Cheese with these new Chi of Cheese shirts from Attack of the Radioactive Tees. Click on the pictures to see the different shirt styles and products on which these designs are available.

Bob Evans Brunch Bowls - Country Gravy and Sausage

2008-07-02T03:54:00.000-07:00

Breakfast can be one of the best meals of the day. A good breakfast can set the tone for the following hours. It's one of the few times that something sweet can be the main part of your meal with doughnuts and syrupy pleasures. In fact, the food you eat for breakfast you don't usually eat anywhere else. Sausage, egg, grits (if you're a Southerner). But, sometimes you can get wild and crazy and have breakfast at another meal. Growing up every so often I would ask, "What are we having for dinner?" and my father would say, "Breakfast." The food services department of the school district I work for every so often offers the students "Breakfast for Lunch". When you say breakfast, there's a general idea of what you're getting, even if you aren't sure on specifics.

So when I saw Bob Evans's Brunch Bowls, I thought, "Chi-Ching! Bob's even telling me I don't have to eat it for Breakfast because they are 'Brunch Bowls' not 'Breakfast Bowls'!"

Let's see how Bob Evans's Brunch Bowl does...

Bob does offer other Brunch Bowls, though I haven't seen any in the stores I frequent, yet. I'd be willing to give his Omelet and Sausage Bowl a shot, even though he's added the V-Word (vegetables *shudder*) to the omelet.

Also, the Chi of Cheese is proud to announce two new Cheesy designs in the hot, new online T-Shirt shop, Attack of the Radioactive Tees.

First, the official Chi of Cheese Logo is now available on several products including this lovely tote bag. Here at the Chi of Cheese, we support our planet and its environment going so far as to shun vegetable consumption. Those vegetables should be outside growing lush and making oxygen! So show that you're not just a Cheese Lover, but a Green Cheese Lover with this ec0-friendly tote bag, great for grocery shopping.

The Chi of Cheese also endorses the use of mayonnaise, but often find people unwilling to use the smooth and creamy condiment. One reason for this reticence is fear that they will be labled "Canadian". Just for using mayo! Well, feel free to help all the mousy mayonnaise lovers with this shirt letting everyone know, Mayonnaise: It's Not Just for Canadians!

Chi of Cheese Pop Quiz

2008-06-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

Look at the following photos. They display two different burger creations at two different stages...Bun preparation, and final product. The burger on the left is Subject 1. The burger on the right is Subject 2. Which burger builder follows the Chi of Cheese?

Subject 1 Ingredients

2 Great Value Buns - 100 Calories each
2 Great Value frozen hamburger patties - 280 Calories each
2 American cheese slices - 50 Calories each
Great Value mayonaisse - 100 Calories per tablespoon
Great Value chili sauce - 15 Calories per tablespoon
Ketchup - 15 Calories per tablespoon

Subject 2 Ingredients

2 Merita Light Wheat Buns - 80 Calories each

2 Boca meatless burgers - 100 Calories each

Kraft 2% sharp Cheddar cheese - 50 Calories per slice

Kraft fat free mayonaisse - 10 Calories per tablespoon

Lettuce - 1 Caolrie per leaf

Tomato slice - 4 Calories

Mustard - 11 Calories per tablespoon

Ketchup - 15 Calories per tablespoon

Pickles - 1 Calorie per slice

If you picked Subject 1 as the Chi of Cheese Champion, you are correct. Subject 1 understands the value of simplicity with chili being the only extravagance. Subject 1 understands that American cheese is the cheese which best accentuates the burger flavor.

Subject 2, on the other hand, makes several infractions...I've had the Merita light wheat buns, myself, and they're good, but...meatless burgers? That's un-American. The meatless burgers actually lesson some of the other infractions. Cheddar cheese does not bring out the burger taste as well as American cheese, and lettuce, with no discernable taste, just adds surface area to the burger, spreading out and muting, the taste. However, since we're dealing with a meatless patti, any taste infractions aren't as grave as these transmogrified Frankenburgers have little taste to offend.

Also, you should watch out for the following words and phrases when following the Chi of Cheese:

light

meatless

x% (where x is a number)

fat free

Despite claims that these words do not connote perversions to the taste of the food, and while I admit occasionally products with these warning signs do maintain a pleasing taste, typically those words are warning signs of mutated taste monstrosities and should be avoided.

There are many deadends on the Way of the Cheese that block the taste and happiness from you...Watch out for those warning signs, and you will stay on the Cheesy path. Follow the Way...the Way of the Cheese.

Snapps Mozarella Sticks

2008-06-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, let's face it...few cheesy delights beat fried cheese. Few dishes give themselves over to the power of the cheese like fried cheese sticks. So the Chi of Cheese has a duty to check out the frozen fried cheese sticks available for your home consumption. Here's the Snapps Mozarella Sticks choice.

Risking copyright to let you know that Snapps provides a thumbs-up experience with Snapps Mozarella Sticks. Follow the way...the way of the cheese...

Introducing...Cheesy Frogaritos!

2008-05-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

The Chi of Cheese encourages experimentation in the use of cheese. Uncle Frog, at Uncle Frog's Lily Pad, shared with us his recipe for Cheesy Dogaritos...enjoy...

No amphibians were harmed in the making of that dish...that I know of...The hotdogs were not made in house, so...

Anyway, Cheesy Frogaritos...that a tortilla wrap, a hotdog, your choice of cheese microwaved for approximately 1 minute 30 seconds...add condiments. Enjoy as you hop down the way of the cheese...

And as you follow the way, feel free to invite friends to join you with official Chi of Cheese "Follow the Way of the Cheese" cards available from Radioactive Tees...

The Worst is the Best

2008-05-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

So soon after the Chi of Cheese started, we are under attack...not directly, but by attacking the foods we cherish. A list of the 20 worst foods in America has been compiled and the worst, the absolute worst, carrying the equivalent of 14 Krispy Kreme doughnuts is the main reason I like eating at Outback Steakhouse, their Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing.

I don't eat out much anymore, so because of these blasphemers, the next time I go to Outback Steak House, my Aussie Cheese Fries will be gone. They might replace it with something else with a potato product containing cheese and bacon, but it won't be the same...We, at the Chi of Cheese, are in preemptive mourning for the loss of our Aussie Cheese Fries. Nearly half of the items listed as "worst" contain cheese...the horror, the horror.

But we will continue to address your cheesy needs. Follow the way of the cheese!

Happy Mother's Day, Cheesy Moms!

2008-05-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

Does your mom love cheese? She might enjoy...

Cheese Problems Solved edited by P. L. H. McSweeney - an essential reference and problem solving manual for professionals and trainees in the cheese industry

Mousehunt starring Nathan Lane and Lee Evans

Maybe she needs a mouse cheese grater?

How about a copy of Lounge Against the Machine by Richard Cheese?

Or a cheese purse?

or any of the great Chi of Cheese products at Attack of the Radioactive Tees.

Quaker Instant Grits

2008-03-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

This week, the Chi of Cheese hosts special guest reviewer H. Y. Hill-Liles trying out Quaker Instant Grits. The box proclaims that "Quaker has set the standard in grits for 100 years" and, interestingly enough, each serving carries with it 100 calories. So as Quaker makes grits, I guess they add calories to commemorate the years passage.

Well, while Quaker may have set the standard for grits in the past 100 years, how does a reviewer who is only one-year-old feel about these grits? Let's find out...

So apparently Quaker Instant Grits are good to eat...and wear! I'm sure I don't have to point out that adding Cheese to the grits will make this dish even better.

You know, maybe I should get guest reviewer Yankee-Boy one of these from Attack of the Radioactive Tees...

Though the way may be messy, stick to the way...the way of the Cheese...the Chi of Cheese

State Fair Brand Mini Cheese Corn Dogs

2008-03-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

One of the wonderful things about the State Fair is the food. Elephant ears, cotton candy, and of course, corn dogs. In an attempt to keep the great taste of state fair corn dogs available year round, State Fair Brand has come out with a selection of frozen corn dogs for our enjoyment. They have "classic" corn dogs as well as Beef and Whole Grain corn dogs. They also offer mini corn dogs in classic, beef, and cheese flavor. So we at the Chi of Cheese had to check out the State Fair Brand Mini Cheese Corn Dogs.

So while the State Fair Brand Mini Cheese Corn Dogs are good, they are not heavy with the cheese, so consider adding cheese your own way.

And if you frequently find yourself in situations like I did with the Mini Cheese Corn Dogs, where it wasn't just the corn dogs, but the cheese as well that was mini, then proclaim your need for more cheese with the official Chi of Cheese "Need Me Some Cheese" shirt.

Bronchitis

2008-03-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

We here at the Chi of Cheese want to potentially test and review an unlimited variety of products not just limited to cheese, thus last week's three soda review. However, we really focus on the cheese and this week we're looking to cheese's distant cousin phlem and it's daddy, Bronchitis.

What?

You didn't know that cheese and phlem were related, although very distantly? They both have a yellowish color, soft texture. Cheese can become globby and stringy. But phlem doesn't taste nearly as well.

Check out this review of the 2008 Bronchitis.

The antibiotics and the Way of the Cheese are doing their job. I should be ready to go out for a round of golf in my official Chi of Cheese golf shirt. Of course, I should probably learn how to play golf first.

Jones Soda Black Cherry and Green Apple, plus Diet Dr. Pepper Cherry Chocolate Review

2008-02-24T07:52:00.000-08:00

This week at the Chi of Cheese, I'll be tasting 3 new sodas. One soda I mentioned awhile ago, Diet Dr. Pepper Cherry Chocolate, and the other two, Jones Soda's Black Cherry and Green Apple flavors.

I'm a Diet Coke addict, but even still sometimes I need to taste something different. Dr. Pepper has been doing lots of flavor experimentation in the last couple of years which has been fun, but I pine for just a plain fruit flavored diet soda. And my kingdom for a diet strawberry soda! Or grape! It's always orange...

And a Diet Mello Yellow...

And be sure to get your officially licensed Chi of Cheese gear.

Hot Pocket 3 Cheese and Chicken Quesadilla

2008-02-18T13:26:00.000-08:00

Today, the Chi of Cheese looks at Hot Pocket's 3 Cheese and Chicken Quesadilla. And don't worry, I haven't forgotten the Diet Dr. Pepper Cherry Chocolate Soda. I've decided to review some other sodas along with it, and that will be coming soon...

National Cheese Day

2008-01-13T17:02:00.001-08:00

All Cheesites (followers of the Chi of Cheese), please be aware that in one week, on January 20th, we will be celebrating National Cheese Day! That's 7 days, people. No time to waste.

In honor of National Cheese Day, I am going to do two things. First, I am going to experiment with one form of Cheese I don't regularly eat. That means no American Cheese. No Cheddar Cheese. Not that I can't eat those Cheeses that day, but I have to throw in a little something different. So this Sunday, January 20th, National Cheese Day, I'm going to make a Cheeseburger with Swiss Cheese! Did you know the Swiss call Swiss Cheese Emmentaler? Yet we Americans only call American Cheese "American Cheese". But then apparently Americans are about the only people who eat American Cheese, which is a pity. The rest of the world should know its delight.

Also note, I hearby declare November 8th National Macaroni and Cheese Day. Why? Well, I'll tell you on November 8th...Macaroni and Cheese Day!

Comedic Cheese and More Cheesy Meals

2007-12-31T07:16:00.000-08:00

So far, I've been focusing on the culinary delectibleness of cheese. But do not be fooled. The Chi of Cheese is a part of all things...including comedy.

If Athletes get Athlete's Foot, what do Astronauts get?

Mistle Toe!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Nothing beats a good, cheesy joke, and that was nothing like a good, cheesy joke. But if you are looking for good, cheesy comedy, look no further than Steve Martin. That, by the way, is not an insult to that Wild and Crazy Guy. I am a HUGE Steve Martin fan. Love his stand-up, love his movies (even the serious ones), and his autobiography/memoir book, Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life.

I zipped through his book enthralled in his comedic development. It's amazing how much work Steve Martin, and I'm sure many other successful comics as well, put into developing their routine, stage presence, and the show overall. It's NOT just walking up to a microphone and telling jokes. Steve Martin developed a routine where he was a bad comedian. He didn't use punchlines, he intentionally made mistakes. He did something original and you either got it, or you didn't, and he become the most popular comic of his time...and then he walked away.

To hear Steve Martin's stand-up, just check your local music shop under comedy for A Wild and Crazy Guy, Let's Get Small, Comedy Isn't Pretty, and The Steve Martin Brothers.

If you like Steve Martin, if you're interested in how to develop a stand-up routine, or at least how one of the most successful did it, then check out this great book!

Now, to catch everyone up on the Cheesy meals:

2 Grilled Cheese Dinners (Not at once, mind you)

2 Slices of Cheese

Mayonaise

Butter/Margarine

Makes one sandwich. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches are the most sublime of Cheese meals.

Cheesy Hotdogs

Boil hotdogs.

Place on plate.

Cover with Cheese depending on how many hotdogs are being eaten.

Microwave to melt Cheese for 30 secs.

Get dipping comdiments. I use mayo and ketchup.

Michelina's Cheeseburger Macaroni

I like to cook frozen meals in the oven, and Michelina's Cheeseburger Mac says to put it in an over safe container, so I placed it on a plate. The frozen Cheese and mac looked frightening. The end result was pretty good. Not as good as fresh Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Mac, but not bad.

Pepperoni Pizza

This was homemade. We were out of Provologne and Mozzarella, so my wife used Cheddar, and it was wonderful.

Rice-a-Roni Creamy 4-Cheese Rice

Again wonderful. I took a photo of the dish before being scooped, still simmering in its bowl. Wonderful.

Betty Crocker's Bowl Appetit 3-Cheese Rotini

I have video of me tasting this for the first time, and as stated before, it's just a matter of whether or not I will have the video after the Flip people fix the camcorder. So, comments pending.

Also...

Cherry Chocolate Dr. Pepper. It's either going to suck, or be the best thing ever! Find out tomorrow.

Steve Martin as Socrates: It was always: "Socrates, what is truth? Socrates, what is the nature of the good? Socrates, what should I order? Socrates, what are you having?" And not once did anyone ever say: "Socrates, hemlock is poison!"

Cheesy Holidays

2007-12-27T17:48:00.000-08:00

I need to catch up on the Cheese of the Holidays. For instance, Christmas Eve Eve, not a typo, two Eves there...On Christmas Eve Eve I ate a wonderful meal of Rice-a-Roni's Creamy Four-Cheese Rice...

This was WONDERFUL! Flavored with Cheddar, Parmesan, Romano, and Bleu Cheese, I ate an entire box (about 3 servings) at once. I've talked with my doctor and have a heart attack scheduled for January 21, 2010.

Christmas Eve, for lunch I ate Chili-Cheesy Burgers. Homemade. Wal-Mart frozen burgers marinated in Worchester Sauce and Garlic Pepper, grilled on my stove in a skillet, with American Cheese. We were out of burger buns, so I used sandwich bread. Again...wonderful.

See that Cheese bubbling in the skillet? That's when you know you have a great burger...

The Chili was Wal-Mart brand canned chili. Notice on the upper burger that the Cheese melted into the skillet was scraped and oozed onto my burger. Cheese is not to be wasted. Many people like to add all kinds of stuff to their burgers...lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, blah blah blah...It all takes away from the important part of the burger. The meat and the Cheese. I only add ketchup and mayonaise, and sometimes, when I'm feeling saucy, chili. ANything else dilutes the flavor, and why eat if the flavor is diluted?

On Christmas day, for lunch I ate Chili-Cheese Tots. Once a can of chili is opened, it cannot stand around long waiting for attention lest it grows moldy with disgust. Wal-Mart brand frozen Tater Tots and Cheddar Cheese. Unfortunately, I did not get pictures of my Chili-Cheese Tots, but let me explain:

Cook your frozen tots as prescribed on the package. Upon completion, heat your chili via microwave. While the chili warms, shred block Cheddar Cheese, or spread pre-shredded Cheddar, on top of the warm tots. I recommend shredding your own as it shows dedication to your Cheese faith. You scrape your sins from your fingers in the Cheese as you grate the Cheese onto your dish. Then pour your hot chili on top of the tots/Cheese plate. Then, and here's the important part, add more Cheese onto the chili. Now to fully unleash the benevolence of the Cheese, it should be melted. The heat of the tots and the chili are working, but to insure Cheestity, place the Chili-Cheese Tot dish back in the oven for just a couple of minutes to melt your beloved Cheese. Dip in the condiments of your choice. I use a ketchup/mayonaise double-dip, but ranch dressing is also good. In the end, with plenty of Cheese, you can't go wrong with the condiment of your choice.

For Christmas Supper, I also had some macaroni and Cheese and some form of Cheese/potato concoction. I have video of the two "side" dishes (anything with Cheese is a main dish) on my new Flip Camcorder, but it's not uploading to my computer. I'm going to have to send it in to get fixed and hopefully they'll save the video. I'll save my comment on the two dishes until I know one way or the other if I have the video.

Until next time...Take it Cheesy.

Welcome to Enlightenment

2007-12-24T08:08:00.000-08:00

Welcome to enlightenment. Welcome to the Chi of Cheese. I am Master Bo, and I am the founder of the Chi of Cheese, and I will be your guide to a new world, a new life, and a new spirituality of Cheese-centrification. If you feel that the Cheesy Path is not for you, stick around...you'll find you've been a follower of Cheese all along.

What is the Chi of Cheese?

Chi - is a fundamental concept of traditional Chinese culture. Chi is believed to be part of every living thing that exists, as a kind of "life force" or "spiritual energy". It is frequently translated as "energy flow", or literally as "air" or "breath".

Cheese - is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep and other mammals, by coagulating the milk. There are hundreds of types of Cheese produced all over the world. Cheeses are eaten both on their own and cooked as part of various dishes; most Cheeses melt when heated. Cheese has served as a hedge against famine and is a good travel food. It is valuable for its portability, long life, and high content of fat, protein, calcium, and phosphorus. Cheese is a more compact form of nutrition and has a longer shelf life than the milk from which it is made.

Cheese - something cheap or shabby (Cheesy movies); to put an end to (Cheese it, the cops!); someone important (the big Cheese).

I have come to learn that Cheese is a kind of life force and a spiritual energy which permeates life. It is both something cheap and something important.

The Chi of Cheese is an appreciation of Cheese in all its forms. American and Gorgonzolla. Cheesy movies, cheesy jokes, and the Big Cheeses in our society and our world. This is the Temple of Cheese, and we will honor Cheese until the Great Cheese Wheel of Life makes us...Cheese it!

2007-12-23T12:11:00.001-08:00

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