Happy Birthday Jarlsberg: The Norwegian Cheese Turns 60

Jarlsberg cheese crisps: crackers with cheese baked right in

Aged cheese is prized among cheese connoisseurs but Jarlsberg cheese is celebrating a different kind of aging process: its company.

At a party to celebrate Jarlsberg's 60th birthday, I learned a few things about Jarlsberg. The cheese is is naturally lactose free. This is good news for those of us who have trouble digesting dairy. There is a part-skim variety, still tasty, and smoked version.

There are also other cheeses in the Norwegian specialty cheese collection, many of which we got to sample at the party. [Note: Although Jarlsberg was originally made in Norway, the stuff we get in the US is made here; the other cheeses from the company are imported).

Tine Ekte Geitost, a brown cheese made from goat milk, is sweet since the milk is cooked and it caramelizes. It can be used in desserts, which may seem odd until you think about cheesecake and cannolis, other desserts with cheese.

I bought some Geitost for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and served it with apples; traditionally, apples dipped in honey are served at Rosh Hashanah, and this was a nice twist 


There was Snøfrisk cream cheese, made from 80% goat’s milk and 20% cow’s cream; new flavors are coming, including red onion and thyme; horseradish;  and dill and garlic. These are nice spread on crackers.

And speaking of crackers, we got to try Jarlsberg Cheese Crisps, crackers made with Jarlsberg cheese baked right in. Flavors include rosemary and olive oil; chipotle; garlic and herb, and sea salt. Instead of a grilled cheese with tomato soup, you could crumble these into your soup bowl.

The Jarlsberg party was held at Aquavit, a Nordic restaurant that has its origins in Sweden. and, a rarity for New York, a female chef. Emma Bengtsson, a Stockholm native, used the different cheeses in a few appetizers, like smoked salmon with cream cheese and warm cheese puffs.

“Milkshake” Without Milk or Ice Cream: Lactose Intolerant Indulgence

Sugarpova chocolates are sealed with a kiss

A thick, sweet milkshake is a wonderful summertime indulgence - unless you are lactose intolerant, or watching your weight.  My daughter and I can’t drink milk or eat ice cream, though small amounts of milk chocolate are fine.

We are a family of chocoholics, so I was thrilled when I was sent samples of Maria Sharapova new Sugarpova premium chocolate line. There are four flavors of the lip embossed bars:  dark chocolate, milk chocolate, milk chocolate with strawberry and dark chocolate with toasted coconut.

The milk chocolate with strawberry inspired me to make a milkshake facsimile: a couple of squares of melted chocolate, with a frozen banana and strawberries, blended together. Tire resulting shake, or smoothie, is best thinned out with a little soy or almond milk, and is a lower sugar and calorie dessert than a scoop of ice cream. Plus its loaded with fruit and it tastes great.

The non-GMO, Kosher chocolate bars are 3.5 ounces, so ideal for sharing.

Milkshake alternative:

1 frozen banana

3 strawberries

1/4 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk (you can use regular low fat milk if you can tolerate it)

4 squares of milk chocolate with strawberry, melted

Chocolate, bananas and strawberries: yummy!

Put all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth 

Serves  - and delights - one

Note: I was not compensated for this post, but I did receive samples of the Sugarpova chocolate bars. Opinions expressed are my own.

Giveaway: milk for the lactose intolerant

Cooking vegetarian meals for my family got more challenging when my oldest daughter stopped eating dairy. She loves cheese and milk, they just didn’t love her back.

So cream soups, cheesy lasagna and pizza were all out. Or so I thought until we tried Lactaid. This lactose-free milk looks and tastes like regular milk (it is just slightly sweeter, though without any added sugar) so we could sub this into regular recipes.

Chef Melissa d’Arabian is a mother of 4 daughters, one of whom is also lactose intolerant. She said recently that even many lactose-intolerant people, like her daughter, can eat hard cheese and yogurt. So aged cheddar and Gouda, which are quite tasty, can be eaten in small amounts.

And goat cheese has less lactose, so many people with dairy insensitivity, like my sister, can eat goat cheese.

I am also lactose intolerant, and can almost never eat ice cream. I was pleased to find out that Lactaid makes 5 flavors of lactose-free ice cream, including chocolate.

And if you like buttermik, you can make your own by adding a little vinegar to Lactaid. My kids like ranch dressing, and I found this dressing recipe on Lactaid’s website:

'Buttermilk' Dressing'

·       3/4 cup mayonnaise

11/3 cup LACTAID^® Fat Free Milk

·       1 teaspoon chopped garlic

·       1 teaspoon chopped onion

·       1/4 cup cider vinegar

·       1 teaspoon chopped parsley

·       1/4 teaspoon salt

·       1/4 teaspoon white pepper

·       2 ounces goat cheese

Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a large bowl, mixing until smooth. (The cheese might still be somewhat lumpy, but that is fine). Refrigerate until ready to use.

But things couldn't be easy forever. One of my daughters decided to become a vegan.

Lactaid provided me with a coupon to try a product free, and I am giving one away to a reader. To enter, please leave your email address below and tell me who in your family is lactose intolerant.