I have a new recipe to try that calls for Asiago Cheese.  I've heard of Asiago, but, to my knowledge, have never eaten it.  Is it a very strong flavored cheese?  Recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of it, grated. 

Anyone familiar with Asiago?

Thanks, Jan

Jan:  I can't answer your question about the flavor of straight Asiago cheese, but wanted to inform you that Kraft's grated cheese now offers a "Three Cheese Blend" of "100% real grated Parmesan - Romano - Asiago cheeses".  Saturday night is home-made pizza night at our house, and we're going to use the jar I bought for the first time tonight.   I expect it to be good, but then, I'm such a cheese aficionado that there are very few cheeses I don't like . . . the only ones that really don't appeal to me are those soft, runny ones.   For a light supper, the Old Man and I sometimes have "ett par smorgasor" (a couple of open-faced sandwiches) made with sliced sandwich ham and Jarlsberg cheese  on hardtack (Swedish dry \, cracker-like rye bread), garnished with a bit of tomato or a cross-cut cucumber slice, and a sprig of dill.

I LOVE asiago, but it can be hard to find, and more expensive than some other cheeses.

Yes, it is sharp, salty and hard---sharp like an extra sharp cheddar, and hard/crumbly like a really good parmesan-reggiano (not the stuff in the green can). Sometimes I have subbed a good quality aged extra-sharp cheddar (usually from Canada) or a parmesan.

Where I live, you may find it in the sections with the "gourmet" cheeses, or you have to go to a specialty shop to get it....

It is very sharp in my opinion.  We just bought some in the specialty cheeses at WalMart and our Food Lion carries it also.

Because different cheeses melt in different ways, making a substitution may depend on how you use it---like whether it's all mixed up in ingredients, or sprinkled over the top.....

 I love  Asiago.  It is sharp and intensly flavored.   It's great, in that a little goes a long way and it makes a good finishing touch on  bread, pasta,  and vegetables. I also add a little to bread crumbs when making chicken cutlets.

Thank you, ladies, for the info.  I did find some Asiago this morning at Walmart in their specialty cheese section.  So now I'm going to try that recipe which has chicken breasts and bow tie pasta in it.

Jan

I've never eaten straight asiago cheese, but I love, love, love the asiago cheese bread at Panera's.

Ha, that panera bread is what made me love asiago too!