Minsky's Cheese Options: A Comprehensive Guide

Minsky's Pizza is a popular pizzeria in Kansas City, with multiple locations across the city and in Lawrence. They are known for their gourmet pizzas, which are made with hand-rolled dough, generous portions of meat and vegetables, and a variety of cheese options. Minsky's takes pride in using only 100% Wisconsin Mozzarella on their pizzas, but they also offer other cheese varieties such as Cheddar, Cream Cheese, Feta, and more.

Wisconsin Mozzarella

Minsky's uses only 100% Wisconsin Mozzarella to top its pizzas. The mozzarella is freshly shredded in-house and then baked to delicious, melted perfection. Minsky's is committed to using the highest quality ingredients and never cuts corners. This commitment to quality and craftsmanship is why they have been voted "Kansas City's Best Pizza" time and time again.

The process of making Wisconsin Mozzarella begins with fresh, local milk. The milk is then cultured and coagulated to form curds, which are cut and stretched to form the desired consistency. The curds are then placed in a mould to form a block or ball shape, and the cheese is left to age for a short period. Finally, the Wisconsin Mozzarella is shredded, sliced, or grated, ready to be used on pizzas, in salads, or enjoyed on its own.

Cheddar, Cream Cheese, Feta, Gorgonzola, Monterey Jacks, Provolone, Ricotta, Swiss

Minsky's offers a wide range of cheese options, including:

Cheddar

Cheddar cheese is a widely popular variety, characterised by its sharp and buttery flavour. The ageing process differentiates the various types of cheddar, resulting in mild, sharp, seriously sharp, extra sharp, and New York extra sharp variants. Mild cheddar, aged for 2-3 months, has a smooth and buttery taste. On the other hand, the seriously sharp variety is aged for 12-14 months, resulting in a dense and crumbly texture with an intense flavour.

Cream Cheese

Cream cheese is a versatile ingredient used in both sweet and savoury dishes. It has a rich and creamy texture, making it perfect for spreads, dips, and fillings.

Feta

Feta is a salty and crumbly cheese commonly associated with Greek cuisine. It is typically made from sheep's milk, resulting in a sharper flavour, although milder varieties made from goat's or cow's milk are also available. French feta, for instance, is known for its mild and creamy characteristics.

Gorgonzola

Gorgonzola is a pungent Italian blue cheese made from unskimmed cow's milk. It is available in two main types: Dolce, which is milder and buttery, and Piccante, which has a stronger flavour and a firmer, crumbly texture. Gorgonzola is often added to salads or used as a topping for steak and polenta.

Monterey Jacks

Monterey Jack, also known simply as Jack, is a semi-hard cheese with a mild flavour and slight sweetness. It is commonly used in dishes such as quesadillas, burritos, and grilled cheese sandwiches. A unique variety, Dry Jack, is aged for up to 24 months, resulting in a harder cheese. Pepper Jack is another derivative, flavoured with chilli peppers and herbs.

Provolone

Provolone is a semi-hard cheese from southern Italy, made from cow's milk. It has a mildly spicy taste and a smooth, elastic texture. Provolone is typically used in Italian dishes such as pizzas, sandwiches, and pastas. There are two main types: Dolce, which is sweeter and softer, and Piccante, which is aged longer for a more pronounced flavour.

Ricotta

Ricotta is a versatile cheese with several varieties. Sheep's milk ricotta, or ricotta di pecora, is rich and faintly grassy, perfect for crostini or tossed with pasta. Ricotta affumicata, or smoked ricotta, lends a bacon-like flavour when grated over pasta or melted in a panini. Ricotta salata is salted, pressed, dried, and aged, resulting in a mildly salty flavour that complements salads and pasta. Ricotta impastata, or pastry ricotta, is whipped and sometimes sweetened, making it ideal for fillings in desserts such as cannoli.

Swiss

Swiss cheese generally refers to a class of hard or semi-hard cheeses with a distinct character, originally made in the Alps of Europe. These cheeses, such as Emmental, Gruyère, and Appenzeller, are known for their nutty and buttery flavour and elastic texture. When melted, they become gooey and stretchy.

Vegan cheese

Minsky's offers Daiya Deliciously Dairy-Free Cheese for vegan customers.

There are endless varieties of vegan cheese available, including shredded cheese, liquid cheddar or mozzarella sauce, sliced Swiss cheese, and even vegan parmesan.

Making Vegan Cheese at Home

Making vegan cheese at home gives you complete control over the ingredients and flavours. It is usually easy to make, and the only special tool you need is a blender.

Store-Bought Vegan Cheese

There are now many realistic-tasting choices of vegan cheese available in well-stocked grocery stores.

Some popular brands include:

• Kite Hill Foods: Cream cheese alternative made with almonds.
• Tofutti: Cream cheese alternative that tastes just like dairy cream cheese.
• Chao Creamery: Vegan shreds that melt well and have a nice, mellow, neutral flavour.
• Parmela Creamery: Aged, shredded cheddar-style cheese made from cashew milk.
• Violife: Mozzarella and cheddar shreds that melt nicely.
• Daiya: An improved version of their classic shreds. The mozzarella melts well and tastes good.
• Field Roast Chao Creamery: Original creamy vegan cheese slices made from coconut and fermented tofu.
• Follow Your Heart: Smoked gouda slices that melt and stretch well.
• Babybel: Plant-based snacking cheeses.
• Miyoko's: Organic cashew milk mozzarella.
• Treeline: Soft, spreadable French-style cheeses made with cashews and live cultures.
• Aldi's Earth Grown: Inexpensive vegan mozzarella and cheddar shreds that melt well.
• The Armored Fresh: Slices of American, cheddar, and pepper jack cheese that taste like their dairy versions.
• Violife: Mature cheddar shreds with a strong flavour.
• Boursin: Soft cheese dips with a strong flavour but a very rich, buttery texture.
• Nurishh: Cream cheese with a great texture, available in original, chive and onion, and strawberry flavours.

Recipes for Vegan Cheese

There are many recipes available online for making vegan cheese at home. Some examples include:

• Mature vegan cheddar: This recipe uses miso and soy yoghurt to develop a complex taste.
• Classic camembert: This recipe uses cashew nuts as a base and is cultured with Penicillium candidum, which provides a sharp taste and mould-based rind.
• Baked camembert: A quicker recipe that uses cashews, rosemary, and garlic to create a warm, creamy, melted cheese.
• Mozzarella: This recipe uses tapioca starch to create a stringy, stretchy cheese, perfect for pizzas or caprese salad.
• Cottage cheese: A tofu-based recipe that is quick and easy to make.
• Parmesan cheese: Nutritional yeast flakes are used to replicate the sharp, intense taste of parmesan.
• Feta: An almond-based recipe that takes a while to make but is worth the wait.
• Cream cheese: An inexpensive recipe that takes less than 10 minutes to make, but requires overnight preparation to remove excess liquid.
• Blue cheese: A cashew nut-based recipe with added roquefort culture, resulting in a taste and texture similar to dairy blue cheese.
• Fondue: A rich, complex, and satisfying dipping sauce made with white wine, miso, garlic, mustard, and nutmeg.

Cheese blends

Minsky's Pizza is known for its cheese blends, using only the finest ingredients to create a gourmet experience. The star of the show is their 100% Wisconsin Mozzarella, which forms the base of their cheese blend. This mozzarella is freshly shredded in-house to unlock maximum flavour and ensure consistent quality across all their pizzas. The use of Wisconsin Mozzarella is a key differentiator for Minsky's, as it is renowned for its creamy texture and mild, slightly sweet flavour. This variety of mozzarella is also known for its higher fat content, which results in a more delicate and softer cheese that melts beautifully.

While the Wisconsin Mozzarella is the primary cheese, Minsky's also offers a range of other cheese options to create unique blends that cater to different tastes and dietary preferences. For those who enjoy a sharper, more savoury flavour, they offer Cheddar cheese. This variety adds a nice bite and tanginess to the blend. For those who want a creamier, milder option, they provide Cream Cheese, which adds a rich and creamy dimension to the blend. Feta cheese is also available for those who want a salty, tangy twist. It adds a nice crumbly texture and a distinctive flavour to the mix.

In addition, Minsky's includes Gorgonzola in their cheese selection, which is perfect for those who enjoy a bold, pungent flavour. This blue cheese adds a creamy, slightly spicy kick to the blend. For those who lean towards a milder, more subtle flavour, they offer Monterey Jack cheese. This variety is known for its smooth, creamy texture and mild taste, making it a versatile addition to the blend. Provolone is also on the menu, providing a slightly smoky, sweet, and nutty flavour. It adds a nice, delicate touch to the cheese blend.

Lastly, Minsky's caters to a wide range of customers by offering Ricotta and Swiss cheeses, as well as dairy-free options. The Ricotta adds a soft, creamy texture and a mild, sweet flavour, while Swiss cheese brings a more robust, nutty flavour to the blend. For vegan guests, they provide Daiya dairy-free cheese, ensuring that everyone can enjoy their pizzas.

Cheese quantity

Minsky's uses 100% Wisconsin Mozzarella to top their pizzas, which is freshly shredded in-house. The cheese is generously layered on top of the pizza, along with other ingredients, before being baked to perfection.

In addition to mozzarella, Minsky's also carries other types of cheese, including cheddar, cream cheese, feta, gorgonzola, Monterey Jacks, provolone, ricotta, and Swiss. They also offer Daiya dairy-free cheese for vegan customers.

While the quantity of cheese on each pizza may vary depending on the specific pizza and the location, customers have noted that Minsky's is known for putting a lot of cheese on their pizzas. One customer commented that the cheese is "phenomenal" and that they have "no idea what makes it so good other than they put a lot on there every time."

The quantity of cheese can also be customized to suit individual preferences. For instance, Minsky's offered a promotion where customers could get a free extra cheese topping on any pizza, pasta, calzone, or salad.

Overall, cheese quantity seems to be an important aspect of Minsky's pizzas, with customers praising the generous portions and the ability to customize their orders.

Frequently asked questions