Friday, September 15, 2023 - TGIF What is for dinner?

[taxlady]

I had never heard of caprino or chicken Bryan. So, I looked them both up. Caprino comes in both a fresh, soft version and an aged, harder version. Maybe the people who have been to Carrabba's Italian Grill and tried the chicken Bryan can let you know which kind of caprino is used. That will give you an idea of what kind of cheese would be a good substitute. One person wrote in the comments that they used parm instead.

 

[Jusa]

I had never heard of caprino or chicken Bryan. So, I looked them both up. Caprino comes in both a fresh, soft version and an aged, harder version. Maybe the people who have been to Carrabba's Italian Grill and tried the chicken Bryan can let you know which kind of caprino is used. That will give you an idea of what kind of cheese would be a good substitute. One person wrote in the comments that they used parm instead.

I use a really soft chevre that is more like the texture of cream cheese and it worked perfectly. I hadn't heard of caprino before either, but I have been to Carrabba's multiple times and I always got the chicken trio (Chicken Bryan, Chicken Marsala, and Pollo Rosa Maria. The Chicken Bryan I made last night tasted really close to the restaurant's version even though I didn't put mine on the grill and seared it in the cast iron skillet instead. I think the liquid smoke helped, though.

Edited to add that I tihnk the difference between chevre and caprino is that the first is French and the second is Italian. I do know that they have an aged caprino that has a stronger taste. At any rate, Aldi sells a chevre that I have used many times and it worked quite well. I do think it's rather mild but some people are more sensitive to it than others. My SIL doesn't care for it. I had used it to top some baguette French toast with fresh strawberries and honey and I thought it was wonderful. She tried it and asked me to make the next batch without the goat cheese for her.

 

[taxlady]

The first time I tried goat cheese it was Norwegian gjettost. It tastes more like a toffee than a cheese. I like it in small quantities. It is very rich. So, I knew that I liked goat cheese. The first time I had goat milk was a surprise. I was on vacation in Puerto Soller on Mallorca. I asked for a glass of milk and they gave me goat milk. I was startled, to say the least. But, once I got over the shock, it was pretty darned good. I tried some goat cheese from a health food store in Chicago, back in the 1970s. It was awful. I smelled like billy goat and the taste seemed to match the smell. I threw it out.

When goat cheese first started being available here in Greater Montreal, I tried some. Again with the billy goat smell, but not quite as strong. So, I didn't buy it for a long time. Then, a goat cheese maker told me that her farm didn't have any billy goats, just so they wouldn't taint the smell of the milk. Once a year she paid for stud service. This has apparently become quite common at goat dairy farms. Some, just keep any billy goats far away from the females. I cautiously tried goat cheese again and it was good. I don't buy it very often, but I do get some spreadable goat cheese every now and again. I also get feta made from goat milk and another one made with sheep milk. They are slightly different and I can't choose which I prefer.

My point is that you should give some mild goat cheese another try. It may have improved since you last tasted goat cheese.