The first thing I ever “cooked”. When Mum let us grate cheddar on to day-old bread. Eyes level with the electric grill. Watching the alchemy, seeing the cheese become molten, stringy. The early magic of making your own tea. I still crave Jeremy Lee’s cheese straws, and now I can bake my own. Chef Tim Siadatan has shared Padella’s perfect pici cacio e pepe, Alex Jackson his brilliant aligot. Simon Hopkinson offers his elegant roquefort salad, Tomos Parry his famous cheesecake. We have Marcella Hazan’s definitive parmesan risotto and Kitty Travers’s ricotta ice-cream. Plus, of course, the ultimate toastie. All the cheese pleasers. From OFM to you.
Jeremy Lee’s cheese straws
The spike of mustard and pepper with warm melted cheese on flaky pastry is hugely pleasing.
Toasted cheese sandwich with quince jelly by Lori De Mori and Laura Jackson
Use the best farmhouse cheddar you can find – nothing compares to montgomery cheddar for this.
Photograph: Romas Foord/The Observer
Anna Jones’s winter tomatoes with whipped feta
The seasonal varieties from Spain and Italy are an entirely different affair from the ripe summer fruits we normally think of.
Baked vacherin with potatoes and cornichons by Olia Hercules
If you can, source sweet and creamy grenier potatoes for this simple dish.
Blanche Vaughan’s potato, thyme and taleggio galette
Half wholemeal and half plain flour gives the pastry extra flavour and texture.
Simon Hopkinson’s roquefort, pear and chicory salad with walnut oil
Fresh, crisp, salty, sweet and fragrantly oily – this salad is perfect with cool and crumbly roquefort.
Smoked haddock, pea and chorizo macaroni cheese by Kirsty Scobie and Fenella Renwick
Jazz up your mac and cheese with this fresh take – a great way to get your kids to eat more fish.
Photograph: Clair Irwin
Meera Sodha’s paneer butter masala
This is an extravagant dish, but channel India and enjoy yourself.
Queso fundido with rajas and chorizo by Edson Diaz-Fuentes
This taqueria snack utilises British and Irish cheeses while retaining the creamy texture of the Mexican version.
Tim Siadatan’s pici cacio e pepe
Pici is a wonderful dense pasta found all over Tuscany and is as frugal as it gets.
Bubala’s halloumi with black seed honey by Helen Graham
This rich dish is smoky with urfa chilli, coriander seeds and nigella.
Photograph: Haydon Perrior
Andi Oliver’s three cheese and caramelised leek bread and butter pudding
Serve a fat slice of this with crisp lemony leaves, or on the side of sticky slow-roast lamb.
Photograph: Romas Foord/The Observer
Nigel Slater’s broad bean, feta and spinach pie
Tender broad beans brighten up this comforting pastry dish.
Anaïs Nin’s cheese souffle by Claire Ptak
Henry Miller helps himself to the entire top of this souffle in the film Henry & June.
Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley’s knafeh nabulseyeh
No celebration is complete without this Palestinian institution – these are best eaten the day they are drizzled with sugar syrup.
Za’atar and halloumi scones by Reem Kassis
These are perfect with some fresh tomatoes and olives for breakfast.
Photograph: Romas Foord/The Observer
Marcella Hazan’s risotto alla parmigiana – risotto with parmesan
Make a special effort to obtain authentic, aged, Italian parmigiano-reggiano from the best supplier you know.
Alex Jackson’s aligot
This uses a cheese called tomme fraîche de Cantal: very young, unsalted, squeaky curds that, when melted, go really stringy.
Ricotta and canditi ice-cream by Kitty Travers
This ricotta ice-cream provides a cool background for the rich mixture of bitter chocolate chips, pistachio nuts and luminous candied citrus peel.
Tomos Parry’s burnt cheesecake
The secret here is the outer crust, which is cooked on a higher heat until heavily toasted, while the inside stays soft.
Photograph: Romas Foord/The Observer
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