[Sca-cooks] On the subject of cheeses, how about Turkish?

[Christiane]

As long as folks are talking about cheeses, I'd like to make a recommendation and to ask some questions of what to do with some Turkish/Greek cheeses.

The proprietors of the Turkish restaurant in my town also opened a deli. I go there for rosewater, sour cucumber pickles, pickled green tomatoes, olives, fresh breads, baklava, teas, and other things. There is a deli case packed full of fascinating-looking cheeses. I salivate looking at them. But I have no idea what to do with them, what varieties are melting cheeses, what varieties are best eaten straight ... 

But this place has given me a revelation about feta cheese. Previously to me, feta cheese was that salty stuff from the supermarket. I tried some Bulgarian feta from this place, and was pleasantly surprised; it was not salty at all, had more of a fresh-mozzarella-type flavor, although it was obviously a sheep's milk cheese. Then I got brave again this past week, and tried another feta.

All I can say is, wow. Salty, yes, but smoky, with a tang like bleu cheese or roquefort, and a creamier, less crumbly texture. I ate some today with slices of hothouse tomatoes in a pita, and it was out of this world. I'll get you guys the name of this type of feta, and if you have a Turkish deli in your area, please go track it down. It's phenomenal.

But this brings me back to the question: what other cheeses should I be looking for at my Turkish deli? What recipes can I use them in?

Any input is appreciated!

Gianotta