I plan to make chili this week and I like to serve it with sour cream and cheddar. Two questions:

1. what is the right substitute for sour cream here? I've seen arguments
for both creme fraiche epaisse and quark. Keep in mind I want this to go on
my hot, spicy chili.

2. where can I find good cheddar in Lausanne? I bought something labelled
cheddar at the coop and it was hideous. (In North America I prefer the Canadian Black Diamond cheddar, if anyone knows that.)

You don't need a substitute for Cheddar because you can buy it at Migros. Just take a close look. It is in white cheese paper like all the cheeses, comes in about 300 gram blocks, it has brown text on the label.

Also, you could try Manor grocery floor for real Sour Cream. I would also consider using philedelphia cream cheese as a substitute. It is great on baked potatoes, as well a lot of N. Americans use a high-fat plain yoghurt as as weight loss subsitute for sour cream.
Probably with CHile the yogurt is better.
Also the creme fresh sounds good.

Good luck.

The "cheddar" that I bought at Coop was also "like all the other cheeses"
yet it was disgusting.

Is the one at Migros a good aged cheddar?

There is definitely sour cream at the Migros (Sauer rahm), which is pretty close to the American version (it is not as thick, though). It's with the cream, double cream, etc. I'd stay away from the Sauer Halbrahm. As for cheddar, the stuff at the Migros is a pretty poor substitute (but, then again, most "cheddar" in the US is pretty nasty as well), but I'd bet Globus has something more palatable, and they'd probably let you taste it!

You should find a good aged cheddar at Globus in Lausanne.

Some Co-ops have Keens mature unpasteurised Cheddar in their Slow Food range (the cathedral City should be avoided if you want real cheese) and all Globus stores should have Montgomery's cheddar (prob the best in the world) but they are both pretty pricey. I'm not sure yet what Migros cheddar is or where it comes from.

If you want a very good mature cheddar at a very good price, PM me

I have got to agree with this.

Until 2 years ago I thought I disliked cheddar as a cheese because I had only tried the "swiss version" (Migros or Coop) but then I tried an organic cheddar at my sister's house in Wales and really liked it. It's then that I realised it isn't cheddar I disliked but industrial cheddar.

I am pretty sure you can get sour cream in Migros and Coop. It is called "Sauerrahm" in german, "Crème acidulée" in french.

Maybe toss come Creme Fraiche into the Sauerrahm for a creamier sour cream substitute?

Damn too slow! But then I did give the french name

If you want really nice cheddar get it from Grumpy. I've got to contradict swiss_in_training in that there is such as thing as nice US cheddar but I've never found it here.

As for the sour cream, I substituted creme fraiche when I used to make chili. Perfect consistency, esp if the chili is a tiny bit soupy.

Thanks to everyone for the responses. Have contacted grumpygrapefruit for cheddar, and I will get myself to Globus as soon as I can sort out the parking situation downtown such that I can park in less time than it takes me to drive downtown.

Train?
Also for sprinkling across a chilli use Cathedral city, and save Grumpies cheese's for crackers and bread.

Please translate "cathedral city." If I take it to mean "use-local-*&^%-for-cheddar" on my excellent chili, no thanks. If that's not what it means, aidez-moi, s'il vous plait.

Its not local, its a make of cheese they sell at Migros...its from England.
http://www.dairycrest.co.uk/brandsan...iew.asp?b_ID=1

Its not an amazing cheddar, but as a bog standard cheese its pretty good I think, more than adequate for a chilli...(or rarebit, cheese and pickle sandwiches etc.)

The more mature of the selection of Gruyérè you find in either Migros or Coop has become my cooking cheese of choice. It doesn't leak fat all over and has a great tang.

It's also fab-u-lous on crackers with pickles or dollop of Branston...

...or just generally snaffling a slice out of the fridge whenever the mood takes...

I don't bother trying to get hold of Cheddar any more.

Sour cream is easy just add lemon juice to normal cream and stir

I agree that Migros and/or Co-op Cheddar is pretty impalatable,but Grumpy Grapefruit's version is excellent! If anyone is ever looking for a good substitute for Devonshire (clotted) cream to make homemade scones taste like the real thing, try Mascarpone (found in all Migros and Co-op stores). I discovered this some years ago and it went down a treat with all my family (and friends).

You can find sour cream in coop and Migros, it's called séré à la crème, in coop it comes in a small container that is white and orange, near the quark section normally. It really is sour cream and not the runny stuff.

You can buy shredded cheddar in the Aligro in Ecublens, over by the shredded mozzarella and grana padano. Seems to me for chili it would do the trick. I use it for enchiladas.