My specialty is leaving something to cool before refrigerating leftovers. I can tell you that when I walk into the kitchen the next morning to start the coffee, it is completely cooled, on the counter right where I left it.

I agree. It’s a hard cheese. Don’t flog yourself. Too $$$$ to toss.

When I go to bed, I think about everything I did in the kitchen and what I want to make the next day. While I am lying in bed, I recall everything that I might have left out that needs to be put away, and I get up, if necessary to put it away. I guess I have trained myself well to remember what needs to be put away. Also, I don't have that many other distractions. I generally read in bed before going to sleep, and that also allows my mind to remember what I may have left out in the kitchen.

Asiago cheese will be okay when left out overnight.

Aged (hard) cheese is an old way of preserving milk. Way before refrigeration. It isn't spoiled. Check it for mold in a few days and scrape off just a little more than the mold you can see.

I agree. I'd probably even eat a softer cheese left overnight...

As a matter of fact, our local Fresh Market doesn't refrigerate the real Parmagiano Reggianio at all. The chunks are just on an end cap display near the giant wheel. When I was first in Europe as a child, the French thought chilling any cheese was an abomination.

Won't hurt it a bit.....ever been to Europe? Cheese is most often not kept under refrigeration.

Oh Yes, I've done stupid things like that but - I think your cheese is fine. Read only the first paragraph, it states your asiago is exempt from refrigeration requirements ;0)

Temps for cheese safety

I'll admit to leaving a pan or casserole of leftovers out after straightening up the kitchen, still too warm from dinner to place in the refrigerator. And discovered it as I was turning off lights to go to bed. One other goof that has stayed with me though is taking a package of good steaks from the freezer and putting them into the microwave to just partially defrost, planning to finish the process in the refrigerator. Then having something come up where we did not eat at home that night, steaks still in the room temperature microwave when I opened it to use it the next day.

The cheese is fine, but yeah, I do those things all the time. Leave a package of meat in the sink instead of putting it in the refrigerator, and once I poured a cup of hot coffee, put it in the fridge and walked away. Why? Beats me...

I think it happens to everyone, especially if we try to multi-task too often. I keep telling people my brain is like a computer. Eventually memory is full and the only way to add new information is to delete old files!

Annie

And then there was the time I took the turkey carcass out of the basement refrig to put something else in.....and left it for...well too long! I sent someone down to see where the dead mouse was.
And then another time I sent a grand son downstairs with the leftover turkey, to put into the freezer....but it got into the refrigerator, and a half case of coke got put in front of it, and 2 6 packs of some specialty beer. And I didn't find it for easily 4 months. It was well wrapped for the freezer so it didn't smell.....but was really scary looking when I found it!!
Cheese is fine....even most soft cheeses, like Brie and Camembert are fine....hard cheese is better than fine.....turkey? not so much!

Yes. You can't eat cheese out of the fridge - you kill the flavour.

For me it's leftovers. Due to our family's schedule (commute, sports) we tend to eat later than ideal, and after that we're dealing with showers, last minute homework, etc. All this to say, I'm more likely to be cleaning up the kitchen at 4am than at 10pm (it's 4:22am now and I'll hit the kitchen as soon as I complete this post) and far too often there's a pot of food that no one remembered to put away. Even in deep sleep across the house my dog jumps at the sound of food hitting his stainless bowl. :)

For me, i accidentally left crème brûlée that was cooling on the counter all night long. It was supposed to be chilling but I completely forgot.

I'd use that as an excuse to serve it to no one but myself.

Thank you ever so much, everyone. The Asiago went back in the fridge and I will be happily enjoying it until it's gone. And I feel better about that instance of forgetfulness. I feel so lucky to have access to all of your knowledge when I don't know something.

I made breakfast for dinner last night. Hash browns, and eggs poached in braised tomatoes with bit of bacon in there. The pork links spent the night in the microwave. I completely forgot to put them on the table. They are now in the trash.

Hate when that happens....did you say Augie is getting forgetful?? LOL!

pk, it's that darned microwave that's to blame. You'd think it would have display that reads 'Food Ready' or something similar when the setting has finished.

Oh, wait. That excuse went out the window.

Mine does.

Peppi, it's a family tradition here that something always gets left in the microwave at holiday dinners and only is discovered later, when someone wants to heat a cup of water for tea or something similar. Usually it's the sweet potatoes . No one would know how to act if every food item actually made it onto the table, LOL.

Annie

Afters everal holiday meals where the fruit salad was left in the basement refrigerator or the casserole in the oven, I make a list of what we are going to eat....
There was a time when the last pan of rolls was left in the oven but someone turned that oven off ( I have 2 ovens) and I didn't discover them for weeks when I went to use that oven and smoke came out while it was pre heating.....and then there was the christmas that a toddler turned the oven off about 10 minutes after the turkey went in. That was when I discovered that a turkey can be cooked at 450 and it's delicious!