I’ve never really liked cheese much (how else would you explain my love of cheese-less pizzas?). With the exception of cottage cheese, I could be perfectly happy living a cheese-less life.

Perhaps this ambivalence toward cheese originates from the stinky-cheese trauma I endured as a child. Every evening before the evening news, my Nana and Pop-Pop conducted their cheese-and-crackers ritual; at the strike of five o’clock my Nana busted out the water crackers…and a collection of foul-smelling blobs that they called cheese. Despite the smell, I remember daring to try some of these pungent mystery-foods. And boy, did I regret it. This cheese was not at all like the Kraft singles on my bologna sandwich—this cheese was downright sour. Ever since, I’ve been wary of even of the mildest cheeses.

Just when I thought my encounters with funky cheese were over, I realized that today’s gastronomy class was focused on—you guessed it—fine cheeses. We were presented with 8 different cheeses which we had to evaluate on the basis of appearance, smell, and of course, taste. The first one was a mild spreadable cheese (Brillat-Savarin); thanks to the creamy flavor and abundance of bread available to obscure any tang, I actually enjoyed this flavor. However, the samples got progressively more fetid, until I reached the final sample that really almost had iron-stomached Caroline gagging. One whiff of this Windsor Bluestone Cheese and I wanted to step outside for air—the odor reminded me of a room full of unkempt animals. I couldn’t help but blurt out, “That cheese smells like a barn!”

Let the record show, my classmates agreed with me:)

How do you feel about cheese? Do you like the stinky ones? What’s your favorite kind?

I have some out-of-the-ordinary eats to share with you today, so let’s get crackin’.

Coconutty Carrot Cake Oat Bran was on the breakfast menu today. Coconut butter has this magical power to make me feel so full. Not sure why, but I’m glad to have found something to quiet the angry beast that is my appetite.

I had a pretty memorable squash-centric meal last December that I liked so much, I sought to re-create it for lunch today. I prepared a veggie plate featuring this week’s squash, spaghetti squash.

Once home from gastronomy, I was seized by a desire to cook something special, so I conjured up some bean balls topped with homemade tzatziki.

OK, I am now off to figure out a way to get rid of this wicked case of the hiccups. Ciao.

Filed under: Meals