One thing that continually bothers me as I sample different cheeses from around the world, is that, for one, none of them are named after their country while one of our's is (for example, there is no cheese from France called "French Cheese"); and the other thing is, all of them have their own distinct flavor, and all of them are good flavors. Now, my problem is American Cheese (just that particular cheese, I don't have a problem with other cheeses from America like Cheddar). It's named after our country and it's a bland, orange, square!
I can think of so many great cheeses through out the world, almost any (with the exception of Feta, which I hate) that aren't named after their country and taste fantastic. Mozzarella, Brie, D'Affinois, Gruyere, Cheddar, you name it. I feel that having this mass produced condensed milk product is an insult to our country!
I was considering this when I went to Rosa Mexicano last night (finally, a good meal!). For those who don't know this stapled Mexican restaurant in Lincoln Center, it is a must but if you walk in, be prepared to wait about an hour, which I did. I sat there eating my Carne Asada (which in any essence is steak in a skillet with chesse and other flavors on the side to make tacos with), and I was admiring the Chihuahua Cheese that was melted under the beef and I was thinking that this is wonderful with its almost nutty flavor that paired perfectly with the meat. At that point I started to think about the American cheese and that's the stuff that you get next to the yogurt in the supermarket.
With all of this in mind, I was reminded of my trip to Manhattan with my friends when the Krispy Kreme incident happened. We were walking in the Village where we past both Faicco's (an Italian Pork Store) and Murray's Cheese Shop, and I pleaded to go in and they said no, we're getting a cheeseburger... and my hatred of American Cheese grows stronger.
I suggest you do not mix politics with food. I hate feta, but love the Greek culture and civilization. I am not buying their bonds. I love French cheese, but don’t love their politics. Did you know the Dutch pronounce Gouda like “howda”? That’s why the joke “Gouda you do?” is funny for an English-speaking Dutchman but not a native English speaking person who does not know any Dutch. When Peter Vallone was running for the NYC Council, I said I was pro-Vallone. So the moral is, be light-hearted with cheese, don’t get so heavy and political. So if someone asks you how old you are, say you’re not Stilton (still ten). And you know what they say about the guy they called Pecorino!
ReplyDelete