for the love of cheese

I love cheese.
If you’ve spent any amount of time with me, you already know this.
A wonderful and dear friend of mine dropped off a wedge of cheese and some crackers to go along with the cheese and I nearly cried. I’ve never read about the Five Love Languages, but if cheese is not one of those languages, I think the book should maybe be re-written.

I come by this love of cheese genetically. I have fond memories of my Pa (aka my dad) cutting off a huge slice of Colby jack cheese and sticking that piece half in, half out of his mouth while he gnawed on it and continued to help out in the kitchen. I think I might have expanded my palate a bit further than he did, but I like to think that if he was still hanging out with us on earth that he would join in with all the fun cheese tasting I’ve done.

Not only have I developed a taste for an aged cheddar with crystally crunch (if you’ve had it, then that makes sense to you) or a caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, but I have now introduced my kids to these not-so-inexpensive cheeses. My son will eat a block of creamy havarti in one sitting, if I don’t watch him. And my girl likes to keep in touch with her Dutch roots by eating smoked (not plain) Gouda (which I just pronounced correctly in my head, for all you true Gouda fans. It’s “How-dah,” pronounced with a little spit in the back of your throat. Don’t laugh. It’s the truth.)

Green Thunder, Red Fox, White Fox (yes, they are related), Manchega, Dubliner, Camembert, Scamorza, goat, sheep, and cow cheese... guys, the cheese possibilities are endless. I’ve had cheese soaked in red wine, cheese covered with a lavender and ground espresso bean rind, cheese that tastes and feels like thick peanut butter, 5 different blue cheeses (that each tasted completely different!) And I have had the stinkiest cheese ever (Epoisse - it’s French) which smelled 10 times worse than it tasted, and it really didn’t taste that good so you can imagine how bad it smelled!

(Oh my goodness, I am apparently infatuated with cheese! 😳)
(Guys, I just got distracted on Amazon for a minute and added 5 different articles of “cheese” apparel to my wish list. There’s a shirt that says, “Ban shredded cheese, make America grate again!” HA!!)
(And for my dairy-free friends: there is dairy-free and vegan cheeses out there. I just haven’t ventured out into that arena of cheeses yet!)

I keep trying to think of a good moral for why I decided to write about cheese and all I can think of is this: being passionate about something is a good thing. It makes you interesting (or weird). So go be passionate about something and don’t be afraid to tell other people about it. I’m not! I’ll talk to anyone about cheese!

I think of our kids in school and how often times they get teased for being different. And that is SO discouraging and frustrating. Those things that make your child unique should be celebrated! After all, the different passions and strengths that we have make this world work! We wouldn’t survive if the world was full of just athletes.. We need artists and musicians and farmers and techy computer people. And we don’t need just the straight A kids. We need kids who care about animals and about cooking and baking (and cheese!) and about other people.

I think it is so valuable to push your kids to pursue their strengths and passions (even if it is making slime - future scientist, I hope!) Someday, maybe not while they are in Jr. High, but someday that passion will be a source of self-confidence for them. For me it was playing the piano. And look at me now! It’s a career! Well, it could be if I had the time...
LMaybe I should make a career in cheese.

Once upon a time I hosted a cheese-tasting event and it was the best night ever! I think it’s time to host another. Who’s in?!

KC