FIVE CHEESES are rather HEALTHY! HURRAH! Swiss, Parmesan, Cottage, String, and (drum roll please).. FETA! mmmmmmm
Do you have a favorite cheese? I adore all of the above......and plenty whose names I don't even remember but would probably recognize if I heard them...from Paris, where I lived for four years of delicious CHEESE!
At one work related evening, Mr. Z and I hosted about 10 Americans for dinner at a good, very traditional, French Bistro near our home in Paris.......Across the table from me was Pat, who ordered COFFEE with his CHEESE course at the end of the meal. One never orders coffee with his cheese. Never :-) The waiter, standing behind Pat and looking at me, said in French "CHEESE with COFFFFFEEEEE?" I winced and squirmed, wondering how to handle this. The French waiters are real waiters, waiters who truly care about the food and its accompaniments, not actor-wannabes like almost all of them are here in Los Angeles or people who just need a job.SO, I went back and forth with Pat, cajoling him to have the true experience of an excellent red wine with his cheese course, and he finally gave in! I smiled up at the waiter and said "He's changed his mind...red wine, please.." The waiter, imperious as all get-out before, winked and smiled as much as they'll wink and smile. And I wilted with relief. Honestly, in Paris, if you're a food lover, you really do care about the food and you care that the French waiter knows the American knows her stuff :-) I can't help it, it mattered to me! By the way, coffee's usually not even served with the sweets you might order for after the cheese. It's usually a course in and of itself, but you can have coffee with your sweet, of course (and I would). And he COULD have had coffee with his cheese.............but WHY? :-)
Regarding caring what waiters think, we had an excellent cafe near our home we used to frequent....in full view of this lovely place was a McDONALD'S! I have to admit that, about twice a year while living in Paris, I succumbed and had to (just HAD TO) have a Big Mac or Filet of Fish (both of which taste a tiny bit different than here, by the way, as does Coke....by the way, when I edited this, I realized I'd typed Filet of Cheese, I swear!).........The waiters knew us and loved that the American (me) loved the food so much and we'd talk about how to cook certain dishes together, etc.......well, they were often serving people at the outside tables at our little lovely restaurant and I was so afraid they'd see "La Madame d' Amerique who knows her food" go into a Mc Do's (as they call it..pronounced like DOE), was a nightmare to me. So, I'd walk casually up to the McDo's and, when nobody seemed to be looking, I'd practically hop in the door, sort of like the Pink Panther, I used to think to myself!! Then, upon leaving, I'd put the bag of McDo's in my purse and peer outside and hop outside and casually walk on...........turn the corner, then practically RUN home to have my delicious taste of America in my home away from home! True story. I swear.!!
So...........talk cheese.............and NOT just the yellow square thing on a McDo burger, okay? Which cheeses do you absolutely LOVE? And isn't it lovely to know, from my link above, that some of them aren't TOO unhealthy?
*the underlining capability for a link isn't working anymore.......sorry.......
z
