Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Has it been this long since I posted here?

Since NOVEMBER?  Holy COW!  Or Holy MACKERAL... both good expressions worthy of a FOOD blog, I guess?  What prompted me to write today (other than friends emailing "When are you going to blog on food again??) was that, today, I ran across THIS information* and thought my readers must know about it because it made me so happy and will you, too, I guarantee!

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

20 comments:

Always On Watch said...

My fave: feta cheese on a spinach salad, with balsamic dressing, of course.

For "snacking" cheese, I prefer very sharp cheddar.

Ducky's here said...

I avoid cheese for health reasons.

Unfortunately I like cheese and have to indulge -- a good sharp Vermont cheddar, Catalan goat cheese, Roquefort once in a while.

Lisa said...

Feta is one of my all time favorites. Anything really crumbled I can sprinkle on a salad,bleu cheese,Gorgonzola. Trader Joe's has a nice variety

Ducky's here said...

Yeah, Trader Joe's is pretty good. Good prices.

I almost threw a fit the other day. The non-fat honey flavored yogurt for $.89 wasn't there. I thought they'd stopped stocking it and I was stuck with the organic at $1.69

cube said...

I love cheese. The five you mentioned are all good. I would only add a nice cheddar to the mix.

Z said...

Ducky, the whole point of the post is showing how some really delicious cheeses aren't as bad for the health as previously thought.

AOW..the only time I got literally tired of feta was in Greece. It's EVERYWHERE. I got tired of Greek salad, feta, etc....they really don't have that many other cuisines on the islands....one thing I couldn't get tired of is LAMB :-)

Lisa, I love feta on ANYTHING!

Trader Joe's cheeses are really not bad at all and very well priced, you're right.

Cube, Cheddar's great but I'm afraid it doesn't make the "not bad for you" category! But, who cares!?

Melted cheese is so good, too....though I do try to avoid it!

sue hanes said...

Z - That is a great story. I know nothing about watiers in Paris - but when you mentioned 'Real' waiters - I remembered that when my husband's sister & husband had an ann. party at Mama Rosa's in NYC there was a muti-course meal - only part of whcih I could eat. Then I ordered cheesecake - instead of an entree.

And this is the point that I'm making: the watier didn't like that - and I think he must have been a 'real' waiter to Really care about what I ordered - instead of just wanting to sell the food.
~~~

z - I ADORE bleu cheese. Then Provolone and Swisss - the Swiss
most of all in French Onion Soup - which is my favorite soup.

I missed your Food Blog - Z - and am glad you started it up again.

Linda said...

Ah, cheese! A miracle food! We discovered spreadable sharp cheddar cheese made by Black Diamond! OH MY! Yum! My SIL just got a new job at a cheese plant and gets 2# every two weeks. My daughter is in heaven!

Ticker said...

Cheese Please, about any kind of cheese will do. Jack cheese with jalapeno has become a favorite snack cheese with apples or crackers or just to nibble on. I know, Jalapeno probably ain't one of the uppity cheeses but I like it and I'll eat it anyhow. I'll save the haughty cheese's for another day when I can have a nice glass of wine with it.

It appears Duck would rather have whine with cheese or without in this case. hahah.

Z said...

Linda, Yum!

Ticker, I love that jalapeno cheese, too, even tho I'm not a huge hot-food lover...that's good stuff.

Sue, glad you enjoy it.

sue hanes said...

Ticker - I din't know cheeses could be uppity.

Good one about ducky - whine & cheese. u r sew clvr - tckr

Lisa said...

Yeah Ducky their Prices are better than most others. I love their Savory Thin crackers.
Honey yogurt sounds good.
I love their California Sour Dough Bread too.
2 of our cats eat their canned food,it's .59 a can and it's quality food and our dog loves the chicken and brown rice sticks and the beef jerky treats.

Kid said...

Z, We've been reducing the cheddar in Mac and Cheese by 50% and replacing it with Asiago. Ditto, in the Au Grautin potatoes.

Very nice flavor.

Otherwise, the only cheese I don't care for is American.

Ticker said...

Yea, Sue, the uppity cheeses are the ones found only in the high priced cheese shops that most of us retired folks can't afford. If I can't find it in the deli section of Kroger or Ingles (southern based store) I have to pass on it and even then I have to pass on 60% of what is sold there except for very special occasions or for an ingredient in a special dish that I cook up from time to time.

sue hanes said...

Another kind of cheese I'm onto lately is what I call:

Simulated Cheese - Velveeta

I used it in a Potato Cheesy Casserole and the family absolutely LOVED it.

Had the sauce left over and now I make a salsa/velveeta dip w/
flour tortillas that I fry and break into chips. YUMMY!!!!

Big Fat Tio Mike said...

Venezuelan beaver cheese.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJhq9eq_eJg

bftm

Brooke said...

I LOVE mizithra cheese over pasta or broccoli.

Really, any cheese is a good cheese.

I once had a warm, melty brie with hard bread and shrimp. That was excellent!

Z said...

Brooke, I have NEVER heard of mizithra cheese!?? I've got to look into that..thanks.

melty brie with hard bread and shrimp sounds FABULOUS!

SCdottr2012 said...

lately I have taken to doing my grilled cheese sandwich a bit differently by mixing cheeses such as cheddar, Monteray Jack, Swiss and Munster.

These are all placed ( small amounts) on sourdough bread and then 'grilled" with real butter.

Heavenly and extremely satisfying.

I also have tried several of the different cheeses you listed as being better for you , such as the Italian type and Greek cheeses in macaroni concoctions and adding cooked bacon and green onions. Very tasty and a little zest to break up the too richness.

Z said...

Hi, Dottr...try some finely chopped parsley in a jack cheese grilled cheese, it's SO good!