Tasteful Tuesday -- Cheese

I’m a bit of a cheese freak. Now, as a good Southern girl, I was pretty limited in my cheese tastes growing up: American, Swiss, Cheddar, Mozzarella, pre-grated Parmesan, and Colby. Maybe some brie on occasion, but that big display of cheese at the fancy grocery store never really warranted a second glance.

Then I moved to the UK, and a whole new cheese world opened up for me. At first, I felt like the biggest hick in the universe ("what do you mean “American” isn’t a real kind of cheese?”) But then my cheese education began, and I’ve become one of those people who will spend $10 on a wedge of Parmesan cheese and grate it myself.

I could eat Boursin on bagels for breakfast, a white cheddar paired with apples for lunch, a hot, melty brie and strawberries for dessert, and creamy Camembert with just about anything, any time. A steak with a gorgonzola crust may make your arteries clang closed in protest, but your tongue will be happy! The Playfriends (except for Angel) love my Emmenthaler and Gruyere fondue. (And I’m looking for a fondue recipe that will satisfy all the Playfriends.)

I’ll eat goat cheese on just about anything, and honestly, I’d probably eat dirt if you mixed it with Neufchatel. Marscopone, ricotta, cottage – bring it on.

My appreciation of stinky cheeses is very limited, and I’m still on the fence about many of the “blue”-type cheeses. DG loves smoked cheeses, but, to me, barbeque should be smoked – not cheese. So, my cheese love is not absolute or without bounds. But there are still plenty of cheeses left for me to discover, and trust me, that’s a journey I look forward to!

I’m not ignorant of the downside to cheese; it can be high in fat, cholesterol and sodium, and therefore not the Heart Association’s Most Favorite Food. Soft, unpasteurized cheeses can also carry harmful bacteria. If you’re lactose-intolerant, cheese is probably not your best friend.

But cheese *is* a good-for-you food. It has high levels of calcium, phosphorous, and protein, and contains vitamins A, B-12, and D. Your bones and teeth are the obvious beneficiaries of cheese, but there is also some evidence that makes cheese a player in helping with hypertension, liver function, and even cancer prevention.

My Southern roots need not fear, though, because there is one cheese that many will turn their noses up at (and really isn’t even “cheese” by definition), but that I will never be able to forswear – no matter how refined my cheese palate becomes:
Good old Velveeta. You can’t beat Velveeta when it comes to pure melty-ness, and melty-ness is very important when it comes to making macaroni-and-cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, and, of course, that party staple, Ro-Tel Dip.

So, are you a cheese freak? A cheese snob? Anti-cheese for some reason? Do share with the Playground…

PC

**For more information than you could ever want, visit Cheese.com, a website that will educate you on everything from rind type to what cheese goes well with beer. It also links to places that will deliver cheese to your door and has a huge recipe database.

Wednesday Wow

This is my new favorite TV show.

Castle is about a crime novelist who helps the New York police department solve crimes. Rick Castle, played by the yummy Nathan Fillion, is sort of a rock star in the literary world. He plays poker with James Patterson, Stephen J. Cannell and the mayor of NYC. But after he kills off the main character in his novels, invoking the wrath of not only his readers but his publisher (who is also his ex-wife), he struggles with writer's block. He needs a new character for his next book, and when the NYPD calls him in to help solve a series of crimes that are copies of murders in his books, he finds his new character in Detective Kate Beckett.

She's a fan but won't admit it and is constantly annoyed by Rick butting in to help with cases. She's especially annoyed when the police chief says Castle will be observing as part of his research for his next book. It seems playing poker with the mayor has its perks.

The show is light unlike most other crime dramas, and the screen simply explodes with romantic tension and witty repartee between Castle and Beckett. I also adore Susan Sullivan as his mother Martha. And the fact they've made Castle a single father with a teenage daughter makes him all the more lovable and brings out his vulnerabilities.

Check it out on ABC on Monday nights. Or you can watch episodes online at abc.com.

And here for your viewing and drooling pleasure is Castle star, Nathan Fillion, who just might become the inspiration for my next book.














Have you watched Castle? Do you like it? Can you believe how they left things hanging Monday night, which was the season finale? Please, ABC, bring this show back in the fall.

Oh. My. Gosh!

I can't believe it, but oh my gosh, another country has temporarily imported their number one treat to the U.S. No, it's not Hugh Jackman, but it does have something to do with him. He's Australian and these are Australian and they're both yummy. Until now, you had to have a very good friend Down Under who was willing to send these to you.

However, Target and Pepperidge Farms and Arnott's have teamed up to introduce the American public to something I fell in love with several years ago when Aussie author Bronwyn Jameson sent me a package of these.

What is it?

Tim Tam!


And PC and I each have a couple packages. Be still my heart.

They are available now through March at Target stores only and come in the original chocolate creme flavor as well as caramel. If you've never had Tim Tams, you're in for a big treat.

Thank you, Australia! Now if you'll just export Vegemite...