Friday, April 23, 2010

From then to now!



Isn't it incredible how the sense of taste brings with it a sense of memory? This, to me, is yet another reason why I adore food. In my late teens, I made cream cheese and bagels to pay rent. A minimum wage job, yes, but I never disliked being there. A standard kitchen aid mixer now looks funny to me - as I've worked with models 10x it's size when whipping up pounds and pounds of cheese.

Oh cheese, how you make my world go 'round! Be it expensive or common, I don't discriminate. There's a special little place in my heart (and tummy) reserved for stinky cheese, too. And one day, I just know it, I will love goat cheese, and possibly eat it every day!


We sold about 15 different flavours of cream cheese at the Cafe. Could be more, but certainly not any less. I'm actually quite curious how much I, on my own, ate (inhaled) while working there. It was free, after all, and I was a student, with bills. And still, I only have fond memories of Caramel Apple, Herb and Garlic, Sundried Tomato with Feta, and Roasted Red Pepper. Did you know you can stir just about anything into the creamy white stuff? So today when I saw my bulk amounts of cream cheese in the fridge (thank you Wegman's), I thought - surely I can remember what I did to create cream cheese heaven, oh, 12 years ago. It may not be exact, which is OK - we don't want to have any copy right issues anyway - but this Spinach and Feta Cheese was always my favourite. I think I did my memory justice.



Spinach and Feta Cream Cheese
1 brick or tub Cream Cheese (8oz or 226g)
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta
pinch of white pepper
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed as dry as possible
Combine well. Slice bagel. Spread on bagel. Close eyes. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

3 comments:

Tammara said...

Mmmm. I remember that place - definately cream cheese heaven. I shall try this out later this week after my US grocery run.

BTW - I did try the organic eggs and I'm in love. I shall buy them "over the river" from now on...

and a hint for developing a taste for goat's cheese is to try it lightly herbed or breaded & fried over a spinach salad with mandarin oranges, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. yummy.

Katie said...

Too funny - I stopped into Whole Foods this afternoon and picked up an herbed soft goat cheese. Can't wait to train my palate to love it!

Wanda said...

I think the first goat cheese that I had (which I didn't love) was cranberry flavoured. The best that I've had is just plain, salty goat cheese on a fresh cracker. Mmmm.

You spinach and feta cream cheese looks wonderful! Something my hubby has introduced me to is olives and cream cheese. I'd never tried it before I met him, but I love it now.