Thursday, July 19, 2012

willpower


A girl can have only so much willpower when it comes to living without cheese.  Yesterday my trip to the deli counter proved to be too much for me.  Huge new hunks of cheese of all shapes and sizes filled the space where just a week ago it was empty. There has been a dairy shortage in Addis lately and we've been living on the basics, powdered milk and Edam ball. That can only take me so far before I'm thoroughly depressed. This new gorgeous selection in front of me looked promising.
lunch for the last two days

I shyly approached the counter and asked the man behind about a beautiful looking soft cheese that had already been cut a few times.  I almost fainted when he asked if I wanted to try it! (best one liner I've ever been on the receiving end of).  Good lord, I thought I had died and gone to cheese heaven.  It was creamy and mild, similar to Brie.  He called it Taleggio and it sounded like music to my ears.  I bought 150 grams of the Italian Taleggio and went buck nutty and bought 100 grams of a creamy Italian Gorgonzola as well.  The prices were a tad lower than usual because it's rainy season and only crazy ferengi like me and my family are sticking around Addis.  Everyone else high tails it to the First world.  It was still about $10 of cheese in two tiny hunks but my mouth was watering thinking about it melting on my tongue.  It was the first time I've splurged on the Italian cheeses available in Ethiopia and it was well worth it.


My craving has been satiated for now,  but my willpower might have a permanent crack in it.  

4 comments:

Daniela Swider said...

Love that you are having fun in Cheese Heaven! I am not from Wisconsin but I should be because I too am a cheesehead. There's not a ton of variety of local cheeses here in India (at least not that I know of so far) but you can get imported stuff. The prices are high but I totally agree - it's worth it. The commissary also has some good varieties from time to time. We love this Gouda that they have - it's awesome with a glass of wine after we put the kids to bed!

Sadie said...

Oh cheese, how I love you. And frankly, $10 for that much happiness is a small price to pay :-). Enjoy!

Elyse said...

Sara, when you come home you have to try my new cheese love...it is a white cheddar gruyere and it is to die for! We put a small slice on pita bite crackers and I am in cheese heaven!!! You are I are much alike in our love for cheese!

Sara said...

I am a huge Cheesehead Daniela! It's a culinary masterpiece! The commissary has Kraft singles from home and then Kenyan cheese that's not that good and frozen. Sometimes a good hunk of cheese can make everything right in the world again!

You are right Sadie, $10 bucks is nothing, I should just do it more often!

Oh Elyse, you have my number with that white cheddar gruyere. Holy cow that sounds amazing. Do me a favor and get Joe on a fondue kick. I'm craving fondue and I feel like we could have fun with that when we get home.

So glad I have fellow cheese lovers!