Every summer I become really obsessed with cheese. And not the kind of nice cheese you'd see featured in Wine Spectator magazine or anything. Gross cheese. Cheese that is the culinary equivalent of making out with Larry the Cable Guy. I'm talking the plastic-y yellow Velveeta cheese whose natural best friend is Spam. In fact, I think the first place I encountered the stuff was in cheese dogs (hot dogs filled with cheese) that my grandma used to serve me when I was about 10.
I'm not sure what the allure is or why it's mostly in summer. All I know is that I find myself thinking endlessly about Tostitos Queso dip and Tostitos Scoops chips and before I know what's happening, I'm at the Jackson's above my house spending $7 for both. Or at Fred Meyer buying Velveeta Shells & Cheese.
Then I get home and I just shovel the stuff into my mouth mindlessly and I'm not sure I even totally enjoy it. I just know that I have to have it and I will obsess about it for days and days and then go crazy and the Queso and Chips will be my entire dinner except for a few strawberries or a nectarine (the macaroni is usually reserved for special occasions). Last week I went to the Spaghetti Factory (I know, but the mizithra cheese is awesome) and had the insanely delicious mizithra cheese entree, but I was distracted the whole time by the macaroni & cheese my friend's 3-year-old daughter was eating.
After I go on a cheese binge I feel disgusted with myself and like I need to purge or at least take a shower. It's like having repeated one-night-stands with someone who you tell yourself is repugnant but they must not be or you wouldn't keep sleeping with them. So, then, trashy cheese is like the person I'm embarrassed to say I'm sleeping with.
This year, I've managed to stay away from the nasty Tostitos Queso. However, I am helpless against my cheese addiction. I have at my house Creamy Macaroni and Cheese, which I make with heavy cream and butter. Yum. Also, I found the recipe for the ever-so-delicious Browned Butter & Mizithra from Old Spaghetti Factory on this website. If you make it, make sure to use salted butter and DO eat the residue at the bottom of the pan. It's where all the flavor of the dish comes from.
Don't, however, buy Mizithra cheese from the Fred Meyer deli. I usually buy a Greek brand from the Albertsons on Park Center because they didn't carry Mizithra at Freddy's before--at least not the one on Federal Way. I was pretty excited to find it there the last time I went shopping. When I got it home, it was not as I expected. It's spongy and watery and utterly flavorless. It resembles the palm of my hand if I got it wet and tried to eat it. Actually my hand would be more flavorful.
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