Say Cheese

I'm a picky cheese person. Being highly lactose intolerant most of my life, cheese was forbidden so I didn't develop much of a taste for it. It still sometimes tastes, if uncooked, chalky and coat-y and sour, or melted, like rubbery barf. But...there are cheeses I like. I love buffalo mozarella especially with tomatoes and basil. Ricotta is good in lasagna and canoli. Some white cheddar mixed in a beef stew is delish. Some cotija over beans, yum. Parmesan on anything it can go on, even corn on the cob, is tasty. Feta makes a salad. Aloutte brand cheese is godo by itself, on crackers, on grilled onions or salmon...American cheese is a disgrace and yellow cheddar close behind. Today I tried "meadowkaas" a seasonal cheese that was reminiscent of sweet grass and pineapple and was not too rubbery. It reminded me of gouda I had in my high school French class, the only cheese I could muster a nibble on. I needed extra credit which would be rewarded for consuming roquefort but I still remember the stench I chose to avoid. I had had gouda since high school and it didn't taste the same. Well, after googling things (that sounds naughty) I found out, indeed, meadowkaas is a gouda. It's fairly inexpensive and available at Trader Joes in June. I'd recommend it at a dinner party.