The Glory of Cheese

Last night, Ari and I went out to Open Sesame – although we have very little money, Ari desperately needed a night out. Plus, I am convinced that the restaurant’s fried potatoes and Moroccan tea have healing powers.

And, as always, we got a really cool server, this time named Angela. She was the traditional Long Beach cool: thicker-rimmed glasses and a punk rock sensibility, but yet incredibly friendly and sweet.

Naturally, we got into conversation, and at one point, we started talking about cheese. Angela happens to be a big fan.

“I went vegan once, and I was so depressed,” she said. “But then I realized it was because I missed cheese.”

I understand her sentiments, because cheese and I have had a lifelong love affair, although I didn’t appreciate really good cheese until much later. It doesn’t matter, though: My name is Reina, and I am a cheeseaholic.

I didn’t start out with gourmet cheeses – mom bought American cheese like so many other mothers across America. But as a nice Sephardic girl, we ate a lot of cheese, as it is a huge staple in our diets (more about that later). So in addition, there were sharp cheeses and different types of parmesan. The adults ate goat cheeses, whereas my sister and I enjoyed cheddar, Monterey jack and Colby. The only cheese I didn’t eat was cream cheese.

My tastes changed when I got older. While working in Santa Clarita, I would go to the Whole Foods and try all the strange and special cheeses that they had samples for next to the fruit. It was an experience as to what flavor could be.

When I began to explore the culinary world, my outlook on cheese changed. From delicious creamy bries to the sharp crisp flavor of gorgonzola, I began trying them in my dishes. Smoked cheeses, herbed cheeses, creamy cheeses and even those that may not be considered the toast of the culinary world (I don’t care who knows it – I love pub cheese). Either way, I enjoy the salty bite, the smoothness on my tongue, and the joy that cheese gives. I’m just crackers about it.

But then comes the catch – the kosher catch. Dairy is a tricky subject in the kosher world, as there are people who observe chalav yisrael – which basically means that you can only eat dairy products that are produced exclusively by Jews (wine has a similar process, too). Although there are a group of Jews who observe this, not all do.

But then cheese gets even more complex – you see, the way cheese was traditionally made was that you took enzymes from a cow’s (or sheep’s, or goat’s) stomach and mixed it in with the milk. This is called rennet, or animal rennet. Orthodox rabbis say that this violates the concept of mixing milk and meat, whereas conservative rabbis say that since it is an enzyme, and not actual meat, that it is perfectly acceptable.

Today, it isn’t as big of an issue, because the vast majority of cheeses are produced with synthetic enzymes, such as vegetable and microbial rennet, instead of animal rennet. But there are difficulties in certifying certain types of cheeses – whereas it’s easy to find kosher mozzarella, ricotta, goat cheese and even spreadable cheeses that are, other cheeses such as cheddar, brie and blue are trickier.

Personally, I follow the conservative rabbis point of view, but I still read every label of cheese. I rarely buy cheeses with animal rennet, but when I go out, I don’t quiz my waiter about it. I love good cheese, particularly Artisan cheeses. I’m currently in a goat cheese phase, and I love Humbolt Fog – it combines the creaminess of brie and the tang of blue cheese with the unique flavor of goat’s milk. It is so tasty that every time I go into a gourmet grocery store, I look for it.

The quest for great cheese is a never-ending one – currently, I’m looking for a great gourmet cheese shop in Long Beach (and may have found one, thanks to Yelp – I will keep you posted). Although I am being more careful about what I eat, I think that it’s important to enjoy flavor. Appreciating the good stuff is crucial. As with life, we should soak up the taste of it, and linger on it even as the months pass us by. We should savor life, like a good wine – or, of course, a fabulous cheese.

Instead of giving a recipe for this, I’m going to make you do the legwork: Visit Wikihow and Food Network on how to make a fabulous cheese and fruit plate so you can enjoy cheese just as much as I do.