mecca.
heaven.
the answer to all of my life questions.
i was let down.
don't get me wrong-
they've got the most amount of cheeses i've ever seen under one roof,
but they sure know how to burst an excited cheese loving girl's bubble.
it started when i was having an afternoon tea at the aroma cafe on 72nd street.
i suddenly went
from neutral
to starving
to mac & cheese craving.
i decided that a nice
whole wheat penne
&
a pecorino romano sauce
would do the deed.
but if i'm going to use only one cheese in my mac,
it better be a good one.
this, i concluded, was a job for murray.
my shopping list was simple:
1. a little block of the
sharpest,
tangiest,
most pungent
pecorino money can buy
{for the mac}
2. a bit of mr. cheese's favorite pick
{to munch on while making the mac}
i entered the bleecker storefront,
expecting to see a shining light and to hear the voice of angels.
instead all i heard was my very own voice.
"HELLLLLLLO!"
i excitedly said to the old man behind the counter,
to which he answered with a halting stare.
i backed off.
what do i do?
quick, find a cheese.
he silently raised a very large knife with a chunk of it at the end.
it was pretty bad.
cheese should not take baths in balsamic vinegar.
"ohh. and do you have any sharper pecorino/parmesan-like cheeses?"
he pointed behind me to the prepackaged parmesan.
"may i taste them?"
"no."
at least he spoke.
but did it have to be in that, "how dare you?" tone?!
"...ohhhh k. then can you suggest one that i can taste?"
meh.
"...hmm. and what about that one?"
whatever.
"...how about the drunken goat cheese? do you like that one???"
am i talking to a wall here?
why is he so annoyed at me?
there is NO ONE ELSE IN THIS STORE.
screw it.
"just gimme some of that goat stuff so i can get out of here, mr cheese dude."
and i was out of there.
you see, i like to make friends with the people behind the counter.
...to have a dialogue about the cheese,
see what they suggest,
see what their faves are,
see what's a bit sharper,
maybe softer,
something like this
but from a goat...?
like, when i asked the man at whole foods what his fave was,
i discovered epoisses!
which turned out to be one of MY faves!
and when i asked the man at fairway for something tangy
he first complimented me on my hat :-)
then suggested midnight moon.
which hit the spot!
how am i supposed to expand my cheese knowledge when THE cheese guy treats you like an idiot?
poop.
poopity poop poop poop.
anyways.
i got home and realized that my little mac & cheese making casserole dish was being used for seven layer bars.
enter:
the cupcake pan
and the creation of
the mac & cheese cupcake
with ketchup in lieu of frosting
:-)
they were yummy. and roomies loved them too!
{in your stupid face, mr. cheese man}
xoxo
yeh
