| After a few upheavals, life has settled down again | | | | five bucks and floated home, smitten. |
| and I've snuggled happily back into my routine - | | | | According to "The Rules", one should wait three |
| which includes writing and, best of all, hitting the | | | | days before calling one's crush so as not to |
| farmer's markets to discover new and exciting | | | | appear desperate. I chose to use this tactic with |
| treasures. And oh - I found one. | | | | my halloumi. If I took it home, ripped it open and |
| Sunday I headed down the street to my local | | | | fried it up right away, what would it think of me? |
| market to pick up some bison, eggs, rib-eyes and | | | | Would it respect me? I doubted so. My halloumi |
| a cow heart for the cats. On the way out, I | | | | sat and wrung its hands ("Will she cook me? She |
| decided to pop by Monforte's table. They make | | | | is gonna cook me, right?") until this evening. |
| gorgeous sheep's milk cheeses and yogurt that | | | | I was going to fry my new love in olive oil to |
| don't seem to bother my sensitive tum. | | | | make it feel more comfortable, being Greek and |
| As I was fingering a silky block of garlic scape | | | | all, but nary a drop in the house. So, I used a bit |
| cheddar, a cute little wedge caught my eye. | | | | of lard. ("Ooooh, you're frying CHEESE in LARD!" |
| White, creamy but firm, lightly speckled with | | | | squealed my belly, delighted by the rebellious |
| herbs. | | | | decadence of it all). Three slices, a few minutes |
| "What's this one?" I asked. | | | | per side, then on to a plate and simply but |
| "That's halloumi," said the Nice Cheese Lady. | | | | smartly dressed with some dried mint leaves, sea |
| "What's halloumi?" | | | | salt and a doosh of lemon juice. |
| "It's a Greek cheese," she replied. "You fry it." | | | | It was a dream date. My halloumi turned out to |
| You know in the movies, when the guy sees the | | | | be just like the human love of my life: crispy on |
| girl for the first time, like when she's walking into | | | | the outside, firm yet tender on the inside, and lets |
| the classroom or the bar or the office, and | | | | out a little squeak when bitten. (yes - my fella fits |
| suddenly everything is in slow motion and she flips | | | | this description, but that's a whole other blog.) |
| her hair and it's all shiny and gorgeous and | | | | Halloumi is nice on its own, simply dressed as I |
| "Dreamweaver" starts playing? Well that | | | | had it - it was almost like a dessert. But you can |
| happened to me, but with cheese. | | | | also grill it in a skewer, kabob-style, or cube it, fry |
| Nice Cheese Lady was waxing poetic about | | | | it and serve it like a crouton in salads or soups. It |
| halloumi originating in Cyprus and how it doesn't | | | | has a neutral flavour, so I imagine it would take |
| melt with the heat because the curd is cooked in | | | | on other herbs and spices very well. You can also |
| whey at high temperatures and the protein | | | | get it packaged in brine, which gives it a more |
| structures are altered, or something to that | | | | salty flavour and I imagine helps it last longer in |
| effect, but all I could hear (besides | | | | the fridge. Not that you'll keep it around long. It's |
| "Dreamweaver") was my belly crooning to me in | | | | far too delicious and versatile to just sit there. If |
| a soothing, lovers whisper: | | | | my gut approves, I may start eating it, oh I don't |
| You fry it. | | | | know, like every day at every meal for the rest |
| Fried cheese. | | | | of my natural life. I know it's still early on in the |
| This is cheese you can fry. | | | | relationship, but when I fall in love, I fall hard. |
| Well 'fry' rhymes with 'buy', and I'm not one to | | | | I'll be sure to post the wedding photos. |
| ignore meaningful coincidences. I plunked down | | | | |