Thursday, July 19, 2007

Say Cheese! The Laughing Cow


We. Love. CHEESE!


Emilia and I have a shared love of all things cheese that dare not speak its name. And so, since cheese is a) the only thing in my fridge 80% of the time (though it prefers to have at least a couple of beers in there for company), b) the only thing I eat everyday without fail and c) irresistible to me when accompanied by the word "plate" or "cart", I'd like to make a practice of sharing my favorite cheeses with the LawyerEats crowd on a regular basis. If you are lactose intolerant or vegan or for some other reason cannot eat cheese, then I cry for you, Argentina. Try soy cheese, it's just as good. (LIE.)


I always loved cheese, as did my sister who would literally melt it over every food she consumed between the ages of 5 and ah, how old are you now Vigi? (Hehehe no but I'm serious.) But I first started to develop a real respect for it when I spent a summer in Paris at age 18. I lived with a cousin of my mother's (the French Canadian side) in a flower-filled Parisian suburb called Thiais. Every night after dinner, with great flourish, the lovely lady of the house would bring out the cheese plate. The couple were neo-hippies (in the best way) and ate practically a macrobiotic vegetarian type diet the rest of the time, but cheese was never rejected.


So, with that background, I present to you one of my favorite snacking cheeses, which I knew in my French Canadian childhood as "La Vache qui Rit" (literally, "the cow that laughs")...


THE LAUGHING COW.


The Laughing Cow, which is French-owned, makes a variety of delicious, light cheese products that are just so handy for throwing on any number of cheese delivery devices. My fridge at home and at work is always stocked with one variety or other. (Right now, at home, it's all of them!)


Mini Babybel - this is the one that I ate most as a child. There is nothing like holding that firm, smooth little wax round in your hand and pulling the tab to reveal Pacman-esque, firm but mild cheese goudaness. I also love how the cheeses are in a little fishnet, that is so fun. The regular variety in the red wax is tasty and perfect sized for a packed lunch (I bring them on the plane) or little hungers (petits faims, in French...doesn't work as well in English but you know what I'm saying.) I also love the yellow-wax one called "Bonbel" which tastes a little milder, and the "Light" one when I want a more airy Babybel. I haven't tried the "Gouda" variety yet-- if you have, please comment!



My favorite way to eat it: on its own, with a glass of nice brown ale to accompany. For photo, go to: http://www.thelaughingcow.com/lc/lc.nsf/ProductsL2-MiniBabyBel?openpage

Wedges - I looove the wedges. They are by far the most versatile and easy to eat Laughing Cow, in my opinion. I also love how they are wedge shaped in their little round cardboard pie box. I have tried all of the varieties except Light French Onion, which I have never seen except in legend. If you have had it, please comment! I have tried: Original Creamy Swiss (very creamy, mild, and slightly tart, awesome on toast with berry jam); Light Swiss Original (35-calorie version, a bit lighter in texture and great on green apple slices); Light Garlic & Herb (I'm a sucker for it, I just eat it out of the foil like a ne'er-do-well). All of the wedges in this family are soft, easy to spread, and light in flavor. You can also do really fun things with them as far as creating appetizers for friends or putting them in sandwiches.


My favorite way to eat it: one Light Swiss Original spread in the center of a cooking omelette with caramelized onions, sprinkled with fleur de sel (a really nice sea salt) and topped with salmon roe.
For photo, go to: http://www.thelaughingcow.com/lc/lc.nsf/ProductsL2-Wedges?openpage


Light Gourmet Cheese Bites - I only recently started getting into these, though I remember eating them often when I was little. I love the ingenious foil wrapping on these tiny little cubes. These are essentially the same as the Light Creamy Swiss but in different format. The size makes it perfect to spread onto a cracker when you just want a bite or two. I also like to pop them in my mouth and eat them that way.

My favorite way to eat it: on a "TLC - Original 7 Grain" cracker. The sweet, nutty taste of the cracker really complements the mildly tart flavor of the cheese.
For photo, go to: http://www.thelaughingcow.com/lc/lc.nsf/ProductsL2-CheeseBites?openpage


I buy my Laughing Cow cheeses at Trader Joe's, but you can get them at most grocery stores. And no, they did not pay me to write this post...but if they want to pay me in cheese, OUI OUI!
;-P

No comments: