NOT JUST ANY CHEESE

What a nice surprise it was for me while looking through a food magazine to discover that my very favorite cheese in the world, CAMBOZOLA, is now available in cream cheese form. If you aren't familiar with this cheese I'll tell you about it and what makes it so special. It was developed in Bavaria, Germany, in the 1970's and is a cow's milk cheese that is a combination of a French triple soften cream cheese and an Italian gorgonzola. This gives it the qualities of a brie with a burst of gorgonzola that makes you sit up and take notice. Being on the soft side it works so well in many dishes or even just on crackers (Bremner Wafers being a favorite). I have indulged in this delicacy for a number of years and now am so excited to be able to find it in cream cheese form in my local supermarket. This brings to mind endless possibilities for kitchen creations. Can't wait to get started.

COMMENTARY

Easter was a warm and fuzzy and delicious holiday for our family. It's so nice to have a holiday where we don't have to do the "gift" thing (just give the little ones a basket filled with goodies) and concentrate on the meaning of the special day. It also brings to the front the beginning of the warm outdoor months and all that comes with better weather.

Our town, like most in the U. S., is a mixture of cultures, religions and ethnic citizens but for the most part I am guessing we are Christian as we have 3 Christian churches in town and no other houses of worship. Being a population of 5000 here in New England means that the "downtown" area is quite small but has the requisite "common" in the center which is surrounded by said churches. In our neighboring communities you can find houses of worship for every type of religion which accomodates our citizens so no one is without. This is a population filled with vitality and diversification in which each and every one of us can be our own person but are also part of a family that is a foundation to support us and contribute to our well being as needed.

However, I was given a little jolt recently when I saw a sign on our common advertising a "Spring Egg Hunt." What... no Easter Egg Hunt? Now this can be taken 2 ways: it can be a reflection that church and state should be separate OR it can also be another infringement on our personal religious expression. I have never found that a child is excluded from this springtime ritual because of a different religion that does not believe in Easter. And nor should they be. On the other hand what is wrong with each group of believers having their special celebrations to express their beliefs. Having grown up in a predominately Jewish community and not being Jewish I enjoyed being asked to participate in celebrations that were not of my belief but were a learning exprience that gave me insight to other peoples and their faiths. Maybe we need more of that so we can work on getting along better.

Take care,

Pam