I love gifts. I do. I love wrapping them and giving them. I love opening them. I love watching other people open them.

Know what else I love? Cheese. That’s right; I said cheese. I love me some ricotta, some cheddar, a little colby; it’s all delicious. Well, except for bleu, but that’s another post. (Sorry, Jen.)

Why did I bring these two disparate concepts up together? Because I want to talk about gift-wrapped cheese! Ever think of how many things are really just little gift-wrapped packets of cheese?

Brie en croute, for one. Sounds fancy, no? Brie en croute is, simply put, brie cheese wrapped in pastry. It’s baked until it’s golden brown and super deliciously gooey and creamy. Pour on a little honey and scoop it up with an apple and basically, it’s like a warm hug from an angel. Really. It’s that good.

Last night for dinner I made cheese tortellini with meatballs in a marina sauce. Little gift-wrapped packages of Italian cheeses, neatly encased in delicately folded pasta, tossed in a thick, rich sauce and nestled between dense, seasoned meatballs. Everything in the bowl was wee and round. The sauce wore red; the Parmesan was in white. It was beautiful. It was fun. It was cheesy and delici0us.

While I enjoy the variety of ways cheese can come wrapped—individual wedges, al la Laughing Cow; covered in fun red wax on your gouda; sliced and wrapped in celophane just waiting to be slapped on a sandwich—I have to say I think that this week, tortellini is my favorite. Delicate yet dense, rich yet refreshing, versatile yet consistent.

This holiday season, as you’re struggling to come up with another gift idea, remember, you can’t go wrong with cheese. Really. Give me cheese!

5 Responses to “Mmm…. Cheese”

1. Irving Says:
   

   cute

   December 20th, 2009 at 12:08 am
2. Momma Says:
   

   Irving……………good name I think it works

   December 21st, 2009 at 1:21 am
3. Jennifer Says:
   

   Could you love a bleu cheese tortellini?

   December 21st, 2009 at 9:41 pm
4. Kari Says:
   

   No. I’m sorry. A girl has to draw a line somewhere. (But I’d be willing to try it, tossed in a bacon vinaigrette with some toasted walnuts and sliced scallions. Hmm…)

   December 24th, 2009 at 11:01 am
5. Антон Павлович Says:
   

   Спасибо …

   Извините за то, что вмешиваюсь: Мне знакома эта ситуация. Пишите здесь или в PM….

   March 14th, 2010 at 11:46 am

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