Cheese Dreams

Another irony of me doing a food blog is that my children do not like my cooking. This has nothing to do with my skills or overestimation of my skill. To call them picky eaters would be to say that cats have an attitude once in awhile. Here is the complete list of foods my younger daughter will eat. Note: all vegetables and fruits are to be eaten raw. Seasoning consists of salt. Period. Nothing should be mixed with anything else. Those childhood staples of mac and cheese, PBJs, and sugar frosted cereal are strictly off limits. Some foods, like hard boiled eggs, have come and gone off the list without warning, this is the current status.

carrots

broccoli

apples

grapes

cabbage

lettuce

bananas

tangerines

lemons

orange juice

strawberries

blueberries

meat sticks

salami

yogurt, some brands, no lumps of fruit

chicken breast

turkey

tuna

salmon

tilapia

shrimp

bread: white, wheat, some rolls

crackers: goldfish, saltines, ritz

muffins: blueberry, chocolate

milk

American cheese

ice cream

some cake

some candy

French fries

cheese pizza, some brands

chicken strips, some brands

chocolate chip pancakes

some chips

Oh, and one new item as of last weekend. There was not one thing at the Renaissance Festival that she would eat until, after an entire busy day without food, she decided she could nibble the tiniest tip of a deep fried cheese curd to see if it would kill her. Then she got her own large order. Food of the Gods.

My daughter can tell when, in an effort to be healthier, I substitute turkey for beef meat sticks. She can tell when, in an effort to be more frugal, I switch to a cheaper brand of turkey for her sandwiches. (That would be plain bread and baked sliced turkey lunch meat. No condiments. No “honey- roasted” or smoked.) She knows if I mess with her pancake recipe. I think she’s one of those supertasters I’ve heard tell of. She is a strong bitter PTC taster, while I can’t taste it at all. (And yet, oddly enough, will contently devour cruciferous vegetables that supposedly taste bitter to supertasters.) The only other form of sandwich she’ll eat is grilled cheese, or rather Cheese Dreams as given in the Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, 1918, vol 2. 

CHEESE DREAMS.

If something delicious to serve with fruit or salad is desired for luncheon or Sunday night supper, the accompanying recipe for cheese dreams should be tried. They should be served at once on being taken from the stove, because as soon as they cool the cheese hardens and they are not appetizing. Cheese dreams may be sauted or prepared in a broiler or an oven, but if they are sauted, they may be made in a chafing dish.

12 thinly cut slices of bread

Butter

Cheese sliced 1/8 in. thick

Spread the bread thinly with butter and make sandwiches by placing a slice of cheese between two slices of bread. Place these sandwiches under a broiler or in a very hot oven and toast them on both sides, or omit the butter from the center, place the sandwiches in a slightly oiled frying pan, and brown them on both sides. In heating the sandwiches, the cheese melts. Serve hot.

Who wouldn’t want to eat a Cheese Dream? This book also notes:

“The use of cheese, however, is not nearly so great as its food value warrants, the amount used in the United States per capita being only about 3-1/2 pounds annually. This is a condition that should be overcome, for there is a large variety of ways in which cheese can be used to advantage in the diet. When eaten raw, it is very appetizing, and when used with soups, sauces, and foods that have a bland taste, it lends additional flavor and makes an especially attractive dish.”

I agree, extra cheese, please! Bring it on!

(I just looked it up. Americans now eat about 30 lbs. of cheese per person per year. Mission accomplished.)