My very first word was cheese. It’s true. Ask my Mom.

My love for the stuff is pure. It tastes fantastic, especially when melted between two pieces of bread. It was and still remains my primary source of protein and nourishment.  But it wasn’t until my much later in life that I started to seek out and discover new cheeses.

Prior to that I was more than satisfied with Cracker Barrel Vermont Sharp White, Merkt’s spread, slices of Kraft Deli Deluxe, Easy Cheese, anything shredded and Velveeta, thank you.

I didn’t experiment with new cheeses for a simple reason… I already had plenty of yummy cheese that I liked and was certain that I wouldn’t like anything else. I was judging a book by it’s cover and I wasn’t even curious so why bother? 

In my early 20’s, I was finally mature enough to at least try.  While waitressing,  I began to hang out with lots of foodies (before that was a term). This crowd talked about food like sport and I was inspired by their passions. Also, my Dad, the family cheese monger, would recommended I try something he had just discovered he was never pushy about it but before long, I was full on committed to finding new tasty cheeses.

About 5 years ago, my curiosity hit a new high.  I wanted to know more about how cheese was made. What makes it look that way? Smell that way. Taste that way. And what are the rules on eating the rind?

So, here I am, reaching out to get others to try new cheese and understand it better so they can enjoy it more.

That’s it. That’s Ten Four Cheese.