After going two full weeks of single digit, and below zero temps, yesterday reached a balmy thirty plus degrees. I was able to trudge to the Laundromat. Even though the laundry is only about three blocks away, it is not a journey I'm willing to take in the single digits. I will pull the cleanest dirty item I own to wear. The walk was of course spent weaving in between the streets and sidewalks as people have overall decided to say eff shoveling, ever. When I arrived, I figured I'd be alone since I got there very close to opening. I don't know about other Laundromats, but the two close to my apartment seem to be a refuge camp for sex offenders and people you run from in a dark alley. You would never see me in either place after dark. Of course there were a couple of pervy convict types in there. It's very uncomfortable when people are staring at your undergarments as you're trying to shove them in the machine as quickly as possible. Anyway, my day is going downhill fast as I'm fearing for my safety, (at eight-thirty in the morning, I might add.) I look out of the window, and it's snowing pretty hard. NO NO NO! I finished my laundry, walked home through the snow, almost biffed it several times, and then finally got home, and before I could even take my coat off I see someone has gifted me with a hairball! I was pretty frazzled, and I seriously understand toddlers having tantrums. Sometimes you really do need to cry, and slobber, and kick and punch. Anyway, after putting laundry away, and calming down a bit, I remembered that I still had a package of tomato cayenne Chao slices in my fridge! Like any addict knows, nothing calms you down like a quick fix. What I noticed first is that field roast really nailed it with the color. It looks much closer to a good quality cheddar than other vegan cheeses. When I opened the package, these slices smelled very reminiscent of pepper jack. And it looked like pepper jack, except if memory serves, pepper jack was white. It tasted like cheddar, but like a pepper jack cheddar. I would say the tomato flavor is very subtle. It has a spicy kick, but definitely a mild kick, and it has a nice cheddar bite. As with the other flavors, the slices separate easily, and it has a great firm texture that I adore. I ate a slice on it's own, and then I had some sesame crackers with the cheese on top, and wow, I almost cried tears of joy. All of my laundry, and weather issues went bye-bye. I totally zoned out on my Chao buzz, all thoughts of snow and pervy weirdo's floated away, in a spicy haze. What I'm really trying to say is that field roast has nailed it in every single department, as far as I'm concerned. Field roast can drop the mic, they've won it all. I did not combine any with my ripe avocado, once again, I just wanted to eat it in it's natural, lovely state. It would make kick-ass nachos, or Queso dips. I've seen a few recipes and pictures online, and yum. Or julienned and put on a taco salad, or burrito bowl. I bet it would make amazing jalapeno poppers too! Maybe What I have left of my package will make it into a recipe. Maybe. I see what my grocery splurge is going to be week, after week.
I've tried all three flavors, and I can't really pick a fave. If I were forced, I would have to say creamy original, because it reminded me of childhood in some kind of way, and with no other competing flavors, the tang of the cheese really shined. The tomato cayenne is nipping at the heels. Something else super cool about this cheese is it has a pretty long expiration date. I bought my packages on Saturday, Feb. 28th, and they are good until July 13th. If anyone out there buys this cheese, and the expiration date becomes an issue, please let me know. I would be amazed if this cheese lasts in any household for more than a week!
My alternate Chao title was going to be Third time's the Chao-m. I'm here everyday folks.
No comments:
Post a Comment