Saturday, March 17, 2007

The Stileto Syndrome: The Rise & Fall of Port Wine Cheese

    I can recall the first time I tasted Port Wine Cheese. I was with a date and we were in a cafe that served cheese, wines and coffee in a very casual living room type atmosphere.

   I was 21 at the time, and back then, the markets had a limited variety of cheeses.  Port Wine and Cheddar, sounded so, decadent. We ordered it,and  it was served with fresh fruits and an assortment of crackers, and of course our wine selection. Within moments of my first taste of this new variety of cheese, my entire state of consciuosness was elevated! I suddenly felt a little more mature, a little more "wordly and sophiscated".  Beneath the Tiffany Lamp and the soft piano music playing lightly in the backround, I directed our conversation towards politics and other wordly matters. All this, from the taste of cheese.

  Years have passed since. The markets are overflowing with cheeses and yes, Port Wine is now found everywhere. I just saw some being offered in 7-11 store, although it is packaged like a cream cheese spread (yuk).  I have encountered this cheese more times than I care to count. I am no longer drawn to it in the way I once was. I no longer feel sophisticated beyond my years when I taste it.

Hold that thought.....

 

   I once worked in an office that had a very tempermental lady working it. One day she would greet you with the smiles, the next day, she'd ignore you like you weren't there.Her ups and downs were faster than two Hippos on a see-saw!

   Her redemption,......on certain days of the week, she would wear stiletos. Her overall appearence....was simply, average. Not very pretty,average body type, not curvey, or busty, not tall, not short....just average.  For some reason, when she would walk through the office with those pointed heels....she seemed to have gained an edge in all categories.When she strutted through the office in those heels,   how quickly I could forgive her cold shoulder and  her biting remarks that she made just the day before.

   So as I stare into my fridge, and notice that piece of Port Wine Cheese (from who knows when) and do not have the desire for it. I salute you ladies, with your magic slipper, how easily, one style of shoe can have a mood altering impact.

  ....Now I know why Prince charming was going so crazy to findCindarella, it was the stileto!

 

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm still waiting for my prince....geez........
It's getting expensive leaving a glass stileto at a bar every week!
With my luck, when he finally comes, my feet will be swollen!
Ü
I remember those Wine & Cheese places, uh oh...I think I am showing my age~
; (
Marie

Anonymous said...

I remember a place like that, it also served Fondues...ah, dipping fruit into melted cheese or chocolate....what an amazing concept.
Be well,
Ellen

Anonymous said...

Hmmm...that just may have been ME on that date with you.
I have an almost identical recall.    Weirder things have happenned,  ya know?

Anyway, the high heels thing wouldn't have been me most likely!

Great descriptions again...

Nancy
PS  I DID waitress at one of those places...called "The Living Room"

Anonymous said...

Splendid imagery once again.  For me, the cheese was Brie in grand Paris!  I was 21 and a travel agent on a familiarization trip with the agency I worked for.  I still love the flavor, though I don't know when the last time I had it was.

Not so much with stilettos, though I can see how mens' perceptions are altered = )

Tammy
http://lifeliveitormissout.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

no WONDER no prince has come for me! i own NO STILETTOS!!!!
ha! the secret is OUT. how silly for men to be so smitten by a pair of pumps.
blah! high heels make my ankles buckle and i am prone to falling down syndrome
lol

damn, i better go buy a pair!

i might go lame, but do u think my prince would carry me on his shoulders as long as i continue to wear those stylin stilettos on my tootsies?

hahhahahahaha

naaaaa, nevermind, im busty, i dont need those crippling syndromes