President Brie – made in my hometown of Belmont, Wis. — seems to get a bad rap. Just last week, Murray’s Cheese’s weekly newsletter promoted its “Recession Diet” class by proclaiming that it is still possible to “stick to a budget without resorting to box wine and Presidenté brie.”
Ouch.
I have to admit that I haven’t had President Brie since I was a teenager. My dad and I used to eat it with crackers at the local club in the winter before playing our weekly tournament game of Smear (it’s a card game) on Wednesday nights. It was a big treat. As a household that usually had nothing but Velveeta in its fridge, eating local brie was a big deal.
So it was with fond memories of my childhood that I picked up the new President Brie Log currently being touted in supermarkets everywhere. It’s a new shape “perfect for crackers” and comes ready to slice with a “thin edible rind.”
I took the Brie log, along with a box of Carr’s Crackers and a jar of local Black Cherry jam to — guess what — my monthly outing with girlfriends where we play dice in a tournament (it doesn’t seem like anyone plays cards anymore, much less the old standby game of Smear).
I sliced the brie onto the crackers, dropped a small dollop of jam on top and voila – instant appetizer that looked classy and actually tasted really good. So, if you’re looking for an easy hors d’œuvre that takes about three minutes to prepare, the new Sliceable Log of President Brie is your cheese.
And if anybody out there still plays Smear, let me know. I’m always looking for a card game.
Seems like these Murray’s Cheese people are just plain cheese snobs. I’ll stick to buying at farmers markets or the creamery owned stores.
Hey Jeanne, where did you play Smear with your dad…at Mag’s? Sorry I never learned that game…how about some cribbage?
Hi Amy — yes, Dad and I used to play smear at the Heins Pool Hall in “downtown” Belmont. Ah, good times. Cribbage is fun, too. I taught my daughter how to play and she’s already beating me. I remember it taking a good six months to beat my dad the first time when he taught me as a kid. Obviously she’s smarter than I am. 🙂
I am going to attempt to teach cribbage to my oldest daughter (10) this weekend actually. My dad has been bugging me to carry on the family tradition. Don’t worry – some day Avery’s daughter will be beating her in cribbage too, right?