Some people think I'm a food snob. I don't know why that is. I just like food without mystery ingredients. What's so wrong with that? The fresher, the better.
But then, on Friday, I was shopping and realized something. Something that indicated to me that I might just be a teensy bit of a food snob after all. I had NO clue where to find Velveeta cheese. I wanted to make that cheese dip that's so popular at parties, you see, because I was hosting a chapter board meeting at my house on Sunday. And I like that dip, but I've never made it, so there I was searching.
Not. A. Clue.
And I was too stubborn to stop and ask. (Or maybe I didn't want anyone to know what I was looking for. I had visions of Tony Bourdain going all Invasion of the Body Snatchers on me if he saw the stuff in my cart.) I figured out pretty quick that it wasn't refrigerated. And that's just wrong! What's in that stuff anyway?
So I wandered down to the chips. Nope, not there. I wandered back to the canned tomatoes (you know, because you pair it with Rotel). Nope, not there either.
I wandered past the macaroni and cheese. I never look at this stuff because I don't eat it. But before you think I'm an unrepetant snoot, the first meal I ever learned to cook, when I was about eight yrs old, was boxed macaroni and cheese. Loved the stuff! And I've made plenty of Hamburger Helper back in the day. Oh yes, used to go to Sam's Club and buy the stuff in bulk.
But somewhere along the way, I changed my stripes.
While I was searching for Velveeta, I remembered Government Cheese. Remember that? I think it was the gov't version of Velveeta, and they used to give it away. My parents used to get it, and we put it on crackers and who knows what else. Probably made grilled cheese sandwiches with it.
Finally, I arrived at the Velveeta. It sort of has it's own place in the store! It was down the aisle from the mac & cheese, and it comes in varieties now. Pepper Jack? That looked kind of good.
But then I saw the price. Seriously, cheese* that the gov't used to give away for free costs as much as gourmet cheese from France?! Mon Dieu! Somewhere, Julia Child is rolling in her grave. After deliberating, I chose the smaller package, 2% milk version. And forked over enough money for it to buy a hunk of brie.
What food do you consider funky? Do you use Velveeta? Remember free gov't cheese? And yes, I made the dip — and it was good! But now that I've gone searching for how the stuff is made, I don't think I'll be buying it very often…
*Actually, it's a “cheese product.” Kraft was sued for calling it cheese because real cheese has 51% cheese or more. Velveeta does not. They cook it with a lot of whey, and then it congeals into the stuff we know as Velveeta. And it did look like a shiny congealed mass of something yellow to me.
Sometimes ya gotta have the Velveeta– RoTel dip just can’t be made without out. (And that’s the only thing I use it for.)
Most Europeans think it’s strange that American Cheese slices are advertised as being made of 2% milk as a selling point. They want to know what the other 98% is…
Now I want Brie…
Yes, Lynn, the dip was very good. And I just had to laugh about your grocery store adventure. I’ve occasionally used Velveeta, also to make the dip and I love the stuff, but I can never remember where to buy it.
And sometimes its just better not to know where your food comes from… 🙂
Lynn,
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to know what you’re eating. I do think there is a problem with Velveeta costing as much as Brie!
Haven’t had Velveeta in years, but I do have Hamburger Helper when my husband is out of town.
Barbara
PC, yep, sometimes you have to have the stuff. I forgot to mention that though it’s not cheese, per se, it is high in protein because of the whey. That’s why the gov’t gave it away to people during economic hard times. It had high nutrients.
LOL, I sometimes wonder what the other 98% is too. Because it makes you wonder since “2% milk” doesn’t explain the concept of low-fat on the package.
Mmm, brie. Warmed in garlic butter, with crackers. Oh gee.
Angel, I’m glad it’s not just me who didn’t know where to find it! I seriously thought it was an indication of my food snobbery. 🙂 But if other people can’t find it, I don’t feel as bad. 😉
Hi, Barbara! I haven’t had Hamburger Helper in years. I used to make it a lot when the hubby and I were first married and working all the time. It was inexpensive (in bulk) and it was quick. I bet they have new varieties now. 🙂
I only use Velveeta to make Rotel dip and homemade pimento cheese (there’s that “cheese” word again. Havent’ made the latter in ages. I learned how when we lived overseas and I couldn’t buy pimento cheese and the DH loves pimento cheese sandwiches.
I didn’t know how to cook when I got married, despite winning the Betty Crocker Homemaker award in high school (it’s a written test where you only have to know what escarole is, not do anything with it). So we ate lots of Hamburger Helper while I learned to cook “real” food. Once I did, the DH made me promise we’d never have it again. I did used to fix it for the boys when the DH was on business trips. Now that it’s just me, I rely on Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine and frozen french bread pizza when he’s out of town.
Never heard of Velveeta (or RoTel), but it sounds… interesting 🙂
How about a slice of manchego with quince jelly? Yum yum.