What day is it? I don’t know anymore. As I’m writing (typing) this column, my phone’s calendar says it’s Saturday, Dec. 28, which sounds very fake and suspicious, like I’m in the Twilight Zone.
Fun fact: In Colombia, Dec. 28 is known as Día de los Inocentes, which translates to “Holy Innocents’ Day”. Officially, this day is a Christian commemoration of the newborn and infant male children killed in Bethlehem by the soldiers of King Herod, as documented in the Gospel of Matthew. But in Colombia and other Spanish-speaking countries, Día de los Inocentes is akin to April Fools’, where people play pranks on each other. I’m not sure exactly where the leap from Biblical infanticide to practical jokes came about, but I suppose that should be research for another column.
Anyways, back to my original point (or lack thereof). The days between Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 are such nothing-days. Be honest: does anyone get any work done in that holiday limbo period? My thoughts precisely. Speaking for myself, all I’ve done is eat too much cheese and forget what day of the week it is. I love cheese because, much like a little black dress in one’s wardrobe, it goes with everything: pasta, bread, soup, burgers, hot chocolate, and so on and so forth.
My favorite cheese-based dish that I’ve tried is a type of Colombian bread named almojábana. It’s made primarily with cuajada cheese, corn flour, eggs, butter, and milk. Almojábanas serve as a savory afternoon snack for all sorts of occasions, like long bus rides with your family to the beach, where your aunt gets annoyed that the bus driver is actually following the speed limit on the highway.
Anyways, I recommend eating almojábanas with an ice-cold soft drink or fruit juice.
Readers: what is your favorite cheese or cheese-related dish? Send in your responses to editor@bryancountynews.com; the best responses will receive a lifetime subscription to the Bryan County News, as well as a chance to enter an exclusive drawing to receive $1 million dollars. (Note: Prize winners can only redeem their winnings on weekdays that contain the letter “Z”).
No but seriously, I welcome readers to share their favorite cheesy snacks with the News–bonus points if they have a recipe at hand as well.
As we all step into 2025, let us all brielieve in a brighter future with no holes in our plans, Swiss or otherwise. I have a feeling that everything’s gouda be alright.
Andrea Gutierrez is the editor of the Bryan County News, and considers herself an unofficial cheese connoisseur. Gutierrez is unsure who or what an “official” cheese connoisseur would be, but she imagines that it would be a fun job that looks good on one’s resumé, like being a Hotdogger, which is the actual name for those lucky ducks who get to drive the Wienermobile for Oscar Mayer, the famed American lunch meat subsidiary.