224. Cougar Gold

I realize this blog of things that I appreciate about my country is pretty personal and not really the stuff of joy reading, but it has helped me stay out of the dumps of depression and eased me into retirement. When I started it I thought it was just politics that were getting me down, but then the pandemic came and I found that all kinds of things can get me, or anyone else, down. It just gets easy to forget that “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…my cup runneth over.” So, this exercise reminds me of that, and hopefully anyone else that stumbles upon it will also be reminded. That being said, when you get to the end of a list it can get a little difficult to remember all the new things that are making that cup bubble over and that’s where I am. That’s a good thing, to make yourself thing of minute details about your life that make living enjoyable. It’s very important to remember that life is enjoyable, that I have life, and I have life abundantly. So, in thinking about this and adding to my list, I realized that I had a few restaurants and wineries and breweries and that sort of thing on the list—and these are all American, because elections and political events can get me down about my country—so I realized one thing that fits into the food category is cheese. More particularly is my love of Cougar Gold cheese.

Cougar Gold cheese is a cheese that is very local around the Palouse because it is made at Washington State University. I only live 25 miles from WSU and even though it’s in the neighboring state it’s still home and I attend sporting events and concerts and plays there fairly often. The mascot for WSU is the cougars, so the cheese is named for that. I’m not sure what the gold is about, except perhaps the value. Whatever the reason, that seems apt to me.

It seems like most popular cheeses in the US lean toward the creamy mild flavor—none more obviously than American cheese. Even cheddar cheeses are typically more mild in the US, and if you want a good sharp cheddar—I mean a good sharp, not the “sharp” found in the super-market—you need to get a specialty sharp cheese, probably something from Europe. Cougar Gold, while fully American, is like one of those strong flavored European cheeses. You also will pay for it, but it isn’t really all that expensive, especially if you get it at WSU. If you buy it at the local stores around here a can runs you $30-$32 but if you buy it at Ferdinand’s Ice Cream Shop at WSU or the campus bookstores you’ll pay $25 for a can. Yes, it comes sealed in a tin striped in gold and gray. The can is about the equivalent of two bricks of cheddar in the grocery store that run $8-$10 a pop, so really, it’s not that expensive. And if you’re not picky about it holding together perfectly (which I am not) you can buy a can of end cuts at WSU for $20—so you are really getting a better buy for one of the best cheeses anywhere.

Around here you can find Cougar Gold in all sorts of local dishes in homes and restaurants, along with all the crazy lentil recipes. (The area is known for lentils, peas, and wheat.) Cougar Gold Macaroni and Cheese is a favorite and you can get the recipe online if you’d like to try it. Cougar Gold and bacon grilled on Texas Toast is one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches to indulge in as well. But I will just as easily eat a chunk of it with a cracker and a glass of wine, or bits of it with some pretzels and beer. Let me add that I try to save it for special occasions because I love it so much and it is definitely a saturated fat that is not good for my coronary artery disease! Nevertheless, I love Cougar Gold cheese.