Gjetost is not for the timid, but then at one time neither were a few other tasty standbys in the culinary universe (oysters, limburger, shrimp, mushrooms).

Here’s another idea for a food article: foods that didn’t make much of an impression the first time you had them, but that NOW you love.

My heart goes out to peterb and his plastic-wrapped cheese problem. As someone once wrote, cheese is a living thing and plastic smothers it with chemicals. Why not assemble quotations to this effect from noted cheese experts (try using the store’s own competitor’s words — Whole Foods)and sending these, along with your concerns, to the manager of the store. Have your friends do likewise. Stress the importance to the store of the young, cheese-eating demographic; that is, that group that now opts to buy most of its cheese from Whole Foods instead of Giant Eagle.

Just a thought. Cheese is worth a little ink and activism.

Bill Van Benschoten in cheese-friendly Santa Monica, CA

Ah yes, the famous “hot dog in Yankee stadium” effect. I could see that.

(Maybe it’s better if you’re drinking aquavit?)

Idea for an article: foods that are only good when you’re eating them “there,” for interesting values of “there.”