For cream cheese fans

Benreis, Wikimedia Commons

Cream cheese and lox on a seeded bagel is a treat. Add a thin slice of red onion and perhaps some capers for added flavor.

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Cream cheese seems to be one of those food items that people either love or hate. That is fine, as we all have our own preferences and there’s nothing wrong with that. I am reminded of the days when I was a hostess in a family-run winery tasting room.

On my first day, I was standing alone behind the horseshoe-shaped bar when a tour bus pulled into the parking lot. Being someone who was so shy I did not even dance at my own wedding, I turned around as if to leave, feeling panicked. I had hoped that my first presentation would be to just one or two people. But I knew I was not actually going to abandon my post, so I greeted the crowd that entered the tasting room. I started talking and haven’t shut up since.

Now to my point: I poured samples of just about every wine we had to offer, and the one that was most interesting was a white wine called Sauvignon Blanc. For all the time I worked there, tasters either loved or hated it. To an extreme. There were no people who felt midway about it. I never forgot that, and to this day, I am still not sure what exact quality that wine possessed, to cause such an extreme divide. I am also unsure if cream cheese has a similar effect on people, but for those who do love it, I hope you find at least one recipe here you will want to try.