Yes, I probably have. Because I love it. Very much. In fact, I just bought a huge log at Costco yesterday. To show my love for the creamy cheese.

The funny thing is that I’d never had it until I was 30. That’s true of a lot of foods, actually. I was slightly food-sheltered as a kid. My mom cooked the traditional stuff: goulash, pot roast and veggies, spaghetti, burgers and fries, mashed potatoes, soup. She cooked what she knew and we didn’t really venture beyond that. I was a picky eater as a kid, so that didn’t help her cause much either.

I seriously never ate Chinese food until I was 21. I went on a date with this guy and he was appalled that I’d never had hot ‘n sour soup. His jaw basically hit the table. (He agreed to a second date, though, so I couldn’t have been all bad.)

So just imagine my reaction when Scott, my then boyfriend, wanted to take me to an Ethiopian restaurant for my 27th birthday. I balked. I did agree to German, though, which was slight progress toward ethnic exploration.

Living in Chicago, a city bursting with exciting restaurants and culinary adventures, teamed with dating a guy who would eat anything, loosened me up a bit. I started trying things. And liking them. Thai food. Indian food. Mediterranean food. Greek food. And, yeah, Ethiopian food. I found something to like in every cuisine. Hummus! Kalamata olives! Feta cheese! Injera bread! Satay! Samosas!

I have no idea when or where the goat cheese came in, but I have vivid memories of a to-die-for goat cheese enchilada in Montpelier, Vermont.

It’s so funny to look back 20 years and see how far I’ve come in the food department. I even persuaded my mom to try hummus and she loves it. Although there’s a lot more she won’t try. And I’m OK with that. More goat cheese for me!