Do I love it because it reminds me of childhood? Perhaps. For road trips, my mother packed a large picnic basket with fried chicken, cream cheese and olive sandwiches (on white Merita bread), Golden Flake potato chips, and cookies (probably toll house chocolate chip cookies). I remember paper napkins, a red checked tablecloth to spread on the grass, a thermos and cups, and sometimes a watermelon found along the way.Do I love it for the smoothness of the cream cheese and the surprisingly vinegary bite of the green olive? Perhaps. I have yet to meet a milk product I dislike.
Do I love it for the cheerful appearance? Perhaps. A peaked fluff of with dots of green and red. What's not to like?
Do I love it for the flavor and the combination of creaminess with the snap of a chip? Absolutely!
For whatever reason, cream cheese and olive (melded with a bit of heavy cream just the way Mother made it) satisfies the palate on a rainy day.
