Cheese as ...

Cheese as ...
             ... Buttons
                          Sarah Scott asks...
                          Marian Van Til replies...
                          From Victuals and Provisions
             ... Rubber
                          California Cheese - Kyle Lerfald
                          Goodyear Tires - Marian Van Til
                          Goodyear "All Season" Tires - Kyle Lerfald
                          Pirelli Tires - David Goldblatt
                          Pirelli Tires - Kyle Lerfald

Cheese as ...
... Buttons
Sarah Scott asks... Cheese...didn't sailors carve buttons out of cheese? What do you have to do to cheese to make it that solid? Would they melt in water? in sea water? What kind of cheese would they have been issued?

Marian Van Til replies...
Cheese (at least some types) will get rock hard when its moisture evaporates (as in: leave it unnoticed for three to six weeks in your refrigerator in a less-than-airtight wrapping). On the up side, that prevents it from molding, and it remains edible (more or less; if you intend to melt it; with a blow torch; or at least a Bunsen burner).

From Victuals and Provisions
We read that the cheese and the beef were capable on occasions of being cut into buttons, which seems to point out that these commodities were of a singularly indigestible nature.

... Rubber
California Cheese - Kyle Lerfald
California cheese is second only to Goodyear tires on a cracker.

Goodyear Tires - Marian Van Til
Do you serve Goodyears on crackers regularly, Kyle? Maybe you should try washing it down with dark sambuca instead of beer the next time. It may better bring out the nuances in the rubber.

Goodyear "All Season" Tires - Kyle Lerfald
Personally, if I must serve ties, I only use steel-belted radial Goodyear "All Season" tires - one has standards to maintain. Usually served on Carr's Water Biscuits with cracked pepper and a light white wine.

Pirelli Tires - David Goldblatt
Hmmm. You've always struck me as an import tyre kinda guy. Pirelli perhaps? With a little melted Brie on top all nestled in a Baguette of French bread.

Pirelli Tires - Kyle Lerfald
Pirelli have a good "chew," but I find that unless one eats them quickly ... well, one becomes exhausted with the flavor.