caviar cream cheese

i love caviar. love love love it. but it's dear, and therefore a rare indulgence in my life. usually, i'll get my fix from crisp, salty bubbles of ikura from my favorite local sushi place, sakura hana. a few years ago, while on a lean budget, i decided to splurge on lunch at the grand central oyster bar. i ordered a caviar sandwich. black, russian caviar between 2 slices of toast--simple, salty, and special. sitting alone that afternoon, with the restaurant nearly desolate after the lunchtime crowd had sallied forth into the midtown madness, i was in my own private heaven.

this morning, i took a quick stroll around the corner to russ and daughters for some caviar cream cheese. yes, that's right, caviar cream cheese. purists might be appalled, but it's really a terrific blend of cream cheese, scallion, and a touch of caviar. it's milder than a lox spread, just a whiff of the sea on your tongue. i basically made the "poor man's" replication of the caviar sandwich, and it was darn good!