Fresh Apple Cake

There isn't a day that goes by where I am not reminded of all of the women who have nurtured my soul and my spirit over the course of my life thus far. As Mother's Day approaches these reminders cause me to be thankful for the blessings which were the direct result of my life path crossing with the women who have shared their wisdom, extended kindnesses, gifted me with their time, provided support, listened without judgment, and sometimes even passed on their recipes to me. From mothers of friends, to neighbors, to friends, to my administrative assistants over the years, these women have often been like surrogate mothers, filling the small, sometimes large voids in my life. They have been some of the wisest, most brilliant, and unselfish women I have had the good fortunate to know, admire, respect, and love.

The other day I was looking through some of my cookbooks when I discovered a yellowed, folded piece of paper with the typewritten recipe for a Fresh Apple Cake on it. The discovery of a lost treasure. If an anthropologist has the ability to date important artifacts, they would be accurate if they identified this piece of paper as being 35 years old. Beyond determining its' age, they most likely would not be able to discern the backstory of this recipe. Because behind almost every handwritten or hand typed recipe there is almost always a story.

Very early on in my professional life, I worked for an educational organization where all of the administrators were supported by a group of hardworking, dedicated, going above and beyond the call of duty secretaries (yes, secretaries, the concept of administrative assistants was not yet conceived). They read our (or I should say my) illegible handwriting (this was in the days before computers), they miraculously never let us miss a deadline, and they sometimes brought in homemade baked goods for our meetings (this was in the days before there were a proliferation of bagel shops and bakery-cafes). Yes, after a long day at the office and going home to take care of their families, they were also taking care of (spoiling actually) us. 

The typewritten recipe for the Fresh Apple Cake came from the 'secretary' that supported me. Her name was Jan. In addition to her role as a 'secretary' she was a lifesaver/coach/confidant/protector/cheerleader/handwritingdecipherer all wrapped into one. Finding the Fresh Apple Cake recipe brought back a flood of memories. Not only of how much I learned from her, but also how much of a surrogate 'mother' she was to me and others. 

I had written some notes on the typewritten Fresh Apple Cake recipe, reflecting some of the tweaks I had made to her recipe way back when. It had been years since I made this cake (another one of those recipes thought to be forever lost). I couldn't help but think it was rather serendipitous finding the recipe just days before Mother's Day.

There are many versions of a Fresh Apple Cake out there and while admittedly not having made or tasted all of them, this recipe might be one of the best. And not just for sentimental reasons. It is moist, crunchy on the edges, not to sweet but ever so satisfying the sweet tooth, and it is beautiful.

It is a cake perfect for dessert, for breakfast, for a morning or afternoon meeting and oh yes, for Mother's Day. This recipe does not require the use a mixer, although you can use one if you want to. A whisk and spatula or wooden spoon will create a perfect cake.

Some apple cakes will call for a mixture of apples, but I have always found this to be a little too evasive for me. I like clarity and I love Granny Smith apples. What I love even more is their tartness and texture in this cake. So for this cake recipe the recommended apples are Granny Smiths. The cake calls for 4 cups of peeled and diced apples and so depending on the size of your apples you may need 4 or 5. Once the apples are diced, toss with approximately two tablespoons of all-purpose flour and set aside. The flour coating on the apples will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the pan during baking.

In a large bowl, the vegetable oil and granulated sugar are whisked until well combined. You will need to put some muscle in this to ensure these two ingredients are well blended (as an added benefit your arms will get a quick workout in). Three large eggs (yes the photo only shows two, but trust me, it needs three eggs) are whisked in until fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla. Using a spatula, mix in the sifted dry ingredients (flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda) until well combined.

The diced apples and chopped, toasted walnuts are mixed in last. After they have been incorporated you will have a very thick batter. The toasted walnuts really add a depth of flavor to this cake, so I encourage you to keep them in. As a reminder, to toast walnuts, place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. 

I used a 9 inch coffee cake pan (Nordicware made the pan I used), however, you could also use a tube pan. Regardless of whether or not the pan you use is non-stick pan, butter/spray and flour the pan (don't forget this step or you will be cursing when you go to unmold the baked cake). In a preheated 350 degree oven, bake the Fresh Apple Cake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. This is a moist cake, one that gets even moister the second day, so you want to be sure to not undercook it.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan before unmolding onto a platter or cake stand. Top the cooled, unmolded cake with sifted confectionary sugar. The cake is delicious adorned only with confectionary sugar, however, a little freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream compliments the cake perfectly. 

Recipe
Fresh Apple Cake (inspired from a recipe shared a lifetime ago by Jan Bilow)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature 
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons for stirring into diced apples
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 heaping teaspoon of Saigon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples (about 4-5 apples, depending on size)
1 cup roasted and chopped walnuts
Optional: 1 cup dark raisins, soaked in hot water and then drained before adding in
Confectionary sugar for dusting
Whipping cream for serving

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9 inch coffee cake or tube pan.
2. Sift flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda. Set aside.
3. Toss diced apples with two tablespoons of flour in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
4. Whisk together the vegetable oil and sugar until well blended.
5. Whisk in eggs until well incorporated.
6. Stir in vanilla.
7. Stir in the flour mixture and mix until well combined.
8. Stir in apples and walnuts until well combined. The batter will be very thick.
9. Bake cake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Allow cake to cool in pan before unmolding onto a platter or cake stand.
11. Sift confectionary sugar over cooled, unmolded cake.
12. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

As someone without children of my own, I have always looked at Mother's Day through a slightly different lens. That being looking at it as a day to celebrate all of the women who have come into my life and been like surrogate mothers to me. The first time they came into my life when I was in elementary school, only I didn't have the word at the time to describe this relationship. Early on they were the mothers of my friends as they seemed to have a kind of sixth sense about me (I have always been relatively easy to read). But later on there was a randomness (or so it seemed at the time) to the women who became more than just a casual acquaintance. Sometimes they were in my life for long periods of time and sometimes just for a short while, however, the impact they each had on me was not time dependent.

As I take that rearview window look at the various points in my life, I am well aware that I sometimes consciously sought out these women or they, for reasons at first unknown, found me. I truly believe we don't sit back and wait for lifelines to come into our lives, sometimes we go out and find them, and then sometimes they seem to find us. Just as I think it was fate that I found the Fresh Apple Cake recipe days before Mother's Day, I believe fate has also been responsible for bringing so many amazing women, amazing surrogate mothers into my life. So as you celebrate Mother's Day this year, I hope you too will remember all of the women who have been there for you, not because they had to, but because they wanted to.

Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Moon Pies

Chocolate, cherries, pecans and marshmallow creme....oh my. Create a simple confection, the Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Moon Pie. Are they what food poetry should be? The answer, I believe, is quite possibly.

These are not your traditional graham cracker and marshmallow sandwich cookies coated in chocolate. You know the ones you may have had packed in your lunches or picked up for an end of day or for a long drive sustenance snack at the local convenience store. Rather the Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Moon Pie is a celestial version, one having a gravitational pull so powerful you will not be able to walk away from them (unlike those moon pies that always seem to be positioned in very close proximity to a store's cash register).

I don't think I knew what a moon pie was until I moved to the South. We didn't have them in the house I grew up in, instead we had the marshmallowy centered chocolate Hostess cupcakes which as a kid I usually deconstructed (I only liked the marshmallow filling and the chocolate frosting). In spite of my early on pick apart tendencies, there is nothing about this moon pie I would leave behind. On their own the cookies and the marshmallow filling are each delicious, but when sandwiched together they are transformed into irresistible, crunchy, gooey bites of goodness.

If there was ever a cookie to exemplify why more is almost always better, this would be the one. And forget having to choose quality over quantity or vice versa, this Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Moon Pie will give you both. And every now and then it is nice to 'have your cookie and be able to eat it too'.

Dried cherries, toasted pecans and semi-sweet chocolate chips. The perfect trifecta all in one cookie. Butter, dark brown sugar, oatmeal, a large egg, flour, baking powder, baking soda, Kosher salt and vanilla complete the list of ingredients for the cookie portion of the moon pie.

The batter assembly begins with a standing mixer using a paddle attachment and ends with a wooden spoon. The unsalted butter and dark brown sugar are mixed until light and fluffy. The egg and vanilla are added next and mixed until fully incorporated. All of the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, Kosher salt) are first combined in a bowl and whisked together before they are slowly added to the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Once incorporated, the chocolate chips, oatmeal, dried cherries and toasted pecans are stirred in using a wooden spoon. The dough will be on the thick side.

Using a one ounce or approximately one inch in diameter ice cream scoop, the dough is formed into round balls. The batter yielded approximately 32 cookies (which will give you 16 moon pies). Before the cookies are placed in a preheated 350 degree oven, the tops are lightly pressed down so each dough ball is approximately 1/2 inch thick.

On parchment paper lined cookie sheets the cookies are baked for 16-18 minutes (rotate the cookie sheet halfway through the baking). You definitely do not want to over bake these cookies. I took mine out of the oven at 17 minutes, but next time will take them out at after 16 minutes only because I like a little more chewiness (versus crispness) to my cookie. Removing the baked cookies from the cookie sheet and placing them on a rack to cool will add to a more chewy texture. Leaving them to cool on the cookie sheet will result in a slightly more crispy cookie.

The original recipe for these moon pies called for sandwiching the cookies with only marshmallow fluff. Another food blogger who made these cookies shared a marshmallow creme recipe that is not only insanely delicious, it makes for a less messy, easier to eat cookie. If you are someone who thinks the cream filling in an Oreo is delicious, you will be beside yourself when you taste this marshmallow creme. Unsalted butter, confectionary sugar, marshmallow fluff and some vanilla come together to make a marshmallow creme having the most perfect consistency and taste.

Using either a pastry bag fitted with a plain round pastry tube or a large plastic ziplock type bag cut at one of the corners will work. You want enough of the marshmallow creme on the underside of one of the cookies so that when you place another cookie on top, you will still see the creme when you sandwich the cookies together, but not so much that the creme oozes out too much. I know I am not giving you much of a technical description of how much marshmallow creme you need for these moon pies. It is a little more art than science, a little trial and error, and alot of personal preference.

It is possible to make these cookies even more decadent by drizzling a chocolate glaze over them or serving them with a bowl of the warm glaze. The ingredients and directions for the glaze are provided below. I like the idea of serving them with a bowl of the warm glaze and wouldn't rule out drizzling a chocolate glaze on them, but honestly they are really, really good without the added chocolate (and this is coming from someone who doesn't necessarily below there is such a thing as too much chocolate).

I wrapped each of these cookies in a cellophane bag as I was giving them away. If serving them to family and friends, I would have placed them in a sealed tin until I was ready to serve them (recommend baking them the day of or day before serving). I have shared quite a few cookie recipes on the blog and have my own personal top ten favorites. The Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Moon Pie just bumped another cookie out. I think this one might just be one of my top five favorites. They are 'over the moon' that good.

Recipe
Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Moon Pies (Chocolate-Oatmeal Moon Pies (cookies) inspired by a recipe from New Orleans chef Stephen Stryjewski and shared in Bon Appetit; filling and chocolate glaze inspired by recipe from food blogger Annie's Eats)

Ingredients
Cookie
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup dried tart cherries, chopped
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup (12 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Filling
3/4 cup (12 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectionary sugar, sifted
6 ounces marshmallow fluff
2 teaspoons vanilla

Chocolate Glaze/Sauce
4 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Pinch of sea salt

Directions
Cookies
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and Kosher salt in a medium sized bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
4. Combine oatmeal, dried cherries, pecans and chocolate chips in a medium sized bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
5. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and dark brown sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 2 minutes).
6. Blend in egg and vanilla until incorporated.
7. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated.
8. Add the oatmeal, cherries, pecans and chocolate chips stirring with a wooden spoon until combined.
9. Using a 1 ounce or 1 inch in diameter ice cream scoop, scoop to shape dough balls. On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, place dough balls approximately 2-3 inches apart (about 10 cookies per sheet). Press dough balls down until cookies are approximately 1/2 inch thick.
10. Bake cookies for 16-18 minutes, rotating cookie sheet halfway through. Place baked cookies on a rack and cool completely.

Filling and Assembly
1. Place unsalted butter in a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy (approximately 2-3 minutes).
2. Add confectionary sugar and beat until it is fully incorporated.
3. Beat in marshmallow fluff and vanilla until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
4. Using a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip, pipe marshmallow cream on the bottom/flat side of half of the cookies.
5. Find a cookie of matching size and sandwich the two cookies together, pushing until marshmallow cream reaches the edges of the cookies.

Chocolate Glaze/Sauce
1. Place chopped chocolate in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat cream over medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Whisk until a smooth ganache has formed.
4. Whisk in butter and sea salt until fully incorporated.
5. Drizzle glaze over cookies and place in refrigerator to set. Or serve the cookies with the warm sauce for dipping.

Chorizo and Egg Piperade

I had every intention of posting a recipe in honor of Cinco de Mayo this week but as they say, best laid plans sometimes go bust. The nexus for this change was spending the day with my childhood best friend on Saturday. Yes, this sounds a little like I am blaming her when in actuality I should be really be thanking her. By late mid-morning we had been to the French Market, to a grocery store to pick up some fresh chorizo, and to the Container Store to pick up some baskets all before heading back to my house for lunch. It was barely noon and we had enjoyed a glass of wine while I made lunch, sat down to eat what turned out to be an amazing dish, and enjoyed a glass of moonshine.  Yes, moonshine (such recklessness on a Saturday afternoon). However, before I go any further, I need to be on record saying that neither the wine nor the moonshine nor our state of hunger influenced our opinion of the Chorizo and Egg Piperade we ate for lunch. Without a doubt this was a dish worthy of being placed on my last meal list, a list reserved for those foods where it would be a mortal, yes mortal, sin to leave this earth without having its' flavors eternally lingering on your palate. 

One bite of this dish and I knew I needed to share it with you sooner rather than later. Showing restraint for my enthusiasm has never been one of my personality traits. Besides I am pretty certain there will be more than enough Cinco de Mayo recipes posted on food blogs this week.

Before making this recipe I had never eaten a Piperade so I was a little curious as to its' origin. I discovered piperade is geographically attributed to Basque Country, an area located in the western Pyrenees spanning the borders between France and Spain on the Atlantic Coast (having never traveled to Basque Country might explain my culinary cluelessness here). A piperade is often made of sautéed onions, green peppers and tomatoes, with garlic, eggs or ham sometimes added. So, if one uses a Spanish chorizo in the making of a piperade would it be fair to say such a version has more of a Spanish than French influence? To answer that question correctly I guess I need to get out a little more.

Before I moved to the east coast, I thought there was only kind of chorizo, that being Mexican chorizo. I quickly learned from all of my Portuguese friends there were actually two kinds: the Spanish or Portuguese Chorizo and the Mexican Chorizo. And they could not be more different from one another. The Spanish/Portuguese version of this sausage gets its distinctive smokiness and deep red color from dried smoked red peppers (pimenton) while the flavor of the Mexican version comes from the use of native chili peppers. Think of the Spanish/Portuguese chorizo as smoky sublime and the Mexican chorizo as smoky hot.

The Spanish/Portuguese Chorizo comes fresh or dried. The recipe inspiring this piperade called for the use of either the fresh or dried types. I don't know what the dried version would taste like, I only know the fresh version (isn't fresh almost always best?) of the Spanish Chorizo is what added to the phenomenalness (forgive me if this not a word) of this piperade.

Three tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil are heated over medium heat in large skillet. Once heated, a half-pound of fresh Spanish Chorizo sausage (removed from its casing and crumbled) is added and cooked until the sausage is browned and beginning to crisp (about 8 to 10 minutes of cooking time). Note: If you are going to use the skillet as your serving dish, do not use a non-stick skillet when beginning the cooking process as not all non-stick skillets can endure high oven temperatures.

Two red bell peppers sliced, three cloves of garlic minced and one medium or two small yellow onions sliced make up the vegetable trinity in this piperade.

After the chorizo has browned, the peppers, garlic and onions are immediately added. Stirring frequently, the vegetables are cooked until softened and slightly browned. Cooking time is approximately 18-20 minutes.  Remember to season with some Kosher salt to taste before going any further.

You have a decision to make once the chorizo and vegetables are cooked. The mixture can be equally divided into 4 or 6 baking dishes/ramekins, can be transferred to another baking dish or left in the skillet. Your choice of cooking/serving container will be influenced by your serving presentation. My vote is for serving a more rustic looking, in the skillet piperade.

Depending on the size of your skillet or serving dish, you will need anywhere between 6 and 8 large eggs.

If baking the eggs in the pan, make as many indentations in the sausage/vegetable mixture as needed for the number of eggs you will be cracking into them. For the size skillet I used, 6 large eggs fit perfectly.

The eggs are baked in a preheated 400 degree oven for approximately 12 minutes or until the eggs have just set. If you don't like your egg yolks a little on the runny side, your baking time might be a minute or two longer. Before serving, season with a little Kosher or sea salt. 

I made this dish for lunch, but it would also be for great for breakfast, brunch or dinner. Regardless of which meal you decide to make the Chorizo and Egg Piperade for, serving it with a freshly sliced baguette or toast will both complete and compliment it. 

Recipe

Chorizo and Egg Piperade (Inspired by the Piperade recipe created by Jody Williams from Buvette)

Ingredients
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound fresh Spanish chorizo (sausage), casings removed and crumbled
2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced (or use a combination of red, yellow and/or orange bell peppers)
1 medium or 2 small yellow onions, peeled and sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 to 8 large eggs
Kosher salt and/or sea salt
Fresh sliced baguette or toast for serving

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat three tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet. Add crumbled Spanish chorizo sausage and cook until browned and slightly crispy (about 10 minutes).
3. Add peppers, onions and garlic. Stirring frequently, cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned. Season with Kosher salt. (Cooking time approximately 18-20 minutes).
4. Remove from heat, create 6 to 8 indentations in mixture. Crack a large egg into each indentation.
5. Place skillet in oven and bake for approximately 12 minutes or until eggs have just set.
6. Season with Kosher or sea salt and serve with a sliced baguette or toast.
Note: The sausage and vegetable mixture can be transferred to 4 or 6 small baking dishes/ramekins or to another casserole dish before adding the egg(s) instead of finishing the baking in the skillet.

On Saturday I was reminded why spontaneity can be so much fun. There is much to be said for the exhilaration you feel when you don't put time limits around spending time with a friend, when you don't have the day all planned out, or even when you try something or go somewhere new. Somedays we can get so caught up in having to get everything done on the to do list (there will always be a to do do list) we sometimes cannot see the forest through the trees.

An unplanned drive through the backroads or taking the longer, more scenic route drive back home can turn an ordinary excursion into an extraordinary one. Having a longer more leisurely lunch instead of checking our watches to see how much time has passed can redefine what it means to spend quality time with a friend. The loss of sleep from staying up late or getting up early to bake some cookies to bring to a friend is more than made up for when you see the surprised smile on their face. Oh, just think of things we miss out on when we live by the self-imposed 'I am too busy' time limits we place on ourselves. Those best laid plans you had for the day.....sometimes you just need to let them go.

Pimento Cheese

During college I traveled to Florida with some of my sorority sisters for spring break. A trip where my path crossed with a born and raised boy from Kentucky. Two months later I found myself on a bus to Louisville for a Kentucky Derby weekend. In spite of being a sorority girl, nothing in my prior experiences prepared me for the rituals and revelry of the Derby. Nothing. Somehow I managed to survive the slippery slope of one of Kentucky's most significant cultural events (being a little naive turned out to be a bit of blessing). Little did I know driving in a police escorted motorcade to a brunch at the Governor's Mansion and sitting in boxed seats at Churchill Downs wasn't exactly the way everyone experienced the Derby.

And then, of course, there were the Derby parties. At one of those parties I had second or third taste of a Mint Julep and my first taste of pimento cheese. More specifically a pimento cheese finger sandwich made with soft pillowy white bread. I am not sure if it was the pimento cheese on white bread or the need to have something in my stomach after a long day of drinking, but I was immediately smitten with one of the South's iconic dishes. Why Pimento Cheese, sometimes referred to as the caviar of the South, never really worked its' way into the North with the same affinity it has in the South remains a mystery to me. It wasn't the only thing I was smitten with that weekend.

After this love at first bite experience it would be years before Pimento Cheese came back into my life. During the five plus months I lived in Mississippi I may have consumed more than my fair share of Pimento Cheese. If it wasn't served at a social gathering it was sold in just about every grocery store. However, the pimento cheese sold at the grocery store didn't really compare to the ones homemade. Sort of like most chocolate chip cookies sold at any one of the bakery-cafe chains across the country don't really compare to the homemade versions. And just like a great homemade chocolate chip cookie, a great pimento cheese seems to be all about the ingredients one uses.

As the first week of May and the Kentucky Derby approaches, I found myself craving the taste of Pimento Cheese. There are as many Pimento Cheese recipes out there as there are ones for chocolate chip cookies, with each recipe claiming to be the best, most authentic, traditional version of this Southern staple. So after reading recipe after recipe there were some consistent themes. First, Pimento Cheese must be made with pimentos not with roasted red bell peppers. Pimentos are a variety of the heart shaped chili pepper and are a little sweeter than the red bell pepper. I can't seem to visualize Southern cooks standing over a grill roasting red peppers back in the early 1900's and for some reason I am not sure grocery stores were selling jars of roasted red peppers back then (but I could be wrong on both counts here.) Regardless, I needed to find a recipe calling for the use of pimentos, not roasted red bell peppers.

Having grown up on Hellman's mayonnaise I have long considered it to be best jarred mayonnaise on the planet. Like me, there are quite a few Southern cooks and chefs who are equally as passionate about jarred mayonnaise. Particularly when it comes to their Pimento Cheese recipes. Spoiler: They aren't recommending Hellman's. Rather they are recommending Duke's mayonnaise. Described as having no added sugar and more egg yolks giving it a richness more closely associated with homemade, this mayonnaise gives Hellman's a run for it's money. So I knew I needed to get my hands on a jar of Duke's mayonnaise if I was going to make an authentic'Southern Caviar'.

Finally, after going back and forth deciding which recipe to make I decided to go with one developed by a chef from Charleston, South Carolina. Hoping of course that a recipe from someone born and raised in the South would have the right amount of authenticity to it. With recipe and ingredients in hand, I was finally ready to make some homemade Pimento Cheese.

This is a one bowl recipe. The grated cheese, chopped and drained pimento, thinly sliced green onions, mayonnaise, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and a dash of hot sauce are gently mixed with a spatula until just combined. The entire mixture is then refrigerated for at least two hours or overnight to allow the flavors to develop. And after the first bite of this Pimento Cheese recipe, it tasted better than I remembered. It had the right amount of creaminess, the right amount of 'bite'.

Pimento Cheese has often been served on white bread, crusts removed of course. However, this is where you can break with tradition. Crostini, sliced bread sticks, pita chips, crackers, and celery all perfectly compliment the flavor of Pimento Cheese. If you have never had this below the Mason Dixon Line cheese spread, you are missing out on one of the more endearing Southern food traditions. Besides, what else would you serve on Kentucky Derby weekend? 

Recipe
Pimento Cheese (recipe inspired by one created by Sarah O'Kelley, a chef from Charleston, South Carolina)
Post updated May 2019.

Ingredients
2 cups (8 ounces net weight) sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
1/2 to 3/4 generous cup mayonnaise (in keeping with the Southern tradition, recommend Duke's mayonnaise) 
1/2 cup (4 ounce jar) pimiento peppers (drained and chopped)
1/4 cup green onion, both green and white parts), thinly sliced (about 3 - 4 onions)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash of hot sauce (Tabasco or Cholula Hot Sauce)
Sliced baguette and sliced celery sticks (and/or white bread with crusts removed)

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir with a spatula to combine. Note: Start by adding only 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise. Continue adding until it reaches the desired consistency.
2. Allow the mixture to chill at least 2 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to marinate.
3. Serve with crackers, pita chips, sliced bread sticks, crostini, (white) bread with crusts removed, and/or celery sticks.

Notes: (1) Recommending using a 3 to 5 year old aged cheddar. (2) Traditionally the Pimento Cheese is served on white bread (crusts removed) finger sandwiches The original photos on the post showed that presentation. However, I prefer serving it in a bowl surrounded by slices of a baguette and celery sticks.

One of the many benefits of having lived in different places is developing an appreciation for different foods. The diversity of regional and ethnical foods is also one of the benefits of traveling. From local 'dives' to the high end restaurants, there is no better way to experience a city. I can still remember the taste of the barbecue from a restaurant (or rather a kind of a shack which was really a gambling place that just happened to serve food made in one of the tiniest of kitchens I have ever seen) some of my co-workers took me to when I lived in Mississippi. We drove to one of the parishes in Louisiana late one night (my concept of a parish was strongly influenced by my Catholic upbringing, a concept that my peers found rather amusing) to experience what they claimed was the best barbecue in the South. Everything about the 'restaurant' including the drive down a long dirt road in the dark made me a little anxious. All I could think was this was going to be some of the best food or some of the worst (if we first didn't get arrested for being in a place having what seemed like some illegal gambling going on.) But any worries I had about a police raid completely disappeared after tasting the barbecue on my plate. Nothing since has ever compared to that barbecue. 

And then there are some regionally made foods I believe you need to grow up with to truly love. I was never able to appreciate the calamari made the Rhode Island way as my palate just seemed unable to make the transition from the calamari I was accustomed to eating here in the midwest. For me, something about the vinegar and sweet cherry pepper topping seemed to detract from the deliciousness of the calamari. My east coast friends could never understand why I didn't love 'their' calamari. 

One thing for certain is I wouldn't have known whether this would be a food I would love or not unless I first tasted it. I have always wondered why someone would outright dismiss trying something new without at least first tasting it. I am not talking about extreme, bizarre or exotic foods here, I am talking about the foods most of us have been exposed to our entire lives, but are prepared 'differently' from the way we have eaten them. You never know when you are a bite away from something that could possibly be the most incredible/scream-worthy/euphoria inducing/addictive food unless you try it. For me, the worst thing that can happen is tasting something so over-the-top/amazing and then never being able to taste it again. If only I knew how to get back to the 'place' at the end of that long dark dirt road.