Pimento Cheese: 3 recipes

Here in Kentucky, Louisville to be more specific, there are a few foods that are considered staples at family gatherings, picnics, and socials.  While I have not really embraced a Southern flare in my cooking, nor would I consider it southern exactly, Pimento cheese is something I found a number of years back to be quite delicious.  Now, everybody (3rd generation, at least, Louisvillian) has their own recipe and ideas of what it should taste like.  And unfortunately, the packaged versions, even from local companies, are loaded with ingredients your Grandma couldn't pronounce-let alone identify as food.  So as usual, one is left with the only recourse of making your own.  Pimento cheese is a must have food if you are throwing a Louisville themed party, for instance to celebrate the Kentucky Derby.

Pimento Cheese can be spread on crackers, made into a sandwich (when I was little this is how I saw kids at school eating it, and I wondered what it was), stuffed in hollowed out cucumbers or celery sticks, broiled on bagels, or served with soft or hard pretzels (how they do it at local restaurants), or any other way you can think to eat it.

America's Test Kitchen Pimento Cheese
I was prompted to share these recipes because of the one below that was just published.  I love their recipes because they try them every which way and in a scientific manner.  So I trust that whatever comes out of that kitchen is good, because it always has been whenever I follow the recipe.

(According to the Test Kitchen)

Why This Recipe Works: The first few attempts were missing something. After a bit more research, we found several versions of this dish that benefit from a small shot of pickle juice because of its vinegary, sour flavor. This recipe needs a lot of stirring before the mixture starts to resemble pimento cheese, but don't give up if it's looking dry; after some vigorous stirring, the cheese and liquid ingredients start to combine and smooth out. But don't overmix and make it too smooth--those small, cheesy lumps are what gives pimento cheese its characteristic texture.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

¾ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
2½ tablespoons pimento chiles
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon pickle juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Using fork, stir vigorously until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Hot Habanero Pimento Cheese 
This next recipe I came up with in an effort to imitate (sincerest form of flattery, right?) a specific flavor from a local company but without the preservatives, or the cost.  Unfortunately, I can't always find (and haven't tried in years) Private Selection (Kroger private label) Habanero Cheese.  And it's crazy what's happened to cream cheese with guar and xanthan gum and carob bean-I guess to make it more smooth and spreadable?

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese softened
1 8 oz. package of private selection Habanero Cheddar Cheese, cubed
3 Tbs. Mayonnaise
3 Tbs. Sour cream or milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of black pepper
1 4 oz. jar of pimentos, drained

Amma's Pimento Cheese
This last recipe is from a possibly more than 3rd generation Louisvillian's grandma.

10 oz. extra sharp Cracker Barrel Cheddar, grated
16 oz. Kroger extra sharp Cheddar, grated
1/4 cup grated white onion
3/4 cup real Mayonnaise (she underlined it, not me)
4 oz. jar of diced pimentos with juice
2 Tablespoons Tarragon Vinegar
dash salt
dash nutmeg

I have no specifications on how to blend this all together, but I do remember you are supposed to let is sit in the fridge overnight before serving.


About Louisville, KY:  We moved here when I was 4, and I have noticed that once someone moves to Louisville, they are a Louisvillian for life.  It is like a vortex.  You can move away, but you'll be back.  It really is a wonderful city to live in, you just have to worm your way into the hearts of the people who have lived here all their, their parents, and their grandparents, life.

Mmmm...Muffaletta

Ever since my trip to New Orleans I have loved this sandwich. For those who have never had it, it is a most delectable concoction of what is know as Olive Salad on a special Italian bread with Capicola ham, salami, mortadella (I will explain later), provolone and mozzarella. Central Grocery in New Orleans (the best muffaletta) serves theirs cold, which I prefer. But you can eat it hot.

Your first step is to prepare the olive salad a week in advance. I use the recipe from one of my favorite food blogs new orleans cuisine here it is:

Muffuletta Olive Salad

1 1/2 Cups Green Olives, Pitted
1/2 Cup Calamatta Olives (or Black) Pitted
1 Cup Gardiniera (Pickled Cauliflower, carrots, celery, Pepperoncini)
1 Tbsp. Capers
3 each Fresh Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/8 Cup Celery, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. Italian Parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. Fresh oregano (When I have it in my garden) or 2 tsp. dried
1 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 Cup Pimientos (Roasted red peppers) Recipe follows
1 Tbsp. Green Onions, thinly sliced
Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground pepper To Taste (salt may not be necessary)

Crush each olive on a cutting board with your hand. Combine all ingredients. Cover with:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil about 1 - 1 1/2 Cups

Put into a bowl or jar, cover and let the flavors marry for about a week.

Next you'll make your own bread. My mom was able to make some Italian bread that was very close to the muffaletta bread I remember so well. I was slightly less successful, but here is the recipe I used and it was very good.

Italian bread:

2 cups bread flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 scant Tablespoon "no-proof" yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Add yeast to flour and mix gently, wait 30 seconds and then add the rest of the ingredients in order. I use a Kitchen Aid mixer and knead on low for about 5 minutes. Pour a little more Olive oil over dough, turn to coat and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours. Flour a work space and turn out dough, knead till compact again and divide into 6 equal blobs and let rest for 15 minutes. Shape each blob into an 6-8 inch flat round, set onto a corn meal dusted cookie sheet and pierce all over with a fork. Let rise another 1 1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from sheet and cool on a wire rack.

And lastly you'll need to go to a respectable deli and purchase meat and cheese. While a traditional muffaletta calls for Capicola ham and Mortadella, I bypass both of these and just get regular ham. Capicola is very hard to eat-it does not bite and you will end up pulling out pieces from your sandwich and making a mess. And Mortadella, as I promised I would explain, is essentially ground up ham and pressed with additional fat, originating from Bologna it is the original form of what is now known as Bologna (think Oscar Meyer). So here is your purchase list and don't skimp, get a good quality. I mean you've already gone through the trouble of making olive salad and your own bread.

1 lb of thinly sliced Ham
1 lb of thinly sliced Salami
1 lb of sliced Mozzarella
1 lb of sliced Provolone

To construct:

Slice each round of bread in half, I like to gently toast mine. Top each half with olive salad (1/4-1/3 cup on each side). Layer with the 4 deli items to your liking. Put the sides together. Mangia!

P.S. the olive salad on some toasted bread (think bruschetta) is amazingly good. See above picture.

Scotch Eggs

Tom and I love The Irish Rover restaurant in Louisville, KY. We don't get to eat out often but this would be in the top 10 places we might go. On their appetizers menu are Scotch Eggs, which is just a medium boiled egg wrapped in sausage and deep fried, and they are so delicious. Last night we decided to make our own. They turned out pretty good for a first attempt. I only wished we had more Coleman's Hot English Mustard. I don't typically eat pork, but this was from our friends at Stone Cross Farm here in Taylorsville. And we used our own Duck Eggs, the same ones featured in the colored eggs posting.

4-6 medium boiled Eggs, peeled
1 lb of Sausage
frying Oil
Oil Thermometer

Cover the eggs with the sausage. Make a generous layer because it will shrink during the frying process. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Whatever pan you use the oil needs to come up the sides to at least 1 inch. Fry the eggs turning them frequently until really golden brown. We ended up having to put some back in, even though they looked done, because the sausage on the inside was not cooked all the way. Another way to do this would have been to finish them in the oven, which is great if you are cooking in batches so they all stay hot, and it helps to drain the excess cooking oil. Enjoy.

Kirsch Cheesecake

Start by soaking overnight a 16 oz bag of dried, pitted sour cherries in enough Kirschwasser brandy to cover.

For the Crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder (I like Green and Black's)
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients, melt the butter and stir into dry mixture. Turn gently until all ingredients are incorporated. In a 9 inch spring-form pan, pie plate, or glass baking dish. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and at least 2 inches up the sides of pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

You can substitute chocolate graham crackers for the crackers and cocoa.

For the Cheesecake:

20 oz. cream cheese (2 1/2 8oz. packages)
12 oz. cottage cheese (1 1/2 cups)
1 cup white granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Kirsch soaked cherries

Let refrigerated ingredients come to room temperature, about 1 hour. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Using an electric mixer, whip cream cheese with sugar until smooth. In a food processor, blitz cottage cheese and cherries until smooth. Add the cottage cheese, the cherries, and vanilla to the cream cheese mixture and blend until smooth. With the beater on low, add the eggs one at a time until blended well. Pour into pan and bake for 1 hour or until center is firm. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight in the dish or pan you baked in, covered. Cheesecake gets better and better each day it sits.

Variations:

Use only cream cheese or only cottage cheese.

Substitute 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest for 1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon of each.

Substitute gingersnap cookie crumbs instead of graham cracker and omit sugar for crust; works especially well with lemon zest.

Spread 1 cup sour cream on top of finished cheesecake before refrigeration. Works well to hide a cheesecake that has cracked.