Pimento cheese is the glue that holds the South together*

The next few weeks are going to be pretty crazy here.  My classmates, husband and I have already experienced an overwhelming mix of knowledge, class load, and life.  But what has been experienced a few days here and there is now going to be spread out over a few constantly busy weeks.  When there's so much going on in life, it is always good to have some bit of simplicity.  This week, pimento cheese has brought a bit of simplicity in our lives. 

Pimento cheese is one of the main southern staples.  It is found at most deli counters, many refrigerators, and an imposter version is processed and in a jar at every grocery store (I don't recommend this kind).  True pimento cheese is simplicity on a sandwich, composed primarily of cheese, jarred pimentos, and mayonnaise. 

However, it is also quite controversial and often elicits responses of hatred and disgust, usually from those who have only tried the imposter version.  Most of those who love pimento cheese seem to prefer it with some heat, or at least a savory version.  However, there are a few who like a slightly sweet version.  I happen to be one of those.  Please don't run in horror or throw sticks at me. 

This pimento cheese does make a wonderful sandwich, but my favorite way to enjoy it is on a ginger snap or graham cracker.  The juxtaposition of (mostly) savory and sweet is good, just like baked brie and cranberries or cream cheese with sweet pepper jelly on ginger snaps.  If you like those flavor combinations, chances are you'll probably like this, too.  And if you don't, I have plans to try a savory, spicy pimento cheese in the coming months. 

Pimento Cheese

8 oz Muenster cheese
8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese
8 oz mozzarella cheese
8 oz Monterrey jack cheese
1/4 cup sugar
7-8 oz jarred pimentos
1 cup Hellmann's or Duke's mayonnaise

Grate the cheeses using a food processor or a box grater.  Put the cheese in a large bowl.  Add the sugar, and toss together.  Add the pimentos with their juice and toss together (until the pimentos are well dispersed).  Stir in the mayonnaise. 

The pimento cheese will be very soft when just prepared, but it will become more stiff after refrigerated for a few hours.  Store pimento cheese in a covered container.  Serve on sandwiches, celery sticks, ginger snaps, or graham crackers. 

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*This blog post title comes from Being Dead is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral.

Home, for the weekend.

By Friday night we will be in the land of dixie! We are going to see the Tennessee side of the family, and of course, go to a game! These weekends are always a highlight of the fall, and this one was quite a surprise for us! We are thrilled to be able to see the family again.

Saturday will be a full day. We will spend time with my husband's grandparents, and then spend the rest of the day tailgating with family until the evening kickoff (translation: full bellies all day long)! Usually everyone brings something to contribute, so I have been racking my mind, thinking about what I can bring along on the airplane. Something light, something fall, something yummy. Caramel corn. Perfect.

Caramel Corn with Cranberries

14 cups plain popped popcorn (scant 2/3 cup unpopped kernels)
1 cup honey roasted peanuts
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup cranberries

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Place the popped popcorn and peanuts in two large roasting pans.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and butter over medium heat. As the butter starts to melt, stir to mix completely. When the mixture begins to boil, stir constantly for five minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the baking soda and vanilla extract. Pour the caramel over the popcorn and stir a couple of times (not all of the popcorn will be coated).

Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. After 30 minutes, stir in the cranberries. Turn the popcorn out onto parchment paper, break apart, and allow to cool. Try not to eat it all at once!

Back to School, Greek Style

Today was my husband’s first day of Greek class. No, we are not talking about My Big Fat Greek Wedding kind of Greek classes, but language classes. You see, my husband is in seminary, and Greek is the language of the New Testament.

It wasn’t until I had already made dinner plans for tonight that I thought, “I should have made a Greek dinner!” You know, lamb kebabs or moussaka, a greek salad, and baklava for dessert? However, I have never made any of these except the salad, so I’ll stick with what I had planned for dinner, and whip up one of my husband’s favorite after-school snacks—hummus and pita bread. It’s not Greek, but middle-eastern, so close enough!

The hummus is very easy, but the pita bread can be a little time consuming. It’s worth a try, if you are willing to put fourth the effort. If not, whip up the hummus and buy some pita bread from the store. It’s a great after school snack!

Hummus

2 (15.5 ounce) cans of chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cloves garlic

¼ cup tahini paste

2-3 lemons

2 tablespoons liquid from chickpeas

2 tablespoons olive oil

cayenne pepper (to taste)

Put the garlic in a food processor; pulse until it is well “chopped.” Add all of the other ingredients and blend until desired consistency.

Note: I sometimes add olive salad mix, or kalamata olives, or whatever kind of olives that I have on hand. It's really good, and you should try it. But, of course, it is not mandatory.

Pita Bread

2 ½ cups warm water

1 packet active dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)

1 tablespoon honey

2 cups whole wheat flour

3 cups white flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon olive oil

In a small bowl, stir the flours and salt together.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add yeast and honey to 1 cup of warm water and stir until dissolved. Mix in ½ cup of flour mixture and let stand about 20 minutes, or until bubbly. Slowly add the rest of the flour and water mixture and mix on low speed for about 10 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl when necessary. Allow the dough to rest for about 10 minutes, and mix on low speed for about 5 more minutes.

Transfer the dough to a well-oiled bowl and turn to coat the top of the bread (or I used Pam spray to spray the top of the dough). Cover the bowl with a damp towel, and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour (or until doubled in size).

Preheat the oven to 500º and place a cookie sheet in the oven.

On a well-floured surface, turn out the dough (sprinkle some flour on top; the dough will be sticky and a bit difficult to work with). Using a knife or a spatula, cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. The dough will stick to the counter, so make sure that you use plenty of flour and coat the pieces. Using your hands, spread each piece into a 6 inch round, like a small pizza crust. Let the rounds rest for 10 minutes. Working with two rounds at the time, transfer them to the oven and cook for 4 minutes. Flip them over with a spatula and cook for 1-2 minutes more.

**The pitas are supposed to “puff,” but only one of the six that I made puffed. If it does puff, press down with your spatula until it is mostly flat. If yours do not puff, and you want it to puff (so that you’ll have a little pita pocket to make sandwiches, etc.), try spraying the round with water 2-3 minutes before you put it in the oven.