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Foodie Friday: 30AEATS
by Guest Writer, Valerie Whitmore I like Southern food. There, I said it. Apologies to my midwestern roots, but when I moved here I couldn't wait to try all the "exotic" foods I'd only heard of growing up in Minnesota.
Southern food has flavor. It has fat. It has spices. It has depth. It has bacon. It has heat. It has... butter
Most of food that the South is known for is not exactly considered healthy eating. It's where carbs and fat collide. Over the years I've also seen many references to Southern food being "lazy" (for lack of a better word) when it's really anything but that. The best Southern food usually requires patience. The foods aren't rushed. Shortcuts aren't commonplace. And the wait is worth it
Oh sure, certain reality tv shows make it look like everyone here mixes ketchup with a tub of margarine and calls it spaghetti sauce. But a real Southern cook will tell you, "that's not how we do it around here."
And lest you think that all I know about Southern food is the unhealthy eats, there is way more to Southern cooking than that. It's just that, well, the really, really good stuff either has bacon, butter, or cheese
One of the classic Southern dishes is, in fact, all about the cheese. Even if you've never tried it you have most likely heard of pimento cheese. In simplest terms, it's a cheese spread. You can use it on crackers, on a sandwich, or (and this is my favorite idea) stuff a burger with it before grilling.
Despite it being such a Southern tradition, I'd been firmly planted south of the Mason-Dixon line for 12 years without ever trying it. So when I saw that the blog 30AEATS had "The Best Pimento Cheese In The South!", well... you see where this is going.
30AEATS is a blog by Susan Benton and focuses on local food and Southern cuisine. She's got recipes for everything from cornbread to key lime pie, celebrating all aspects of the Southern US and the Gulf Coast.
Her recipe for pimento cheese starts off with two kinds of cheddar, extra sharp and sharp, in equal amounts. Grate the cheese very finely because otherwise you'll have to put extra elbow grease in to mash it up later. I actually wish I had shredded mine just a little more finely. And please, do not use the pre-shredded stuff that comes in bags at the grocery store. That kind of cheese has all sorts of extra ingredients you don't need, including starch that is meant to keep the shreds from clumping. And in this case, you want them to mush together and become cohesive
You mix the cheese with mayo, pimento peppers, onion, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, dry mustard, black pepper, salt, cayenne, and Tabasco. I've seen other versions that also include jalapenos or dill pickles.
Susan recommends Duke's mayo for this recipe, and I second that recommendation. It really is good. I had to use a canola oil mayo because I can't have soybean oil, but I would have much preferred Duke's. Also, Duke's is sugar free whereas most other mayos aren't.
Mash it really well until it all comes together. I took the photos right after mixing it (and sampled it, of course) but it tasted even better after it had sat for a while. Also, I didn't add all the black pepper it called for because, well, that looked like a lot to me
We pretty much ate the whole batch in one sitting. It was wonderful and so easy.
And, so Southern.
Get the recipe: https://30aeats.com/recipes/the-best-pimento-cheese-in-the-south/
Visit 30AEATS: https://30aeats.com/
Like on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/30AEATS
Follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/fromagechick
Southern food has flavor. It has fat. It has spices. It has depth. It has bacon. It has heat. It has... butter
Most of food that the South is known for is not exactly considered healthy eating. It's where carbs and fat collide. Over the years I've also seen many references to Southern food being "lazy" (for lack of a better word) when it's really anything but that. The best Southern food usually requires patience. The foods aren't rushed. Shortcuts aren't commonplace. And the wait is worth it
Oh sure, certain reality tv shows make it look like everyone here mixes ketchup with a tub of margarine and calls it spaghetti sauce. But a real Southern cook will tell you, "that's not how we do it around here."
And lest you think that all I know about Southern food is the unhealthy eats, there is way more to Southern cooking than that. It's just that, well, the really, really good stuff either has bacon, butter, or cheese
One of the classic Southern dishes is, in fact, all about the cheese. Even if you've never tried it you have most likely heard of pimento cheese. In simplest terms, it's a cheese spread. You can use it on crackers, on a sandwich, or (and this is my favorite idea) stuff a burger with it before grilling.
Despite it being such a Southern tradition, I'd been firmly planted south of the Mason-Dixon line for 12 years without ever trying it. So when I saw that the blog 30AEATS had "The Best Pimento Cheese In The South!", well... you see where this is going.
30AEATS is a blog by Susan Benton and focuses on local food and Southern cuisine. She's got recipes for everything from cornbread to key lime pie, celebrating all aspects of the Southern US and the Gulf Coast.
Her recipe for pimento cheese starts off with two kinds of cheddar, extra sharp and sharp, in equal amounts. Grate the cheese very finely because otherwise you'll have to put extra elbow grease in to mash it up later. I actually wish I had shredded mine just a little more finely. And please, do not use the pre-shredded stuff that comes in bags at the grocery store. That kind of cheese has all sorts of extra ingredients you don't need, including starch that is meant to keep the shreds from clumping. And in this case, you want them to mush together and become cohesive
You mix the cheese with mayo, pimento peppers, onion, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, dry mustard, black pepper, salt, cayenne, and Tabasco. I've seen other versions that also include jalapenos or dill pickles.
Susan recommends Duke's mayo for this recipe, and I second that recommendation. It really is good. I had to use a canola oil mayo because I can't have soybean oil, but I would have much preferred Duke's. Also, Duke's is sugar free whereas most other mayos aren't.
Mash it really well until it all comes together. I took the photos right after mixing it (and sampled it, of course) but it tasted even better after it had sat for a while. Also, I didn't add all the black pepper it called for because, well, that looked like a lot to me
We pretty much ate the whole batch in one sitting. It was wonderful and so easy.
And, so Southern.
Get the recipe: https://30aeats.com/recipes/the-best-pimento-cheese-in-the-south/
Visit 30AEATS: https://30aeats.com/
Like on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/30AEATS
Follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/fromagechick