Sunday, July 06, 2008

RECIPE: WALHALLA PIMENTO CHEESE

WALHALLA SC PIMENTO CHEESE

My friend, Paul, is an aficionado of Southern cooking and resides with his wife, Carol, in Walhalla, SC. When the county decided to place road signs on the driveway roads abutting the county's paved road, they were asked to submit their choice of a name for their drive. Paul's nomination was Psycho Path, but his choice was vetoed by Carol.

A renaissance man, Paul’s recipe for pimento cheese is a sure thing if you are planning on feeding Yankee guests who need remedial guidance in the ways of Southern cooking.

Soon after Paul and Carol sent the recipe, they prepared for a “pig pickin’” to honor 5 retiring Home Extension agents. The party menu included barbecue pork, slaw, beans, hand cranked ice cream, watermelon, and cantaloupe with pimento cheese sandwiches as appetizers. Paul wrote that “This will be a knowledgeable crowd, but we won’t lose any sleep worrying that the pimento cheese won’t stand up to close scrutiny.”

I bet.

Ingredients:

2 parts sharp yellow cheddar
1 part sharp white cheddar
drained pimentos, chopped
mayonnaise, Duke’s or Hellman’s
freshly ground black pepper, coarse


Preparation:

In his note to me with this recipe, he wrote the following instructions:

“If the cheese is well-chilled, a food processor will do a good job of grating the cheese. Turn the cheese into a large bowl and add the chopped pimentos. The size of the particles is still being debated and may never be decided.
Add mayo and pepper and begin to blend, adding more mayo and pepper as needed, which is also a matter of some debate.
Sometimes (if my wife isn’t looking) I add a bit of French’s mustard, sometimes a dash of Tabasco, never both.
Cover and chill overnight.”

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