Cold Hot Cheese Dip

 

Ingredients:

8 ounces Mexican Mild Velveeta
2-4 ounces Cabot Hot Habanero Cheddar cheese*
4 ounces cheddar cheese
1 cup milk (Approximately)

*Amount can vary depending on how much heat you want/can handle.

 

You will also need:

Food processor with both grater and blade attachments
Heat/microwave safe bowl

 

Method:

Grate the Habanero and cheddar cheeses in a food processor. Remove from the food processor and replace the grating attachment with the blade. Return the grated cheese to the bowl now fitted with the blade. Cut the Velveeta up into small pieces and add to the bowl of the processor. Add about ½ cup of milk. Process until all cheese is smooth. Add additional milk and process until a nearly liquid state is reached.

You may notice an inconsistent color and see small pieces of the cheddar cheese. To better incorporate, remove about half of the dip to a microwave/heat safe bowl. Warm this portion of the cheese slightly in microwave for between 30 -60 seconds. Return the warmed portion to the bowl of the food processor and continue to process until a uniform color is achieved.

Remove the cheese dip from the bowl of the food processor into a bowl with a lid and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The consistency should firm up just a little after refrigeration.

Serve cold with chips, raw vegetables, or crackers.

 

Rolls Royce Grilled Cheese Sandwich

(This recipe was adapted from what I saw on Food Network's show Unwrapped recently when they showed how Mimi's Cafe makes their famous grilled cheese sandwiches.)



Ingredients:

4 varieties of cheese (sliced)(ex: sharp cheddar, provolone, Swiss & muenster)
Sliced sourdough bread
Grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Garlic herb butter
Sliced ham (optional)


You will also need:

A griddle






Method:

Butter one side of each of the slices of bread and press the buttered side down into the grated Parmesan, gently shaking off the excess.

Putting the cheese side down on your griddle, place one slice each of two varieties of cheese on one piece and two varieties on the other (leaving the sandwich open) and add ham in the middle (if desired).

Grill the sandwich open for most of the cooking time. Once the cheese is really beginning to melt, then flip one side over on top of the other, thus assembling the sandwich.


This is your finished product. It is heavenly. I think you'll find that the Parmesan on the outside gives the crust a wonderful crunch and a little sumthin' extra to the flavor of the sandwich (as does the use of sourdough bread).

"Buffalo" Wings

These are not "authentic" because I prefer a light breading to naked wings.

Ingredients:

Chicken Wings
Flour seasoned with salt and pepper
Oil
1/2 - 1 cup Hot pepper sauce (i.e. Tabasco)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter

(You'll notice that I'm not very specific on my amounts... you're getting an idea of how I really cook. I rarely measure anything... except when I bake. Baking is an entirely different animal.)

Prepare the wings by removing the tips and separating them at the joint with a knife or kitchen shears. Dry them thoroughly with paper towels. Coat each in the salt/pepper seasoned flour and place on a wire cooling rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate (uncovered) for at least 30 minutes. Do not discard remaining flour yet.

Melt the butter and 1/2 cup of hot pepper sauce in a sauce pan over medium to low heat. Add more hot pepper sauce as desired for increased heat.

Before removing wings from the refrigerator, pour some oil in a Dutch oven or stock pot and heat it on high heat until it's, well, hot. Once the oil is hot, remove the wings from the refrigerator. Give them one last pass through the flour, then (gently) place them in the *hot* oil. Let them fry for a few minutes. They'll start to float but don't take them out until they are golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined rimmed baking sheet to drain slightly. Immediately toss with wing sauce in a large bowl.

Serve with blue cheese dressing, beer, and a side of football. It doesn't get any better.

One Minute Salsa

from Cook's Illustrated (July/August 2002, page 15)

1/2 small jalapeno chile or 1/2 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
1/4 small red onion, peeled and root end removed
1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch ground black pepper
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lime
2 small ripe tomatoes (about 3/4 pound), each cored and cut into eighths, or one (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

Pulse all ingredients except tomatoes in food processor until minced, about five 1-second pulses, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. Add tomatoes and pulse until roughly chopped, about two 1-second pulses.