Classic Southern Comfort Food

As much as I love talking about Chocolate and the many ways to fix it and eat it, I am detouring here a bit to slip down memory lane. Pimiento Cheese sandwiches....ahhhhh! If you are a Southerner, you know exactly what I am talking about. If you are not a Southerner, I highly recommend you try this. When we were kids growing up in the South, my mother used to make this for us, even though she herself is not a Southerner. I had almost forgotten about how wonderful it tastes until I came across a recipe recently. I made it and went to heaven all over again.

Pimiento Cheese

2 cups finely shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (not a traditional ingredient-can be left out, if preferred)

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 small garlic clove, crushed

1 green onion, chopped

1 jar diced pimientos (4 oz.)

Ground cayenne pepper, to taste

Dry Mustard, a pinch

Place all ingredients in a food processor except pepper and mustard, blend on pulse. You want the spread to be creamy but still maintain plenty of texture. Add spices to taste. Serve at room temp. so it spreads easily.

You can spread this on bread and eat as a sandwich or use on vegetables or crackers. Traditionally, at least where I lived, we ate it as a sandwich. Use a sweet bread and add bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. Hot sauce adds a kick if you prefer hotter foods.

"Southerners can't stand to eat alone. If we're going to cook a mess of greens we want to eat them with a mess of people."

-Julia Reed

"The South--where roots, place, family, and tradition are the essence of identity."

-Social historian Carl N. Degler