"Picked-On" Peppered Cheese

I hated pimento cheese when I was a kid - it seemed wet, soggy, slightly sweet and overtly rich. A horrible sandwich option found in gas stations, supermarkets, and vending machines, to be avoided at all costs - my God, I thought, who the fuck wants to eat a sandwich with a filling that is softer than the bread? And the kids in school that packed pimento cheese sandwiches for lunch weren’t to be trusted.- not at all different from the “dirty kids” down the street that mother instructed, ordered me to stay away from. A kid that eats pimento cheese, after all, probably had bad hygiene and orange teeth - gross.

Outside of sack lunches at school, the only other time I was forced to deal with pimento cheese was during the holidays when it was smeared inside the green valley of fresh celery and carefully nestled on a glass tray, between canned black olives (that were wonderful when eaten from finger tips), sweet baby pickles, and more celery stuffed with creamy peanut butter. Nobody but my grandfather ate the pimento cheese - and let’s face it, he liked scotch and whiskey….two things equally as off putting as slimy orange cheese spread.

As I got older, I mysteriously developed a deep affinity for scotch, whiskey…and yes, even pimento cheese. It’s become quite expected in the south for chefs, restaurants to serve this simple cheese spread that is delicious on white bread alone, as accouterments to burgers and sandwiches, and even as a means for simple snacking, entertaining. Please enjoy my recipe here - I like it with baked lahvosh (recipe to come soon) and pickled cucumbers and red onions (also to come soon) - I hope you enjoy it. Oh, and to all the pimento eating, dirty kids I shunned or shamed in elementary school - I humbly ask for your forgiveness - I was wrong….

Pick a Pepper Cheese

• 1 lb. of sharp cheddar; grated

• Splash of Pickapeppa brown hot sauce

• Splash of cider vinegar

• 1 cup grilled sweet peppers, rough chopped 

• 2 Tsp. onion powder

• 1 Tbsp. garlic powder

• 1 Tbsp. samball hot sauce

  21 Tsp. Dijon mustard

• 1 Cup mayonnaise (Start with ½ cup and add as needed)

• Pinch of smoked paprika

  Technique -

  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Allow to rest in fridge for an hour or so.Serve with home made lahvosh and pickled cucumbers and red onions.

Home is Where the Art's Place Is

We all need a place to call home; a proverbial hearth that simultaneous garners sanctuary, familiarity, and inspiration alongside the people we love and cherish.  Home is not simply a place, but rather a state of mind and, at times, even of taste, touch, and smell.  The fragrance of freshly brewed coffee, frying bacon, and cigarette smoke transcends me to my childhood and the home kitchen of my grandma Dighero as she poetically maneuvers through her standard, grease laden daily breakfast.  No matter when:  childhood, adolescence, adulthood….I could count on those three intermingled perfumes to make me feel safe, and perpetually hopeful. 

I’m asked on a weekly basis:  where’s your favorite restaurant, who makes the best burger, what’s your favorite beer, where do you go for a drink?  I typically derive answers based on the party questioning, and my answers to the independent questions alter day to day, depending on my mood.  However, the sum of all of those inquiries together lead me to one, undeniable location in Fayetteville:  Arts Place Bar and Grill.  {Notice, there is no “E” at the end of grill}

Dark, brooding, smoky, embellished with sounds of pool balls “clacking” intermittently beneath laughter, “rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb” muttering, and the unmistakable “sizzle” of burgers on a flat top grill.  Ahhh, this is home…this is where I come to make business deals, to celebrate the lives of contemporaries, to mourn the loss of important family, to be alone, to be part of a crowd, to break-up, to fall in love, and to, most importantly of all, drink a beer and devour the best cheeseburger on the planet.

There’s really nothing stylized about the Art’s Place burger; it’s an archetype of perfection, but one should never expect something groundbreaking or cutting edge.  The beef patty is fried in front of you, behind the bar on a flat top grill that has been seasoned with whiskey, bar brawls, and a million lonely hearts, then stratified with mayo, sliced tomato, cold iceberg lettuce, and thick sliced white onions…be sure to ask for extra crispy fries; and don’t be offended if the pretty girl sitting next you at the bar pays you little mind, because she is, well, you’ll just have to see for yourself.

Art’s Place is a lot of things to a lot of people, myself included; but at the very least it’s an important part of the edible culture of Fayetteville, Arkansas.  It may not be your idea of home, sanctuary, inspiration…but I guarantee it’ll be the best burger you’ve had in a very, long time.

Originally published for Experience Fayetteville - February 2017

http://www.experiencefayetteville.com/eat/item/21-home-is-where-the-art-is

Tailgate. Celebrate. Advocate. Inclusion in Food and Sports.

For generations, SPORTS have served as an important vessel for inclusion, bringing people together from all walks of life – Lately, in this day and age of divisive behavior from our commander in chief, sports fan are saddened to see all the mean spirited character assassinations spawned from free minded players kneeling for social justice, standing up for free speech, and even NBA GOAT Lebron James being criticized after opening a school for low income, high risk kids – so, as the fall football season kicks off, and tailgaters ignite grills and imaginations all over campuses across the country, Edible Culture offers up a series of Tailgate Foods to celebrate this year’s football season that is INCLUSIVE for ALL – When we say WIDE WORLD of SPORTS…we mean it!

 Taiwanese Barbecued Corn may be the easiest and most popular pre-game food to grace your tent and tailgate this season; offering up equal parts wet pop, earthy fragrance, and spicy bite for even the most discriminating jersey clad guest.  We love the idea of turning the very Americana Sweet Corn on it's ear (ahem) by slathering it with a modified sauce that has roots on the other side of the world - Taiwan. Here's what you'll need for the sauce:

6 Ears Fresh Corn, husks attached

1/2 cup Sambal Chili Sauce

1/2 cup Gochujang Sauce

1/4 cup Oyster Sauce

1/4 cup Rice Wine Vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 tablespoon Coriander

1 tablespoon Sesame Oil

6 tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, coarse chop

3 Tablespoons Eden Sesame and Sea Vegetable Seasoning

Combine sambal, gochujang, oyster sauce, Worcestershire, coriander, sesame oil, 3 tablespoons cilantro.  Set aside.

Ignite the grill, creating high heat for half of the grates, and low heat for the other half.  Grease the grates accordingly, until smoking hot.  Add the corn to the hot side of the grill with the husks still on; allow to smoke, sizzle, char for about 20 minutes total.  Remove corn from the grill, and after additional 5 minutes, remove silk and husks.  Note the incredibly inviting, earthy fragrance the charred husks emits in your general vicinity - a beckoning for guests to come take a peak, taste.

Place the corn on the hot side of the grill, then slather with sauce.  Allow to baste and char on all sides for approximately 10 minutes.  Transfer to cooler side of grill for two minutes, covered.  Remove and slather with additional sauce, the top with Eden  Sesame and Sea Vegetable Seasoning and remainder of fresh chopped cilantro.   

Blueberry Pie's Free Lovin' Hippie Cousin

Recently hosting a small dinner party, I needed to create a quick, summery dessert with rustic appeal; so after a quick trip to the Fayetteville Farmers' market I devised a recipe for a simple, endearing Blueberry Crostata, a nuanced, slightly free form version of pie.

Blueberries are in full bloom, so take advantage while you can - and feel free to add or substitute any of the other raspberries, blackberries that are also available at the market.  Fresh is the secret to the filling, soul of this dessert - if you attempt this recipe with canned or frozen berries you will fail miserably, and your friends with abandon you.

One additional virtue for our Ozark Blueberry Crostata is the incredibly rich, delicious, and EASY crust - only a few ingredients and the use of your freezer make this one a keeper.   And since we're not using a tart or pie pan, the end result is utterly free form and rustic - which is great if you're cooking with your kids or in need of a quick, memorable dessert this summer.

High South Blueberry Crostata

The Dough

1 1/2 Cups AP Flour

3 Tablespoons White Sugar

Pinch of Salt

1 Stick of Salted Butter, cubed

3-ish Tablespoons of Really Cold Water

The Filling

3 Cups Fresh Blueberries

3 Tablespoons White Sugar

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

1 Pinch of Cinnamon

1 Whole Egg, beaten but not berated

1 Teaspoon Flaky Maldon Salt

Technique

Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt; then add butter cubes, toss until cubes are coated; place in freezer to chill out for 20 minutes or so.

Place chilly flour, butter combination into a food processor; pulse and grind until small pea sizes form; slowly add water until dough ball forms.  Turn dough onto a flat surface or board, use additional flour if dough is too wet; press into small salad plate size, then allow to chill in fridge while you construct blueberry filling.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees; line a sheet pan with Pam sprayed parchment (I actually used a perforated pizza pan); remove the dough from cooler, dust with flour, and roll into a 12 to 14 inch oval or circle - no more than a 1/2 inch thick.  Move dough to prepared sheet pan.

In a medium sized bowl toss blueberries together with sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice.  Add blueberries to center of the flattened dough, then carelessly fold the sides of the dough onto the outer edge of the blueberries, sealing any open edges or seams.  Brush top of the dough with egg, then sprinkle with Maldon Salt and a whisper more of sugar.  Allow to collude in the fridge for 10 minutes before adding pan with dough to 400 degree oven.

Bake until the crust is a shimmering golden brown and the berries are bubbling, chatting, probably 40 minutes or so.  Allow to cool a bit before topping with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and devouring.  

Go FOURTH and IMBIBE

Helloooo, July!  Honestly, it's the hottest summer I can remember, with no end in sight - BUT there IS a remedy for these HOT, HOT FLASHES in the Summer of 2018 - COCKTAILS!  Check out these refreshing, ethereal drinks that are sure to cool you down, while bringing your spirits UP! 

The Gin Blossom

The Gin Blossom (Fun, delicious, local, muddled) 

What to get:  Fresh Basil Leaves, Agave Nectar, Gin, Fresh Blueberries, Lime Juice, Sparkling Water, Ice, Basil for Garnish 

What to do:  Blueberries are one of the healthiest foods on the planet, which cancels out any negative effects of the gin, making this a nearly perfect cocktail – also, blueberries and basil are in abundance at the Farmers’ Market right now so get ‘em while they’re in season…Simply muddle blueberries, basil, and agave – then shake together with gin, lime juice – pour over ice, top with sparkling water, garnish with basil - and drink those Summer Blues away!

Rosemary, Peach Sangria (Simple, fresh, batched in pitchers)

What to get: Rosé, orange liqueur, rosemary simple syrup, club soda, fresh peaches, fresh blueberries, Meyer lemons, fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish - 

What to do:  I love batched drinks that are perfect for setting out for a summer party, and sangria is one of the easiest – this is so simple to prepare, just make sure you have a couple hours to ensure it’s chilled before serving – simply pour to combine wine, liqueur, syrup, and club soda – add sliced peaches, rosemary, blueberries, and Meyer lemon slices – chill for two hours -  Sip, hiccup, sip - repeat!