Blue Cayenne

Apparently, it’s a Wisconsin thing.

The Wisconsin cheese industry claims that club, crock or pub cheese originated there in the early 1900s as a snack served to touring guests at the Pabst Brewery Hospitality Center in Milwaukee. Smeared on a cracker and washed down by a cold beer, the cheese blend was a hit and, in 1933, Hubert Fassbender (of Kaukauna, Wisconsin) became the first commercial manufacturer of the cheese sensation when he put his Kaukauna Klub  cheese on the market.

I remember buying big crocks of Fassbender’s cheese back in the 1970s. It became a staple on our holiday table and we were partial to the crock of cheese with port wine swirled throughout the mixture. Today, the cheese, also called cold pack cheese because the cheeses are not heated during production, continues to be a popular Wisconsin product and sales of the cheese peak during the holidays. According to one of the producers, tastes are changing, though, with Jalapeno or habanero-flavored cheese being particularly popular as America’s palate has become more adventurous.

Over the years, cooks have, of course, tried their hands at various homemade versions of  pub cheese and somewhere, in some kitchen, the cheese ball was born.

Sadly, in some circles, the cheese ball gets no respect–a Rodney Dangerfield of the world of party appetizers. Too boring. Too bland. Too much of a “boomer” thing.

My recommendation is that you don’t shy away from the modern cheese ball (or the crock of Wisconsin pub cheese at your market).

At least, don’t run away from this recipe from The New York Times. For those of you who are cheese addicts (you know who you are), this cheese ball is a wonderful thing. It has a bit of a bite. It has the complex flavor that comes from combining several quality cheeses. It has roasted pecans. It works.

If it’s too “boomer” for you,  just tell yourself that it’s fashionably retro and go with it.

Yields 9 servomgs

Serves 8 to 10 servings

Cheese Ball

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Ingredients

• 4 T. good-quality salted butter
• 1 C. shredded sharp, flavorful cheese in any combination that might include Gruyere, cheddar or blue cheese
• 3 oz. fresh goat cheese
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1 T. finely chopped scallions
• 1/4 t. cayenne
• 1/4 t. fish sauce (or Worstershire or omit)
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1/3 C. chopped, salted and roasted pecans
• 1 T. chopped flat leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Set cheeses and butter out on your counter and allow them to come to room temperature.
2. Combine all ingredients except pecans and parsley in the bowl of a stand up mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. (This should take about 4 minutes.)
3. Using a spatula, scrap the cheese mixture onto a piece of waxed paper and gently form into a ball. Place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or until firm enough to work with.
4. Mix the chopped salted pecans and chopped parsley together in a large plate. Roll the cheese ball through the mixture. Cover any surfaces with a sprinkling of the mixture and pat into the sides until you have an evenly-coated ball.
5. Wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to serve, let the ball sit out for a half hour or so to soften a bit. Serve with good plain crackers or small toasts.

Nutrition

Calories

30 cal

Carbs

4 g

Protein

3 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

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https://bluecayenne.com/bits-and-pieces-party-cheese-ball

The original recipe for this cheese ball comes from the New York Times. Here is the link:

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018455-bits-and-pieces-party-cheese-ball

Oh, my!  Can’t you just smell the sweet rich aroma of baked onions wafting through your computer screen ? And, look at that ooey-gooey cheese sauce. Onion heaven.

As Julia Child once said, “It is hard to imagine civilization without onions.”

The history of onions is pretty interesting. (OK. To those of you who are rolling your eyes at the thought of history being interesting, stop it! Now!)

Onions are believed to have been cultivated as early as 5000 years ago, probably first in Central Asia, Iran or West Pakistan. Their cultivation spread quickly and they were enjoyed by the Greeks, Egyptians and Romans. Paintings of onions can be found in Egyptian tombs. Believing that the onion, with its perfect circle within a circle symmetry, was the symbol of eternity, Egyptians buried mummies stuffed with onions. Ramses IV (d. 1150 B.C.) was buried with onions in his eye sockets. The Greeks believed that onions could fortify athletes before Olympic events. Athletes drank onion juice and rubbed onion juice over their bodies before competitions. Round onion bulb indentations have been found in the volcanic remains at Pompeii.

By the Middle Ages, onions were among the three main vegetables in the European diet– beans and cabbage being the other two. When the pilgrims arrived in North America with onions in the cargo hold of the Mayflower, they found the Indian diet already included ample quantities of wild onions.

For all of these early onion consumers, onions, of course, had the advantages of being less perishable than other foods and being easy to grow and transport. They could be dried and used later, too. Onions also could be used to slake one’s thirst, not an unimportant quality for times when travelers and traders ventured over long distances in uncertain circumstances. What was not to love?

Today, Americans consume about twenty pounds of onions per person per year. Worldwide, onion consumption is about 13.7 pounds of onions per person. Apparently, the world record for onion consumption goes to Libya where people consume 66.8 pounds of onions per person per year. (Note to self: look up Libyan cooking.)

This recipe for golden baked onions is a keeper. Easy. Impossibly rich tasting. Comfort food writ large.

A link to the original recipe from the site The Splendid Table appears at the bottom of this post.

I’ll end this with an onion joke. Wisely, the jokester remains anonymous.

“If you hear an onion ring, answer it.”

Yields 12 Servings

Serves 12

Golden Baked Onions

Golden Baked Onions

10 minPrep Time

2 hrCook Time

2 hr, 10 Total Time

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Ingredients

• 6 brown onions (peeled and halved)
• 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 C. half and half (or cream)
• 1 T. thyme leaves
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 C. finely grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 C. finely grated Gruyere cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Peel onions and slice them in half length wise. Place onions in a baking dish with cut sides facing up and drizzle them with olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for an hour and a half.
3. Remove foil from onions and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until onions begin to brown.
4. Mix half and half, thyme, mustard and cheeses in a bowl. Spoon mixture evenly on top of onions. Bake for 15-20 minutes until onions are golden.
5. When serving, be sure to spoon some extra cheese gravy onto each onion half.

Nutrition

Calories

76 cal

Fat

4 g

Carbs

8 g

Protein

3 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

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https://bluecayenne.com/golden-baked-onions-and-an-onion-ring-joke

I found this recipe on the wonderful The Splendid Table site. Here is the link to the original recipe.

https://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/golden-baked-onions

Need a knock-their-socks-off pretty pastry for your Thanksgiving breakfast guests? These puff pastry pinwheels fit the bill. They are exceptionally easy, too, and fast to prepare. They also give you an excuse to use your prettiest plates to serve them. My plate is one I bought a gazillion years ago on the Greek island of Rhodes. Using it again brings back wonderful memories of carefree times and the pinwheels kind of remind me of the iconic Greek windmills that famously dot Rhodes’ Mandraki Harbor. The windmills date back to medieval times and were used to grind corn.

The beauty of these pinwheels belies the ease of making them. You guests don’t need to know that, though.

Surprisingly, these pastries are not too sweet. You control the sweetness by the amount of jam you use. I keep planning to make these with a cheese filling but I haven’t done that yet.

Yields 10

Puff Pastry Pinwheels

Easy-peasy puff pastry pinwheels for breakfast.

10 minPrep Time

20 minCook Time

30 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

• 1 package 5 inch by 5 inch puff pastry squares (or a roll of puff pastry that you cut into 4 inch by 4 inch squares)
• Jam or Marmalade (You pick the flavors! I used orange marmalade and red raspberry jams)
• Egg Wash (egg mixed with water)
• Heated apricot jam or marmalade

Instructions

1. Defrost puff pastry. Begin to work with the puff pastry as soon as it is pliable. You want the pastry to be cold when you prepare these pinwheels. You can make the pinwheels with the 5 inch by 5 inch puff pastry squares, but I trimmed mine to a 4 inch by 4 inch size. I thought the slightly smaller size was prettier
2. Using a sharp knife, cut diagonal lines from the corners of the pastry towards the center. Brush the corners of the puff pastry with egg wash. Fold every other cut corner up over to the center, overlapping the points and pressing to seal and make an indentation to hold the jam. Spoon one tablespoon of jam onto the indentations.
3. Place the pastries onto a greased baking sheet. Brush the tops of the pastries with the egg wash. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes.
4. Gently remove the baked pinwheels to a cooling rack. Brush tops of pinwheels with heated apricot jam or marmalade.
5. Let pinwheels cool and firm up a bit before your serve them.

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https://bluecayenne.com/puff-pastry-pinwheels