Tag Archives: Cheese

Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread

Posted on August 7, 2011 | 9 Comments

Cornbread is a so-called quick bread, because it doesn’t contain yeast and doesn’t require any rising or kneading.  All of which makes it ready to bake in a flash!

Another great thing about cornbread is that no two recipes need be alike.  You can mix and match ingredients as you see fit.  Play with the type of cornmeal (coarse or medium), the flour (whole wheat or not), the cheese (cheddar or monterey) and the acid (buttermilk, sour cream, or yogurt).  Add corn or jalapeno slices . . . or both . . . or neither.

I made this particular recipe twice, Continue reading →

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Posted in Breads

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Baked Macaroni and Cheese with a Kick

Posted on July 23, 2011 | 9 Comments

The other day, I noticed that there were three unopened boxes of elbow macaroni, sitting peacefully in my cabinet.  And I know what happened.  Every trip to the Kroger leads me through the pasta section.  And I think, “Hmmm.  I wonder if I have any macaroni at home?”  Better safe than sorry, I pick up a box and add it to the cart.

Tired of pushing those boxes out of the way Continue reading →

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Posted in Entrees

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Cheese Straws

Posted on June 5, 2011 | 2 Comments

A savory alternative to cinnamon twists is cheese straws.  The preparation and process is much the same, but instead of cinnamon and sugar, try gruyere, parmesan,  Continue reading →

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Posted in Appetizers

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Garlic and Cheese Naan

Posted on December 19, 2010 | 5 Comments

The Cincinnati football team is named the Bengals, and takes, as its logo, an image of a leaping Royal Bengal tiger.  The Bengal tiger is native to India and Bangladesh, and can be found in the aptly named Bengal region.  With a population of close to 250 million people, the region is one of the densest and most populous regions in the entire world.

This is not the only link between the city of Cincinnati and the Indian sub-continent.  Despite the city’s German roots, the city is home to a thriving Indian community, particularly given the relative size of Cincinnati.  The public library’s collection includes a significant number of Bollywood videos and books in Bengali.  The Clifton area boasts an Indian grocery, and the city itself is home to about a dozen excellent Indian restaurants.

When Caitlin first visited Cincinnati, we went Ambar India, which is now Continue reading →

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Posted in Breads

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English Cheddar Cornbread

Posted on November 30, 2009 | 4 Comments

In addition to cranberry sauce, cornbread and turkey just seem like one of those perfect pairings.

Cornbread is a so-called quick bread, because it doesn’t contain yeast, and doesn’t require any rising or kneading.  These traits make it perfect for Thanksgiving, when the number of dishes and burners going at once can be overwhelming.  Beyond being quick and easy to prepare, its hearty, yet uncomplicated – requiring basic pantry staples.

Another advantage to cornbread is its adaptability.  Cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt are a given, but beyond that, Continue reading →

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Blue Cheese Souffle

Posted on November 9, 2009 | 2 Comments

Blue Cheese Souffle

No one would ever accuse blue cheese of being timid.

With its blue veins and pungent smell, blue cheese is not hiding from anyone.  And yet, for centuries, it was.  That is, blue cheese developed when farmers left the cheese in damp and cold caves, letting the bluish-green mold create the distinctive flavor we now know.

Blue Cheese Souffle after Refrigerating

This soufflé was not intuitive.  When I first unwrapped the Roquefort, half of me wanted to return the cheese to that far-off cave.  But somehow, Continue reading →

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Posted in Souffle

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Croque Norvegien

Posted on May 31, 2009 | 2 Comments

Croque Monsieur

If you’ve ever been in a Parisian café, you’ve seen Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle at work.  In this environment, waiters move about like errant electrons, brushing past you with little care for their momentum, their movements, or their duties. To a stationary observer, it is impossible to know both the location of a server and the speed at which he is ignoring you.

The croque-monsieur made its debut in 1910, in a café on the Boulevard des Capucines.  The origins of the name are unknown, but I suspect the etymology is quintessentially French.  An exasperated Frenchman Continue reading →

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Posted in Entrees

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Three-Cheese Suppli al Telefono

Posted on April 19, 2009 | 3 Comments

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I wasn’t quite sure what to name this dish.

After making my three-cheese risotto, I ended up with several servings of left-over, cold risotto.  Cold risotto, it turns out, is perfect for making fried risotto balls, alternately known as suppli or arancini.

Suppli is short for “Suppli al Telefono,” which translates as “telephone wires.”  Traditional suppli is fried risotto that has been stuffed with mozzarella cheese.  The idea, of course, is that biting into a good suppli produces a low-hanging mozzarella string, reminiscent of telephone wires.

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Arancini is Italian for “little orange,” because Continue reading →

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Posted in Appetizers

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Three-Cheese Risotto

Posted on April 15, 2009 | 4 Comments

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Having a food blog doesn’t stop me from asking silly food questions.

On a recent trip to the grocery store, I could not find the risotto.  After several minutes of scrounging around the different rice and grain shelves, I decided to solicit help.  As I explained to the store clerk, I was making three-cheese risotto, and all that was left on my list was what the recipe referred to as “risotto rice.”  He kindly pointed me to arborio rice.

three-cheese-risotto-collage

Risotto, I learned, does not refer to an ingredient, but rather to a dish.

The key to risotto Continue reading →

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Posted in Entrees, Sides

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Grilled Garlic Bread

Posted on February 12, 2009 | 4 Comments

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If you were thinking about making my seven-layer spinach lasagna from the other day, grilled garlic bread would make the perfect appetizer. Continue reading →

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