Pimento Cheese

This recipe came from Aunt Erma Lee that I discussed in my toffee recipe. She was a marvelous cook and and seemed to make everything taste exquisite. I was standing her tiny apartment kitchen watching her cook, amazed how how she could make anything delicious come out of such a tiny space, and asked her to share with me some of her secrets for always having her dinner guests exclaiming with delight over her culinary efforts. She said, "make them wait!" It was her belief that if you were really hungry when you ate the food it tasted better and after careful thought I have decided she is right!

 I had a friend in college who wanted to come home with me for the weekend. I was so excited that I called my Mom right away to ask if she would mind having company. She said she was giving a little party and wondered if another weekend might be better. Being as impatient as I am, I insisted that Audrey be allowed to come anyway deciding that she would be a big help. We made pimento cheese as one of the dishes served with fancy crackers. It was delicious but what was funny was that years later and after Audrey and I had drifted apart living in two different cities with our own families, I get this call out of the blue and its Audrey. She says that she had never forgotten that pimento cheese and how good it was and could she have the recipe. I have to say we still get together once a year and I think what reunited us was that recipe! Audrey is in the blue!

Pimento Cheese

1 jar roasted red peppers

1 8oz. package of cream cheese (room temperature)

1 small can chopped black olives

3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press

5 green onion chopped (the whole thing)

32oz. cheddar cheese, half white cheddar and half medium sharp cheddar ( I used Tillamook for the yellow cheese and Boars Head for the white)

Mayonnaise, enough to make it creamy 

Salt and Pepper to taste

Use one and a half of the of the peppers from the jar and chop them up. Chop the green onion and the tops. Shred the cheese on the standard shred size...not too fine. Put all the ingredients in a big bowl except the mayonnaise and give it a toss. Now start adding the mayonnaise until the whole thing is creamy. Refrigerate.

Recently my old high school buddies got together to celebrate a birthday and we were each to bring a favorite dish to the party and this is the one I selected. It was fun seeing everyone again!