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Recipe (and Cookbook Review): Vidalia Spread

December 5, 2012 Nealey Dozier Thompson
vidalia spread-1

I am terribly embarrassed to admit that my Amazon cookbook wishlist contains 149 items. No small feat, considering the number I already own. Yet I continue to buy them, and still, I never seem to have enough. My mother calls it an addiction; Walt sees them as a pesky nuisance slowly taking over our house. Personally, I see the collection as an opportunity to learn and read, cook and grow. (And last time I checked, nobody judged doctors or lawyers for having too many medical journals or case studies lying around.)

For lovers of the written (food) word, December brings hundreds of new offerings just in time for the receiving giving season. Sadly, nobody seems to want to buy me a cookbook out of fear that I may already own it. I guess I can see where they're coming from, but it means my Amazon Prime account stays pretty active.

In the spirit of Christmas, I thought I'd tell you about a few new cookbooks worthy of giving. Ones that, in fact, I have already gifted myself. The first up, Around the Southern Table, is the latest from Athens, Georgia-based cookbook author Rebecca Lang. Lang paired up with the experts at Southern Living to produce what I think is her best book yet.

Lang's approach to Southern cooking is modern yet approachable; her recipes are precise and impeccably written. To be honest, I don't think I could have written a better cookbook myself. Around the Southern Table is packed with classic, seasonal dishes using fresh ingredients and no funky additives or cans of crap. It's the type of Southern cooking that I like to rally behind. It's what Southern cooking was meant to be.

If the other recipes are as good as this Vidalia Spread (and I'm sure they will be!), my copy will be dogeared and splattered for years to come. Go ahead and save yourself some trouble—buy two copies of Around the Southern Table. One for your favorite cook, and the other for yourself. You know you deserve it...

Around the Southern Table_Vidalia Spread
VIDALIA SPREAD

I tried this recipe for this year's SEC championship game, to sit alongside some of my entertaining heavy hitters. It was the first cleaned plate, and I'm not lying when I tell you, it went fast.I have sampled a lot of onion dips before, and this was definitely the best I've ever had. The welcome additions of goat cheese and fresh rosemary really took the flavors to the next level. This dip is definitely a welcome addition to my list of greatest hits.

Source: Southern Living's Around the Southern Table by Rebecca Lang
Serves: 6-8

4 bacon slices
2 Vidalia onions, diced (about 4 cups)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1⁄3 cup mayonnaise
4 ounces goat cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish
1/8 teaspoon salt Crackers and crudités

Preheat oven to 350°. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat 5 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon.

Sauté onion in hot drippings over medium heat for 6 minutes or until translucent. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in cream cheese and next 5 ingredients. Spread into an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and top with crumbled bacon. Let stand 5 minutes. Garnish, if desired. Serve warm with crackers and crudités.

Recipe courtesy of Southern Living's Around the Southern Table by Rebecca Lang. Reprinted with permission from Oxmoor House 2012.
In Recipe Tags around the southern table, dip, onion, rebecca lang, Recipe, Southern Living, spread, vidalia
3 Comments

Recipe: Pimento Cheese

August 22, 2012 Nealey Dozier Thompson
Pimento Cheese-3
Pimento Cheese-3

(My pimento cheese photos circa 2009 needed a little update. The excerpt below is taken from the recipe archives.)

I do not have fond memories of pimento cheese. When I was a child, we always had a carton of the unnaturally bright grocery store brand in the fridge, which my dad used to scoop onto anything he could get his hands on. Sometimes he would wave a day-glow orange sandwich under my nose, and I would run away screaming my little head off.

It wasn’t until college that I found an appreciation for this Southern staple. Every time my roommate Ben went home to Raleigh to visit his grandmother, he would return with a vat of from-scratch pimento cheese—you know, the real thing. I didn’t even know it could be homemade! I had always assumed it could only be processed in a mysterious factory off the New Jersey Turnpike, along with Twinkies and Moon Pies and other synthetic foods.

My roommates and I would stand blissfully around the kitchen counter slathering slices of Wonder Bread with the chunky spread, barely swallowing before attacking the next bite. That pimento cheese got us through quite a few Boone ice storms and continues to show up in vats in my refrigerator today. All I can say is, thank God for grandmas!

Pimento Cheese-1
Pimento Cheese-1
PIMENTO CHEESE
Yields: 2 cups

I've been tweaking this pimento cheese recipe over the years and finally have it just the way I like it. Mine may have some ingredients that certain purists may snark at, but they're the ones missing out. Serve with crostini, saltines, or in a (white bread) sandwich.

1 (8 ounce) block sharp yellow cheddar cheese, grated
1 (8 ounce) block white cheddar cheese, grated
1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimientos, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise (Duke's or Hellmann's only)
1 tablespoon pickle juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
A few big splashes of Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer), beat the shredded cheeses, cream cheese, pimientos, mayonnaise, pickle juice, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce until completely combined. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow flavors to marry, but bring to room temperature before serving.
In Recipe Tags appetizer, crostini, dip, pimento cheese, Recipe, Southern, spread
7 Comments

Recipe: Beer Cheese Spread

May 18, 2010 Nealey Dozier Thompson
Beer Cheese 1

We celebrated Walt's 28th birthday this past Saturday with a full on Georgia-style barbecue. The theme was "Southern Baptist potluck," meaning too much of some very good things. I delegated out side dishes and appetizers, in addition to my own, while Walt was in charge of the famous Thompson barbecue (smoked 13 hours with the secret family sauce). Oh yeah, I made cookie cake. Twice. Don't even ask. Needless to say, drinks were imbibed, food was devoured, and fun was had by all. My one complaint? Georgia is freaking hot, ya'll. I've unadapted. It's going to be one long, sticky summer...

MARTHA BELL'S BEER CHEESE SPREAD
Source: Martha Bell

1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese, at room temperature
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
1 (1 ounce) packet ranch dressing mix
1/3 cup lager-style beer (I like Miller High Life)
Splash of worcestershire sauce

Mix all the ingredients together (I used my stand mixer) and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with pretzels and crudité.
Beer Cheese 1-2
In Recipe Tags beer, cream cheese, dip, food, ranch, Recipe, Southern, spread, tailgate
6 Comments

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