With the holidays nearly upon us, you want to have things that can be made ahead for spontaneous entertaining. One of our favorites is this yummy cheesy spread. The original vintage recipe hails from the Carolinas and was perfected by cookbook authors Ted and Matt Lee. Well, not quite perfected as this is our own variation. And we think it is truly perfect now.
This Pimento Cheese could not be easier to make. It keeps for a week in the fridge. It looks festive because of the red flecks from the peppers. Pay attention to the notes about the ingredients. We’ve made this a lot and quality matters.
8 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese grated fine. DO NOT use pre-grated cheese.
¼ cup cream cheese cut into pieces and softened. Really softened.
Scant ½ cup finely diced jarred roasted red peppers or pimentos. DO NOT use cheap ones. We use the Trader Joes brand.
3 tablespoons high-quality store-bought mayonnaise. Best Foods, Dukes or Hellman’s. Nothing organic for heaven's sake! This is southern.
½ teaspoon dried red chiliflakes
Splash of Worstershiresauce
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
In a large shallow mixing bowl place cheese in first. Scatter the remining ingredients over it. Using a spatula, lift and fold the ingredients together. This should not take more than a couple of minutes.
Transfer mixture to a container and cover with plastic. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
For a completely retro vibe, serve with Ritz crackers. This recipe is very flexible. Feel free to experiment with spicing!
I adore a fancy cocktail! If you want something with a little tropical flair - grab yourself a jar of Wild Hibiscus in Rose Petal Syrup.
You can do something as simple and elegant as putting one of the blossoms in the bottom of a champagne flute, adding a spoon of the rose syrup, and topping it all up with bubbly. Gorgeous.
Or get a bit fancier like the Cocktail Flora here. Named for feisty Flora Letwin (who you met in Pistols) this little cocktail has it all. Sweet and citrus and bubbles for a well-rounded cocktail prelude to whatever deliciousness you have planned for dinner.
Here is the method.
• Place a hibiscus blossom in the bottom of each of your two prettiest wine glasses.
• Mix two oz. of fresh lemon juice, three oz. of Aperol and three oz. of St. Germain.
• Add a spoon of the rose syrup.
• Place the mixture in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake it good!
• Split the mixture between the two glasses.
• Top up with some simple bubbles, like a nice prosecco.
Hand the one glass to your companion and grab your own. Now for a lovely tete a tete with your partner!
Disclaimer: I grew up Catholic. So I learned about a Saint Valentine, a typical martyr in early years of Christianity. Of course he was a guy who got beheaded. Not very romantic. So don’t limit the fun to February 14. I hereby give you permission to enjoy Cocktail Flora and any other delicious thing you can create with Wild Hibiscus any time you want.