Kitchen

[stilltamn8r]

Thanks! sounds like everyone starts with a similar "base" and then embellishes it...

I am really enjoying seeing what all everyone likes in THEIRS...

to DIanne..do you have a Cost Plus near you in Seattle? They carry Duke's sometimes..(psst...don't tell the southern ladies, but Best foods is pretty close!)

[CinNC]

I'm not orginally from the South and even though I've made the Harpers many times (a few years ago), I've never purchased Dukes Mayo - just used whatever I've had in the refrigerator.

[lilypad3]

Hellmans Mayo is Best Foods in the west-same thing. Yes, you could definitely substitute Best Foods. I'm a southerner and I prefer Hellmans (best foods) over Dukes.

[Deadeye Daisy]

Magnolia's Cheese Spread (from Magnolia's Restaurant in Charleston, SC)

For people who THINK they don't like pimento cheese spread. This does NOT taste like Price’s or any of the other prepared versions. It's far better.

PIMENTO CHEESE SPREAD

5 large roasted red peppers. Alternately, you can use about 2½ cups of jarred roasted pinquillo peppers. SEE NOTES below.

1 cup stuffed green olives, finely chopped (cerignolas are great, but have to be pitted)

1¼ pounds good quality New York or Vermont sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

¼ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

½ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 t. cayenne (or just a dash to taste)

Combine all of ingredients in a glass, crockery or stainless steel mixing bowl and mix well. Season to taste with cayenne pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

If you prefer a spicy version, add 1 Tablespoon sautéed minced jalapeno pepper and a few dashes of hot sauce OR you can use jalapeño stuffed olives instead of regular olives.

ROASTED PEPPERS (FRESH)

Preheat oven to 500°

Wash, drain and dry the peppers. Rub the peppers with olive oil by hand, just to coat them lightly. Place the peppers on a baking pan and roast on the top shelf of the 500E oven for about 20 minutes, turning once or twice. The skin should be well browned and will be blackened in some places.

Note: Thin peppers will have a shorter roasting time. It’s preferable to use fresh peppers that look very healthy and have good thick flesh.

The skin will become loose and easy to remove. Peal the skin off the peppers. Remove the stems, cores and seeds. Do not rinse. At this point you may use the peppers in any way that you would use pimientos.

Chop the roasted red peppers fine.

Daisy & Sherry's NOTES:

For the cheese, I like Cabot Seriously Sharp White Cheddar.

ROASTED PEPPERS (JARRED)

Sam's Club sells 33 oz jars of Member's Mark Whole Roasted Red Peppers. These are pinquillo peppers, just a different variety from the Spanish ones. Most of the ones you find in small jars at most supermarkets are just red peppers. Pinquillos are NOT hot, NOT spicy, but VERY tasty. They are quite short, unlike other jarred roasted red peppers.

Don't worry about the extras left in the jar. Wad up a full sheet or two of parchment and stuff down into the jar to keep the peppers submerged in the brine. They will keep in fridge for quite a while.

These little suckers are REALLY good stuffed. With almost ANYTHING savory. Boursin, plain cream cheese, flavored cheeses, goat cheese, mixture of crème fraîche & crab - you name it. I’ve been known to stuff ‘em with a wedge of Laughing Cow. Once stuffed, you can pan fry them. Or not. DH preferred 'em fried; I like 'em just stuffed at room temp. Our beer drinking friends like 'em with beer. Our wine drinkers like with wine. Our Baptist and Mormon friends just don't have any fun at all.

They are NOT a hot pepper, just a tasty one. We tried regular jarred red peppers, but they aren't as good in the cheese spread. Pinquillos are short - just a mouthful or two when stuffed. Regular roasted red peppers are much longer and not nearly as tasty.

Have had the recipe for well over a dozen years. A number of years back when we had dinner at Magnolias, we asked about the recipe - we were told they used to use just regular red peppers, but they reworked the recipe to use pinquillos as customers seemed to like the spread better. They also sometimes use cerignola olives instead of regular stuffed ones. When I make it, I add one or two minced shallots to the mixture.

[magicmoodz]

I never tasted pimento cheese until I lived in the South. I learned to make it using a good white cheddar, chopped pimento stuffed olives, mayo, a little garlic powder and pepper.

Good on cocktail rye/pumpernickel or with crackers as an easy appetizer.

[RedTop]

My husband loves pimento cheese, and his favorite recipe uses sharp cheddar, Velveeta, pimentoes, Miracle Whip and a dash of cayenne pepper. Due to food allergies, I generally stay away from cheese, but will push my limits by eating a bite of this on crackers, or spread thinly on one slice of bread.

[stilltamn8r]

I really like the idea of green olives in this, they just seem to go hand in hand with pimientos!

[DiAnne]

On 4/4/2014 stilltamn8r said:

Thanks! sounds like everyone starts with a similar "base" and then embellishes it...

I am really enjoying seeing what all everyone likes in THEIRS...

to DIanne..do you have a Cost Plus near you in Seattle? They carry Duke's sometimes..(psst...don't tell the southern ladies, but Best foods is pretty close!)

There is a Cost Plus in the next town. I will check the next time I am there. Thanks.

[magicmoodz]

On 4/4/2014 stilltamn8r said:

I really like the idea of green olives in this, they just seem to go hand in hand with pimientos!

still ~ if you like olives, they really do add a whole new dimension of flavor!

[stilltamn8r]

LOVE 'em!