I went home to visit family last weekend. It was a much-needed, long-awaited five days with two of the people I love most in the world, my dear mom and dad, and I can’t begin to express what a rejuvenating experience it was to be away from the hubbub of daily “normal” life but yet also awash in incredibly deep familiarity. The end result was a weekend of respite, followed shortly by the sense that I could conquer the world upon returning back to Chez Recessionista. A magical visit, indeed!
While I was home, my mother and I whipped up a batch of pimiento cheese – a luxury neither of us indulges in when we’re away from the other! Save for the extremely rare serving during a noon football-game party in the fall, visits home are the only times I enjoy this wonderfully comforting classic.
Let’s get one thing out of the way quickly: A diet food this isn’t. Two blocks of grated cheddar and a generous dollop or two of Duke’s mayonnaise later, the pimientos are about the only ingredient that remains nutritionally viable throughout the process! But there’s just something about the blend of cheese, mayo, grated eggs, and pimientos – mixed with a hearty helping of black pepper – that makes me feel so eminently welcome, makes me feel that I am finally home.
Our family has enjoyed pimiento cheese for decades – in moderation, of course! I remember having it on Ritz crackers at my grandparents’ house (sometimes they had a tub of store-bought in the fridge for emergencies), and stealing taste after taste during FSU football games growing up. Now, years later, it calls me home, and one bite instantly transports me back to all of those wonderful childhood memories. With a pimiento-cheese sandwich on my plate, all the ensuing years melt away, leaving only comfort in their place.
Let me be clear: Mama’s pimiento cheese isn’t the magnet that draws me home once a quarter or so. But it certainly doesn’t hurt, that’s for sure! And every time we make a batch, we have a chance to linger in the kitchen together, catching up and joking and laughing. I can’t think of a better homecoming celebration than that!
:)