The people from Alouette cheese sent me another box o’ cheese so I had to get to work. Unfortunately, I have my entire kitchen packed up so I had to ask a friend to donate her kitchen for the evening while I tried to prepare a few things with one hand tied behind my back (not really, just massive cuts and band-aids still).  I had two other things planned but I packed up the essential items so I will be revisiting those next week.  Anyway, thanks Jayne for letting me borrow your kitchen and thanks Alouette Cheese for sending me another box o’ cheese!

Here it is, my 2010 Alouette Cheese Bowl

Fondue Try This At Home

I don’t like fondue, there I said it.  I hate how every 3-5 years it becomes fashionable and people go out and buy those little fondue sets then they use them once or twice and wait another 3-5 years to be told it’s fashionable again.  Why do all that when all you want it melted cheese with something to dip it in?

If you’re having a party and there is a table in front of the t.v. then you might take a chance of getting your precious burning bowl of fail in the way.  Here’s what you do.  Get a large rectangular plate and place it in the oven at 250-300F.   Melt 2 wedges of Alouette Hickory Smoked Baby Brie Wedges with 1/2 cup of heavy cream in a small sauce pan on low to medium heat (don’t let the cheese get above 165-170F or the cheese will separate).

While that’s going on you can cook some steak (Angus aged 20 days, New York Cut cooked medium rare),  skewer some celery, carrots, tomatoes, hearts of palm, roasted red bell pepper, and then the steak.

You will want to season the cheese once it’s melted with crushed black pepper and himalayan pink salt.

Take the plate out of the oven and pour the cheese in the middle then place your skewered items on top with a little bit of fresh dill as a garnish.   Nobody has to touch the hot plate and everyone can enjoy melted cheese and dipping items without all the trendy crap that fondue brings.

Grilled Sweet Pepper Medley Sandwiches with Bacon and Meyer Lemon Oil

I love grilled cheese sandwiches….I love bacon……I love meyer lemons so I put them all together with Alouette’s pepper medley spreadable cheese.

I used an oatnut bread for this to give the sandwich another level of texture; it compliments the chunks of bacon inside.  I zested a meyer lemon and took half the zest and placed it inside the sandwich then I took the juice of the lemon and remaining zest and mixed it with extra virgin olive oil.

1 container of Alouettte sweet pepper medley will be enough to make three sandwiches. You will also need 3 strips of bacon that will be chopped up to place inside the sandwiches (it’s a good idea to chop them so you won’t have problems cutting the sandwich later).

Cook the sandwiches off on a hibachi grill with a bit of clarified butter on it and wait until the sandwiches turn golden brown…..you’ve done this before!  When you’re all done quarter the sandwiches and pour a bit of meyer lemon oil on top.

Steak and Cheese Please!!!

But, I don’t see any cheese!  Good things come to those who wait.

Take some of that fine Angus steak and cook it up with a little salt and pepper on each side.  Sautee some baby portabello mushrooms in clarified butter, salt, and pepper then place them on the rolls.  Oh yes, there will be cheese!

Melt two containers of Alouette’s Regular Garlic and Herb Spreadable cheese with 1/2 cup heavy cream on low to medium heat (remember the warning I gave you earlier).  When the cheese is melted pour it over the top of the steak and mushrooms, like so.

Cheese Dip? Yes, Cheese Dip

Indulgent, that’s all it is.  This is my version of a fancy cheese dip.  I take two Alouette Baby Brie wedges then melt them with 1/2 cup of heavy cream and finish it with Murray River Pink Salt and a very small amount of crushed white pepper.

The egg yolk is poached in water that is at 120F for about 4 minutes.  I was going to poach it in butter but the whole being at someone else’s house didn’t allow me for clarifying the amount of butter I would need.

Place the yolk in the bowl then pour the cheese on top and place bacon and diced roasted red pepper on top with a little thyme. Ta-da, cheese dip!

Thanks again to Jayne for letting me terrorize her kitchen for an evening and a huge thanks to Alouette Cheese for letting me mess with their awesome cheese

Eric