Roasted red peppers or pimentos, the result is still a zesty bit of cheesy goodness.
Often times I use this space to offer advice, tips and general knowledge on a wide range of culinary tidbits.
Usually the information passed on is banal, routine stuff. It is useful and necessary but not often does it require a lot of research.
Like how long to fry a turkey (3 minutes per pound) or how much crawfish to figure per person at a party (figure a pound per person, a pound and a half if you’re on Dauphin Island).
But it is not often that we are called to offer advice on a topic where the stakes are so high.
Just last week, I received an e-mail from a reader seeking my assistance in a matter of grave importance. The topic of disagreement was pimentos.
She wrote, “Below you will find a recipe for Lyn’s Pimiento cheese. I asked her why it was so named since there are no pimiento peppers in the recipe.”
Her colleague claimed that any “sweet, red pepper would qualify as a pimento pepper.”
And what made this particular squabble so important was what was riding on the outcome of my judgment.
“Is this so? One adult beverage rides on the answer,” she said.
Here is the recipe, which barring any other information, looks pretty much like a fairly good recipe for pimento cheese.
Lyn's Pimento Cheese
8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
6-8 tablespoons mayonnaise
2-3 teaspoons Lea & Perrin’s
7 ounces (or more to taste) roasted red peppers, finely chopped
Pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste)
6-8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (finely grated)
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mash with a fork until combined.
It is great for sandwiches or as dip/spread with crackers.
To settle the dispute I put on my referee’s cap and opened the only truly authoritative reference guide to all things food related.
According to The Food Lover’s Companion, pimento (also spelled pimiento) is “a large red, heart-shaped sweet pepper that measures 3-4 inches long and 2-3 inches wide.”
What I didn’t know was that much of the pimento pepper crop is used to make paprika. I learned something today.
But here’s the difference between pimentos and any other red peppers. “The flesh of the pimento is sweet, succulent and more aromatic that that of the red bell pepper.”
To settle the wager, I find that the ruling must go in favor of the plaintiff. Not all roasted red peppers are, in fact, pimentos.
Pimentos are sold in those tiny jars and roasted red peppers are most often sold in larger containers. They are also the tiny bit of red that you find in olives.
To the untrained palate (like mine) the difference probably would be minimal and in a recipe like pimento and cheese would be hardly noticeable.
So claim your one adult beverage. But I would also recommend that you serve a platter of pimento and cheese on crackers as appetizers.
And I’ll be in touch later to settle up for my attorney’s fee. I will, as advertised, work for beer. In this case I’ll add pimento and cheese to the bill.
(Contact David Holloway at P.O. Box 2488, Mobile, AL 36652 or call 219-5682. Send e-mail to dholloway@press-register.com.)
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