I recently tried two variations on favorite recipes, each with moderate success. The first was a fairly traditional variation on deviled eggs, and the second was the substitution of a new cheese in my cookie-cutter fondue recipe.
I decided to make a batch of deviled eggs to take in for my co-workers at the studio this week. I know that we have a collection of varied tastes, and so I wasn’t sure if one of the more exotic deviled eggs I have in the works would appeal to them (e.g. tuna wasabi, citrus chipotle) so I tried a variation on one of the “loaded eggs” (i.e. a la “loaded baked potato”) recipes I found online:
6 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon real bacon bits
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white vinegar, or lemon juice
1 green onion, sliced thin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
extra paprika for garnish
Cut eggs in half length-wise and scoop out the yolks. In a small bowl or container, combine yolks, mayo, sour cream, bacon bits, cheese, mustard, vinegar, green onions, and spices. Once the yolk mixture is combined, spoon the mixture into the yolk halves and chill for at least two hours before serving.
While this is not my very favorite deviled egg recipe, it really turned out as well as it could, given the mundane ingredients. The amount of cheese can certainly be increased (decreasing will make the mixture too liquid), and the spices can be turned up and down as you like. Real bacon could also be used in lieu of canned bacon bits (which I did for the sake of ease). Next time I think I’ll use lemon juice instead of vinegar. I used the vinegar because I was concerned that the citrus would clash with the cheese and sour cream, but I generally like to avoid adding more vinegar to dishes when I can (the mayo and mustard will probably already have some vinegar in them), the notable exception being something that features vinegar, like a vindaloo. I think that the lemon juice would give it a fresher burst (albeit less traditional) of flavor.
Next up was the Muenster cheese fondue. I stopped by the Penn Hills Giant Eagle on my way home from work to find creative inspiration among the offerings of the cheese counter. I wanted to pick up a cheese for my fondue that I hadn’t tried before… and yet, I didn’t want to spend a ludicrous amount of money. Unfortunately there is no place better for a boring, over-priced cheese selection than a mid-sized Giant Eagle. After browsing the selection of pre-packaged $6.99 cheeses, I ended up the Helluva Good aisle. The only reasonable cheese (I wasn’t excited at the prospect of colby-jack fondue) I found that I hadn’t tried yet in a fondue was muenster, and so at $2.50, it went in my basket. The result was muenster fondue:
MUENSTER FONDUE
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1 to 1 1/2 cups half n’ half or light cream
1 (8oz) package of cream cheese
8oz block of muenster cheese, cubed
4oz sharp white cheddar, cubed
dash or two of white pepper (optional)
1 to 1 1/2 cups white wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
bread cubes or vegetables for dipping
Combine the garlic, cream, cream cheese, muenster cheese, cheddar and the pepper in a medium saucepan. Melt over medium-low heat, whisking frequently until the cheeses are melted and well combined. If cheese does not melt smoothly, use an immersion blender to smooth is out. Whisk in the white wine until combined. If the fondue is too runny for your taste, then mix the cornstarch with a bit of additional wine (just enough to dissolve it) and then whisk it into the fondue, heating until it thickens. Serve with bread and/or vegetables.
The muenster fondue turned out, like the eggs, as well as could truly be expected. Muenster is not a terribly strong cheese and so it did not stand out from the base cheeses with much audacity. In fact, it was probably the first time in all of my fondue experiments that I could distinctly taste the white cheddar. All in all, it was tasty but unremarkable. Unless I’m cooking for a muenster aficionado, I’ll likely opt for one of my standbys (gorgonzola or swiss) in the future.