A La Cuisine!

Every so often my extended family participates in a cooking competition. We are planning one over the Christmas holiday and this battle's theme in cheese. Other themes have included broccoli, chili, lasagna, and mac & cheese. The battle after this one is going to be bacon- I am so excited! My challenge this time is that due to accommodating people's holiday and work schedules the battle is a weekday night so I have approximately 12 minutes between getting home from work and loading up the van and head off to the judging. Additionally cheese does not lend well to long cook times- say in a slow cooker for example. So I decided to go with a homemade cheese spread and my favorite is Kentucky Beer Cheese.
  Beer cheese is a spicy, garlicky cheddar served with crackers in Kentucky pubs to make patrons thirsty and therefore buy more beer. I decided to alter the traditional recipe by first reducing the spice and garlic because many of the family are not fans of spicy foods.  Fearing this change would make the spread too bland, I went with a stronger cheese than medium cheddar and opted for an extra sharp white Vermont cheddar. Additionally I have never been a fan of beer (I am sorry if any of you guys think less on me now) I am simply not a fan of the bitterness of hops in beer. I understand and respect its necessity as a preservative before refrigeration was around but I just do not like it. I replaced the traditional beer with hard cider. A dry amber I thought would go best with the cheddar- I used Woodchuck Amber.

Cider Cheese
  2 pounds Extra Sharp Cheddar
  1 12 oz. Bottle Dry Hard Cider (Feel free to use your favorite brew here)
  3 Cloves Garlic
  1 tsp salt
  1 tbs Worcestershire Sauce
  1 tsp Hot Sauce (I like Franks Red Hot)
  A Dash Cayenne Pepper ( or to taste)

1. Finely shred cheese into the largest bowl you have.
2. Peel and mince garlic, making sure to remove the stem end. Sprinkle the salt over the garlic and using the side of a chef knife, work the garlic into a paste. Add to the shredded cheese.
3. Sprinkle cheese with Worcestershire, Hot Sauce and Cayenne. Toss together with you hands.
4. Pour cider (or beer) over cheese and mix well with your hands.
5. Run the cheese mixture through a meat grinder with a fine die. Alternatively you an pulse it in a food processor until smooth. If you lack either of these devices just stir the hell out of it with a wooden spoon- but it will be a little chunky this way.
6. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate overnight to meld flavors.
7. Serve with crackers, pretzels and apple wedges.

And would you believe it? I lost. And to my own wife none the less. With cheese pizza. Uhg!