TulaneLSU's cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon jalapenos

Dear Friends,

When we are children, we often think and speak like children. I once believed it was okay to insult people because they mixed wasabi with their soy sauce and then dipped sushi rice into that mixture, eat tacos with cheese, and serve any dish that was stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped with bacon. I am learning day by day.



Mother is moving forward with purchasing a farm for the family in Baldwin County, Alabama. She thinks it will be good for me. There is not a lot positive one can say about me except I have friends on Tigerdroppings. In the flesh, I am an utter failure by most standards of success. My businesses never seem to launch. People do not want to spend time with me. And apparently, I am quite repulsive. Mother's view that change of geography will be good for me is, I think, falsely optimistic. Did T.S. Spivet become successful by sheer change of scenery? Perhaps his is a poor example for my case.



We were back in Elberta with the real estate agent today. On the way, we made a return trip to Cassebaum's Farm, which I may detail tomorrow, should the passion upwell. One item I purchased today was a basket of jalapeno peppers. I rarely buy jalapenos, largely because I have never had any use for them. Occasionally, I will use them to make fresh salsa. But that occasion is rare, as I prefer fresh salsa to have less kick than the beautiful pure flavor of summer tomatoes.









When we returned home, I looked at the jalapenos and realized I had no desire to make salsa. I (w)racked my brain for ideas, and recalled a post many years ago where I insulted a Food Board poster for making bacon wrapped jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese. At that time, I felt that by insulting this person's lowland technique I was superior to him. Adding fat and sodium to almost any food stuff is an easy and reliable way to make it more palatable, and I think I was also responding to that American notion of do what you will as long as it feels or tastes good. A part of me thinks that good food should not come easily or predictably, both of which wrapping something in bacon or stuffing it with cheese so make food. There is no art or grace in such a basic technique.

Despite what Mother says, something the lowest common denominator is the right answer for the day. She taught me early in my life that "mediocrity and laziness are the fungus of character. Avoid them." At some point, being truly principled in every aspect of life, including food preparation, leaves one alone. I am tired of solitude, so today I decided to break free from her instructions and do something that others here might appreciate. I decided to stuff food with cream cheese and wrap it with bacon.



First I started with these beautiful jalapenos. Ms. Cassebaum assured me that they were picked yesterday. In total I believe there were, like the disciples, twelve in the basket. My favorite numbers are three, seven, and twelve, and my purchases almost always reflect that preference. Had the baskets had thirteen peppers, I would have skipped them.



Reading a recipe online I learned that one is supposed to remove seeds and the white inner membrane. I actually regretted doing this, as the jalapenos end up having very little spice without them. If I were to repeat the recipe, I would leave twelve seeds in each pepper half. But this go, I did as instructed and I halved them. But before that, I removed from the fridge Walmart Great Value cream cheese, 8 oz, and a quarter pound of Home Sweet Farms aged cheddar cheese and shredded it.



I used my hands to mix the two cheeses and then pack the pouch of the jalapeno. I then wrapped it was Hormel Black Label precooked bacon, which I get at Sam's for $12 for a package of 72 slices, which is the equivalent of four pounds of uncooked bacon. Someone at the farm was speaking about a new pig farm in Elberta opening next year. If that is the case, I would like to buy some bacon there, as Elberta seems to be a hidden jewel of locally grown and made food products.



The oven was at 350 by the time I placed them in it. I let them cook for approximately 20 minutes and this was the result:



They were tasty, as any dish filled with cheese and wrapped with bacon would be. Again, I would recommend leaving some of the seeds to give it more kick. These peppers on their own ended up having about the same flavor and texture as a green bell pepper.



Be well, my friends.

Faith, Hope, and Love,
TulaneLSU