Terre Hautians Beware!

I popped into Baesler's this afternoon to pick up a couple of things and almost missed the sample table as I went in (because it was swarming with octogenarians)--where they were handing out BLUE BELL ICE CREAM!

If you know what Blue Bell Ice Cream is, you probably already stopped reading this and are on the way to Baesler's right now. I don't know what flavors they have or anything. I just know they were handing out samples.

If you don't know what Blue Bell Ice Cream is, then I hesitate to tell you. Honestly, you are just better off living in ignorance and enjoying your Edy's or whatever it is you buy and can probably find anywhere you go in the USA. Blue Bell was originally a Texas creamery and they have very limited distribution because they have very strong feeling about freshness, ingredients and how far they are willing to ship their delicious, creamy, amazing ice cream in so many wonderful flavors. It is only available in 19 (mostly Southern) states and you can't get it at every grocery store there. I had heard there were some stores in Southern Indiana that were stocking it, but now it has come to Terre Haute.

And I warn you, Hautian, stay away. What if Bob stops selling it? What will do then? What if you move somewhere it isn't available? You'll just pine for the Homemade Vanilla or any of the other wonderful flavors and seriously consider ordering it in the mail, which is not cheap--$119 for four half-gallons.

No, you just shouldn't have any. You should just keep enjoying what you're enjoying, living in ignorance. It's better that way.

Brie Hole?

On Boys for Pele (one of my favorite albums of all time), Tori Amos sang, "Had me a trick and a kick and your message. You'll never gain weight from a doughnut hole. Then thought that I could decipher your message. There's no one here, dear. No one at all." But what about a brie hole? Can you gain weight from that?

I was shopping for cheese at Baesler's Market last week for my staff party and was very pleased with the selection they were offering. They had the Stilton with lemon that I like, plus a very good Manchego. The most surprising thing? A medium-sized wheel of brie with a hole cut out of the middle where you could put fruit or other things. Huh? What did they do with the part they cut out? It's called 'brie charmant,' which translates to 'charming brie.' Mais, oui oui! Tout le monde! Zeut alors! Sacre couer!!

I just bought a slab, because I have found a little bit of brie goes a long way. When I buy the huge, delicious wheel it never gets eaten, so I'll stick with a perfect wedge--une wedge parfait.

Fromage, s'il vous plait! (Cheese, please!)

Pimento Cheese

I was visiting with my friend Sherry Dailey, who is on the Swope Board and happens to be from Texas. I'm not sure where our conversation was going, but somehow pimento cheese spread came up and I was lamenting the fact that these Yankee grocery stores do not carry it. (Of course, I could make my own, but I've been feeling lazy.) Sherry was sure that Baesler's Market stocked their own, but I had looked there and not found it. So sweet, she stopped at Baesler's and was able to track down the pimento cheese, which apparently they keep hidden. With the assistance of her clues, I'm sure to find it next time.

I hadn't had lunch, so I walked to my apartment and made a delicious pimento cheese sandwich. Thank you Sherry!

See this post for my favorite recipe for pimento cheese spread.

Mangez!