It’s time for a cheese ball renaissance

The cheese ball doesn’t date as far back as today’s Renaissance, a period that all but ended around the turn of the 17th century, but this retro appetizer has been around for a long time. While some sources claim that the very first ball of cheese was presented to Thomas Jefferson in 1801, the impressive (if impractical) gift our third president received was just a huge circular block of cheese. It was more of a wheel of cheese than a ball of cheese. The kind of cheese ball we’re talking about here consists of a sphere of flavored cream cheese rolled in some sort of filling. The first recipe we know of was published in a 1944 cookbook called “The Food of My Friends.” This collection of recipes was compiled by food writer Virginia Safford, but the cheese ball itself has been attributed to one Mrs. Selmber E. Ellertson.

Cheese balls, like many other mid-century fads, became considered a bit heavy and outdated around the turn of the millennium, but we’d love to see them enjoy a revival as our century hits the quarter-century mark. It’s a party appetizer with prep work easy enough to leave to a preschooler and enough customization to let you add as many quick pickled figs, caramelized shallots, or other current ingredients as possible. as your little trendy heart desires.

Read more: 3 Smarter Ways to Hack an Ice Pack

Cheese balls have come a long way, baby

The original recipe for cheese balls from “Food of My Friends” was very sophisticated for the 1940s: cream cheese was mixed with blue cheese and flavored with Worcestershire sauce and chopped chives, then formed into a ring and garnished with caviar (Wait, wasn’t there a war? So much for wartime austerity). This still counted as a cheese ball, as it provided the ability to roll the cheese into a sphere. In a follow-up cookbook compiled by Virginia Safford, “Friends and Their Food” from 1969, a much simpler recipe for Cheese in the Round is attributed to Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Arnao Jr. It is made with mushrooms canned, cream cheese. , Worcestershire sauce and chopped parsley.

Even by 1960s standards, Arnaos’ cheese ball could be considered a bit bland, since cheese ball recipes from a few years later contained all sorts of extra flavorings such as grated cheddar, olives and peppers. Many cheese balls from the 1970s also used chopped walnuts as a coating in place of parsley, achieving some textural contrast. 21st century cheese balls are doing their best to shed the last vestiges of their suburban cocktail roots by glamorizing themselves with ingredients like dried cranberries, goat cheese, prosciutto, and premium sweeteners like hot honey and fig jam.

Sometimes they’re not even round

Although “ball” is part of the name, cheeseballs aren’t always spherical (neither are balls, for that matter, as football fans can attest). The recipe that is considered the very first cheese ball was actually supposed to be ring-shaped, after all, with the ball version almost seeming like an afterthought. Another recipe from “Friends and Their Food,” this one attributed to Dorothy (aka Mrs. Harry E.) Gerrish, is for log-shaped cheese rolls, and you can also find recipes for cheese balls made to look like with pine cones. or pineapples.

During the holidays, non-spherical cheese balls come into their own. Christmas cheese ball recipes include snowman and tree shapes, while Halloween ones include pumpkins, witch hats and skulls. However, the only day cheese balls are required is April 17, as this date has been designated National Cheese Ball Day. To mark the occasion, you can choose a round, square or free form, as long as you celebrate with some sort of compressed cheese concoction. Being lactose intolerant or vegan won’t exempt you from this obligation, since plant-based cheese spreads and cream cheese substitutes mean dairy-free “cheese” balls are also an option for celebrating this holiday the cheesiest of all.

For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite channels, recipes, cooking tips and more!

Read the original article on The Takeout.