Tru Fam and Drunken Cheddar Soup
I used to think of cheddar as the cheese equivalent of vanilla. Both are decent enough dudes, good listeners, but not much in the way of adventure. If I’m going to go tagging or breaking and entering I’m going to call up smoked provolone or jalapeno jack to join me. That all changed the first time I got cheddar drunk.
I remember it well, my birthday 2011. My friend Bob handed me three cheeses and some crackers. The first two cheeses seemed exciting and fresh, ready to bring the chaos, the third was a cheddar rogue stout. Despite the name rogue, I just sort of tossed it aside as another dull version of cheddar. When the other two cheeses were cashed I reluctantly went to the cheddar. I sliced some off, paired it with a pickle and took a bite. Damn was that good. J-Fur took a bite. She agreed. Since then we’ve returned a number of times to Whole Foods to get our hands on that rogue cheddar only to find they may never have it again. At least they can’t take our memories away!
On Sunday, I got cheddar drunk again. This time it was in a soup.
Drunken Cheddar Soup (adapted from a Jonathon Erdeljac recipe)
(printable version)
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-1 celery rib, finely chopped
-1 small onion, finely chopped
-1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
-1 can black beans, drained
-1/4 cup flour
-salt and pepper
-1/2 cup skim milk
-4 Tbs. unsalted butter
-1 jalapeno, chopped
-12 ounces beer (a lager or pilsner)
-5 slices veggie bacon
-2 1/4 cups veggie broth
-8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
-6 ounces medium cheddar cheese
-baguette, sliced into small rounds
-garlic butter
1. In a large saucepan, cook the veggie bacon until starting to brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Add the celery, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic to the saucepan and cook until they begin to soften.
2. Add six ounces of beer and the black beans. Cook for about five minutes. At this point the beer should’ve been reduced by half. Add the veggie stock and bring to a simmer.
3. In a small skillet make a roux by combining the melted butter with flour. Heat this until it is slightly browned (2 minutes). Whisk into the soup. Cook the soup until it is thickened (10 minutes). Add the skim milk, cheddar cheeses and the remaining beer. Stir continuously until the cheese has melted and the soup is creamy. Add salt and pepper and the veggie bacon (which you should slice before you dump it in).
4. For the Texas toast. Slather baguette pieces with garlic butter. Place in the oven at 375 for eight minutes (or until the butter has melted and the toasts become golden. Place the toasts in a bowl and cover with soup. Go rogue!
Tru Fam are a twin pop/hip hop duo who are no strangers to the effects of alcohol. One needs to go no further than their track “Intoxicating” to see what I mean. Tru Fam spent the summer playing Vans Warped Tour and have just released their EP Bowties & Applause. The highlights of the EP are “Intoxicating” featuring Heartless Moment which sounds like a more refined 3OH!3 and the summery and singalongy “Rebound” featuring Body Electric. You can get your hands on the EP, with certain songs being free, at their bandcamp page.
Tru Fam- Intoxicating featuring Heartless Moment
New video for “Denim Cashmere”:
Also check out videos for “Lost My Mind“ and “Love Scandal” and a School of Rock performance.
Bob says:
Glad I could contribute a fond memory. Every time I go to WF and ask for the Rogue Chocolate Stout Cheddar, they don’t have it. My trips to WF haven’t been the same since. You can order it online: http://www.gourmet-food.com/gourmet-cheese/chocolate-stout-cheddar-cheese-1000261.aspx
The soup looks tasty btw. IMO an ale, such as Cigar City Brewing Maduro or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale would work well also. The Maduro would add a hint of that smooth chocolatiness that is present in the Rogue Chocolate Stout Cheddar. The SN Pale Ale would add a crisp fruitiness with some spicy notes. Of course some of the ingredients might need to be tweeked. Cheers.
Tender Branson says:
Yeah we know my track record of working with alcohol (cooking wine) so I might have to take it slow.
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