But for people who don’t like chèvre and want something more unusual than a plate of cheeses, here’s a good-looking option for buffets and parties. This recipe uses cheddar and cream cheese, but you can use any block cheese (which is easy to slice into uniform pieces). We used a flavored cheddar from Cabot Creamery, which makes traditional cheddars and reduced-fat cheddars, plus flavored varieties in Chipotle, Garlic & Herb, Horseradish, Hand-Rubbed Tuscan, Hot Buffalo Wing, Hot Habanero, Smoky Bacon and Tomato Basil.

This recipe is from Comfort And Joy Food of Zeigler, Illinois. Comfort And Joy Food ships frozen cobblers, casseroles pot pies and other top-quality comfort food anywhere in the continental United States. The recipe was adapted from a recipe originally in Southern Living magazine. It can be prepared a day in advance.

Party perfect: two different marinated cheeses. Photo courtesy ComfortAndJoy.com.

RECIPE: MARINATED CHEESE

Ingredients

 
Plus

1. PREPARE the marinade by combining the first 12 ingredients in a tightly covered jar; vigorously shake and set aside.

2. CUT the block of cheddar in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices (basically little squares). Do the same with the cream cheese. The chef used a special butter slicing tool that works just as well to slice cheese (and costs just $5.00). It’s a real time saver. Otherwise, a knife is fine.

3. STAND the cheese slices on edge in a shallow dish, alternating the cheeses. Shake the marinade and pour it over the cheese. Cover, refrigerate, and allow to marinate for at least 8 hours.

4. GARNISH with a chiffonade of basil and parsley sprigs, if you like. It’s so pretty with all the chopped herbs and pimientos there really is no need to garnish, in my opinion. Serve with crackers or toasts.

For more photos of the process, check out ComfortAndJoyFood.com.

Variations

Use the marinade on a log of goat cheese, sliced feta or mozzarella or other fresh cheese.

If you don’t have pomegranate juice to deglaze the pan, you can simply use the sherry or Marsala. We left off the arils this time around, but their bright color creates a really good-looking side dish for the holiday season.
 
 
RECIPE: ZUCCHINI, MUSHROOMS & ONIONS
WITH TOASTED BREAD CRUMBS

Ingredients

1. SCORE 1 fresh pomegranate and place it in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve a cup of the arils from fruit and set it aside. Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use. If you’re not using bottled juice, prepare fresh pomegranate juice.*

2. HEAT oil in a large frying pan. Add onions and cook over high heat until slightly brown and softened. Add zucchini and mushrooms. Stir and cook quickly. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. REMOVE vegetables from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add sherry or Marsala and pomegranate juice to deglaze the pan. Return vegetables to the pan.

4. TOAST bread crumbs on a baking sheet at 425°F until brown; mix with cheese.

5. TOSS bread crumbs with vegetables and add arils. Serve hot.

Nutrients Per Serving (1 cup): 119 calories, 3g protein, 18g carbohydrate, 4g total fat (1g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 67mg sodium, 2g dietary fiber, 15mcg vitamin A RE, 13mg vitamin C.

 
*One large pomegranate will yield 2 tablespoons of juice. Cut the pomegranate in half and juice with a citrus reamer or juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Set the juice aside.
 
 

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A couple of months ago, we noticed two cottony puffs of white mold growing in a jar of Smucker’s Concord Grape Fruit Spread. We wrote to Smucker’s asking if it was safe to eat, and what caused the mold. We got a response back, but it wasn’t to the questions we asked:

Thank you for contacting The J.M. Smucker Company with your inquiry regarding Smucker’s® Concord Grape Jam. We greatly appreciate and value the input we receive from our consumers and take very seriously any comments pertaining to product quality.

Susan
Consumer Relations Representative
Ref # 10145794

This week, mold appeared in a second jar of Smucker’s, the Red Raspberry Spread. So rather than try to re-contact the unhelpful customer service department at Smucker’s, we went online to search for the answers. Here’s an answer from the National Center For Home Food Preservation:
Q. What do I do if there’s mold on my jellied fruit product?

A. Discard jams and jellies with mold on them. The mold could be producing a mycotoxin (a poisonous substance that can make you ill). The USDA and microbiologists recommend against scooping out the mold and using the remaining jam or jelly.

Gee, you’d think Smucker’s might have warned customers against eating jelly with white mold—especially because it may well not have been their “fault” (see the next section). Perhaps they can take the information we found and paste it into a helpful customer service response.

Aside from the mold—and the lack of help from Smucker’s—the spreads were delish.

Typically, jelly and jam don’t develop mold on their own, because of the high acid of the fruit and the preservative action of the sugar. But mold spores can sometimes enter a jelly jar via contamination from a utensil that was previously used on another foodstuff—the bread for example. A microscopic piece of bread with a mold spore can adhere to the spoon or knife when you spread the jelly on the bread.

We refrigerate open jars, and we’re especially cautious of cross-contamination, using a separate spoon for the jelly. But it is possible that when we spread the first spoonful of jelly on the bread, it picked up a microscopic mold spore that got introduced to the jar when we went for a second spoonful.

So today’s tip is: Don’t double dip that spoon or knife. And toss out a jar with mold.

WHEN YOU CAN KEEP FOODS WITH MOLD

There are thousands, if not millions, of different types of mold, from beneficial ones like penicillium (which is used to make the mold in blue cheeses) to toxic ones. Experts warn that scooping out the visible mold is not a solution, since the mold shoots microscopic tendrils deep into the foodstuff.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, you can save hard cheeses, firm fruits and vegetables by cutting out at least an inch around and underneath the mold spot. But the organization advises you to toss baked goods, bread, casseroles, grain, jams and jellies, legumes, meat, nuts, pasta, peanut butter, soft cheeses, soft fruits and vegetables, sour cream, yogurt and other foods.

The list of what you can keep is easy to remember because it’s so brief: hard cheeses, fruits and vegetables. Bid adios to everything else.

Even George H.W. Bush could be convinced to eat broccoli, when it’s tucked away as a surprise in a delicious corn muffin. Make them for brunch or lunch, with soup or a bowl of chili.

And, you can adjust the recipe to mild, medium or spicy!
 
 
RECIPE: SECRET FOREST CORN MUFFINS

Ingredients

1. HEAT oven to 350°F. Line 6 regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups.

2. MIX muffin batter as directed on cornbread mix pouch. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese. Spoon about 1 tablespoon batter into each muffin cup. Place 1 broccoli floret in each, stem side down, trimming stem if necessary for floret to fit in muffin cup.

3. SPOON remaining batter over florets, covering completely.

4. BAKE 15 minutes; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 1 to 3 minutes longer or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool at least 5 minutes before serving.

The ingredients were mashed in a molcajete (mol-cah-HET-tay), a Mexican pestle carved from volcanic stone, although today granite is an easier-to-clean option.

The name of the dish comes from the Aztec language, Nahuatl: ahuacamolli (ah-waka-MOLE-ee), which literally translates to “avocado sauce” (ahuacatl is avocado, molli is sauce. In Spanish, guacamole is prounounced huac-ah-MOE-lay.

Over time, different regions of Mexico began mixing local ingredients, creating thousands of variations. In American cuisine, it is used as a dip and condiment.

Progressive Mexican restaurants often offer a tasting appetizer of three or four different recipes.

Try guacamole with different garnishes and mix-ins. Photo courtesy Avocados From Mexico.

 
But perhaps the best way to enjoy National Guacamole Day is to create your own signature recipe. To the mashed avocado, lime juice and salt, add:

 
Check out this fusion recipes from California Avocado Growers for Cajun Guacamole, French Guacamole, Greek Guacamole, Italian guacamole, Japanese guacamole.

There are 21 pages of guacamole recipes on the website.

Here’s a Cranberry Guacamole recipe for the holidays.