Adobo Cheddar Bread

     Think spicy.  Think cheesy.  Think delicious.  If you think those three things you would have this bread.  I found a recipe for No-Knead Three-Cheese Semolina Bread at King Arthur.  At the bottom there was a variation using cheddar cheese and a can of Adobo.  My plan for bread immediately changed from three-cheese to this variation.  I thought about my husband, the pepper belly, and I knew I had to make it for him.  The whole time it was baking, Wayne was anxiously awaiting for the timer to go off.  I think it was almost torture for him to wait for the bread to cool and take the photos before he could taste it.  It was a big hit with him.  We had some with dinner, and after dinner he had another slice.  That was the slice that made him go for the milk.  This bread has a wonderful peppery heat to it, as well as a nice cheesy flavor.  Unlike the recipe on KA, I used a medium cheddar.  I think a pepper cheese would have put it over the top.  The bread had a beautiful rustic look.  You could see the roasted peppers and melted cheese all over the bread.

     Spicy always reminds me of our trip to Avery Island at least 25 years ago.  The smell of Tabasco wafted through the air at the production facility.  The salt mine was a reminder that not that long ago geologically this area was part of the sea.  A visit to the Tabasco County Store gave us the opportunity to see many Tabasco products we did not existed, but the best part was the Jungle Gardens and rookery.  The site of thousands of egrets and herons was amazing.  You need to realize that I have seen egrets for all of my life.  When I worked at St. Bernard High School, there were mornings when the trees in the swampy area would be covered with hundreds of egrets.  Avery Island made that seem like, "Oh, look a couple of egrets."  In the spring Avery Island is a glorious place to visit - Spanish moss draped Live Oaks, azaleas, camellias, alligators, kingfishers, and, dare I say it - the dreaded mosquitoes.  When you visit, be sure to bring mosquito spray.  You'll be mesmerized by the stunning natural beauty of the area.