It’s a fact of life that relationships come and go. Some relationships are meant to last forever. Others…not so much.
Prior to meeting and marrying my wonderful gem of a husband, I had a few relationships that I imagined at the time would last forever. As time went by it became obvious that forever was a very, very long time and that I’d be lucky if that particular relationship would make it another week. I’m not pointing blame at anyone as to why those particular relationships didn’t workout. It is all about give and take and then giving a little more. When it gets to the point where you are giving way more than you are taking, or taking way more than you are giving, you know it’s time to let it go.
When you go through the often painful process of letting a relationship go (aka breaking up), there are certain things that go through your mind and as an ex-couple you have to figure out. Who gets to “keep” the mutual friends? Who gets the dog? Who gets to keep going to your favorite hang out spot? Who gets to keep the giant movie collection that you purchased together?
As much as I love friends, dogs, hang out spots and movies, in my last relationship prior to my husband I really wasn’t worried about any of that. My worries were one sided…. how do I get my hands on his family cookbook before this is all said and done? You see, my “ex” came from a long line of Italian heritage. His mother had 10 sisters and 2 brothers, all whom were incredible, authentic Italian cooks. Several years prior the 12 of them plus Nanni and Great Nanni had teamed together to create a cookbook full of some of their favorite recipes. It was a true treasure and one of those cookbooks that you turn to for just about any recipe you need. There were recipes in that cookbook I knew I had to have. He could have everything else….just please let me have the cookbook. (Don’t worry… I didn’t take a family heirloom or anything. His mom had a whole box full of the cookbooks at her house… he could get another one easily.)
Having some of the recipes I have in this cookbook now make this past relationship all worthwhile. One of those recipes is for his mom’s cheese bread. I remember visiting her house and always being welcomed with a fresh from the oven loaf of cheese bread with homemade marinara sauce. Mmmmmmm….
So, when letting go of a relationship with someone remember the good times..the memories…the laughter…the lessons learned. More importantly, remember to grab those favorite family recipes before they are out of your life for good!
Cheese Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded Jarlsburg Swiss cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp coarse black pepper
- 2 Tbs softened butter or margarine
- 1 1/2 pound bread dough I use a fixed (with more liquid version of Mario Batali's Basic Bread Dough recipe but frozen bread dough can be used as well)
Instructions
- In a warm oven, let the dough rise until double. Combine cheeses and pepper and set mixture aside. Roll the dough onto a very lightly flowered board into a 10x16 inch square. Spread softened butter over the entire surface of dough. Sprinkle the cheese/pepper mixture over prepared dough and roll up beginning at the 16 inch side. Fold the ends under and place on a greased cookie sheet with the seam side down. With a sharp knife cut about 3-4 slants diagonally across the top. Place in a warm oven and let rise until double again. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Serve plain or with marinara dipping sauce.
yum, my noni was the best cook ever. i know what you mean 🙂
this bread looks perfectly delish!
That bread looks so good! The priorities definitely are the family cookbook! Great posting!
I know what you mean – twenty-five years ago, my ex’s mom gave me my very first cookbook – not a family heirloom, but The New Doubleday Cookbook. Now that was the beginning of a long romance!
Kristen,
I had a laugh with your witty post – great reading!
And the bread looks delicious!
HAR! I so would have been thinking the same thing.. "Nice knowing you, but I gotta go.. oh? are you using that cookbook? No? Thanks!" and out the door I’d scoot.
I am so trying this recipe.. It’s like stuffed crust pizza without the pizza! 😀
Oh dear, that looks positively heavenly! Wow! I might just make a journey to YOUR house to be greeted by that smell. Good on you for snagging the recipes! 🙂
That bread looks nice and gooey and full of wonderful cheese, great acquisition!
wow that looks delicious! perfectly oozing!
That bread looks divine with all that ooey gooey melty cheese, thanks for sharing the story along with the recipe!
that looks amazingly divine! i will be trying that this weekend, you can bet!
Absolutely delicious looking bread with cheese!
Ohhhh, cheese bread.
Ooooo! I hope you didn’t go through any undue pain in thatrelationship, but judging by that amazingly lush bread, if you did it was worth it! 🙂
You obviously kept your eye on the prize…in this case the cookbook. That bread looks fantastic.
I LOVE your breakup story! Too funny, and familiar with me and my girlfriends.
So glad you scored the cookbook. Your husband and kids benefit too! It was like a wedding present from the ex. 🙂
That bread looks wonderful. My mom used to order something like that from one of those frozen-gourmet foods services that schools sell from to raise money. I’ll have to try this recipe and see if it is similar.
Excellent post! You are really going to town here, Kristen.
Oooh! That bread looks soo good…love the gooey cheese coming out! 🙂 Good move getting that cookbook!
When you say you use a "fixed, with more liquid" version of Marios bread, what did you mean? More like pizza dough than bread dough is what I am imagining. (sure do love the "copy and paste" thing you can do with computers, cause I am using it all the time to print off your recipes!!)
Aria – They all were great cooks… it was in the genes!
Freya – I agree… my priorities were in the right spot 🙂
Karen – LOL! It is so true, isn’t it?
Patricia – Thank you!
Laurie – This bread is sooooo good. Not fat free, by any means, but yummy!
Lisa – I hope you try it and like it!
Karen Beth – Come any time. I’d love to have you 🙂
Brilynn – Thank you!
Linda – Thanks so much!
Suzy – Let me know what you think when you try it!
Asha and Peabody – Thank you… its really good bread.
Anne – It was all well worth it 🙂
Elle – I did.. I knew I couldn’t live without it 😉
Kirsten – I’m lucky my husband isn’t the jealous type because I use this cookbook all the time and love it so.
Mimi & Joey – Thank you!
Cyn – When I mean a fixed version… the original recipe doesn’t call for nearly enough liquid. If you make it that way it is more of a cornmeal consistency and never forms together. I usually add about another cup of water. It is perfect then! If you have any basic bread dough recipe, it will work. Hope that helps! And yes… I love the copy and paste feature as well for the same reason as you do.
LOL – what a great post! Not to mention how totally and utterly divine that cheese bread looks… It’s so funny what you say about exes and recipes. One of my ex’s moms used to make these great little cheesy puffs to have with drinks and I never got the recipe. I still miss them. And another had some wonderful recipe involving calamari that she tenderised with pinepple, but I never got that either. Rats!
So funny–and so true!
I once dated a man from a big Italian family. It wasn’t meant to be and I broke up with him but I was sad that the breakup came the month before Christmas and I never got to participate in the Christmas Eve family ravioli making. I considered holding off until January just for the ravioli, but in the end I couldn’t do it. Too bad.
Glad you managed to snag the recipes on the way out the door!
If I had an ex who actually gave me something similar maybe it would have made that breakup a lot easier! LOL!! The last guy before my husband I actually broke it off with. We were 19 and he was talking marriage. ACK!! (Then I got engaged at 20, go figure…)
Having known your prior relationships, I concur with your characterization of your husband as a"gem". The bread is great and your writing is greater. I, too, am glad that you got the cookbook and gladder that you got your ‘gem’ of a husband! Mom
What great truths in this post. I think it is always best to hold to the good times (and recipes) and let the rest go by the way side.
Love the bread – yummy photo!
ha..haa… I do not know what I enjoyed more, the breakup story or the italian bread which by the way looks very yummy!