THE CHEESE STANDS ALONE
My famous brownies looked so early 2000s!
Dark chocolate fudge brownies—topped with fresh sliced strawberries and white chocolate drizzle—is one of my favorite desserts, and it has been my “go-to” potluck dish for parties for as long as I can remember.
Brownies are so easy to make. Full disclosure, I use a boxed mix … and I think Duncan Hines mixes are the best. My pre-party routine was to pop a batch in the oven while getting ready and then slice and top with white chocolate and strawberries before rushing out the door. When I arrived at the party, everyone “ooed” and “awed” and reached for a piece before I could even set them on the buffet table.
At least, that’s what used to happen.
The past two times I’ve made my signature dish, an almost full plate came home with me at the end of the night. Leaving me to ask myself, “What gives?”
My friend Tara would say it’s the sugar. Everyone is down on sugar. Kind of like fashions, foods come and go, and come back again—remember the down-on-butter phase? We’re all eating butter again, thank goodness. Dry toast is just about as exciting as it sounds.
My husband does a hilarious impression of his dad giving a speech about the “good ol’ egg.” Before his dad came to live with us, we were at his house in New Jersey to begin the task of sorting his things. While investigating the kitchen cabinets, my husband noticed the trash can was filled with eggshells … and nothing more.
That’s when Dad gave us his thoughts on the egg. “Boy, oh boy. The egg is the perfect food. Why is everyone pickin’ on the good ole’ egg?” He continued his support campaign for the egg for several minutes. It was quite the monologue, and it didn’t stop. “The egg is nutritious and delicious. Easy to cook, and it has a perfect container.” It was all my husband could do to keep him from cooking us eggs right there and then to prove his point.
And you know what? He was right. We had stopped eating eggs, and now I can’t remember why. I love eggs. I like mine sunny side up on top of avocado toast. My husband scrambles three eggs with only one yolk. I’m sure Dad would have had some thoughts about throwing away the other two yolks!
And now, the food of the moment seems to be cheese. At the end of the parties, when I was collecting my plate of almost untouched brownies, the charcuterie boards had nothing left on them but a few sprigs of parsley and decoratively snipped kale. Charcuterie is beautiful and delicious. The boards look like pieces of art with their carefully arranged chunks, slices, and wheels of cheeses, pickled vegetables, dried fruits, and berries. I love the crunchy bits even though I’m not sure what they are. Maybe seeds, maybe nuts. I now sound like Dad making my case.
But I can see why I was bringing home a full plate. Compared to the charcuterie boards, my brownies looked so early 2000s!
Last night, I was getting into my dress and boots for a cocktail party and NOT baking brownies.
There’s a new game in town. Just like the nursery rhyme tells us … The Cheese Stands Alone.
