Raleigh Creative Costumes closes tomorrow. After 32 years in business it only took one person to close us down. I am angry. I will be honest. The shop has been a part of my family for 32 years. When I was talking to Doug Haas, the owner, on Sunday; she said that lots of people had been calling or coming by and saying the same thing--that they are angry about this.

So we are having a party. A big party. A blow out. We are having food and drinks and food and drinks and food and drinks... If there is one thing that the crew from RCC can do it is eat. That and make good food. I have been specifically asked to make two dishes: pimento cheese and ham biscuits. When I was talking to my friend Jason a couple of days ago I told him that I had to run to the market and get the makings for the pimento cheese and biscuits. Jason asked who died. This is a passing. The end of an era.

Now I make very good pimento cheese. Pimento cheese has been called Southern caviar. I can see that, I think. The problem with store purchased pimento cheese is multi-fold. First, they use cheap cheese. I use 2 lbs of sharp cheddar cheese. Some people use colby jack or monteray jack cheese or cheese with jalapeno peppers. You must use cheddar. You must also hand grate the cheese. I split the cheese into two wedges to make the grating easier. Keep the cheese loose in the bowl, do not let it clump because this makes it harder to mix the mayo and pimento. The second reason store bought pimento cheese is awful is that it somehow ends up looking pale. The reason, since store bought pimento cheese is made in a vat in the back of a warehouse someplace no where close to the deli counter at your market. Too much mayo makes the final product slick and look pale. Slick pimento cheese does not stay on a cracker. Slick pimento cheese is not pimento cheese--it is soup! After mixing in the mayo (mix it in slowly, working the cheese up to the mayo and not the other way) taste it and see if it still has some bite--which is important!!!! Now comes two important parts. I add some Worcester Sauce, not a whole lot, but just enough to add a little kick. Taste again (tasting is a running theme here...). Now add the whole jar of pimentos, juice and all. Mix it and (guess what) TASTE AGAIN.

Now the trick to really good pimento cheese is to make it two days before the party and let it sit in the fridge.

How the good Jewish boy from up North ended up being able to make good ham biscuits I will never know. I had five people ask me if I was going to make ham biscuits for the party. The trick for good ham biscuits is two fold--make them small and thin and the quality of the ham. Small, thin biscuits are less cakey than those monster biscuits that some people make. The idea is to taste the ham, not the bread! I use Boar's Head deli meats. Boar's Head has to be the best deli meat out there. I was so pleased when Kroger started carrying it. I first got hooked on Boar's Head deli meat in New Haven working on a project at Yale. I have to confess that discovering Boar's Head and getting to go to the Yale Center for British Art were the highlights of my time spent at Yale. It beats having done a world premier, it beats being at Yale, and wow being at Yale. Not a little bitter am I?

It is going to be very hard to say good bye to RCC--no matter what I make for the party.
David