Pimento-cheese sandwich

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Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:
4 oz. extra-sharp Vermont white or yellow cheddar, finely grated (112 cups)
half a jar of pimento (3 oz.), drained, finely chopped (14 cup)
 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
12 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
 salt to taste
4 slices of good whole-wheat bread, crusts discarded (optional)
 4 thin slices Vidalia or other sweet onion
1 cup watercress sprigs, tough stems discarded.

To prepare: Mash cheese, pimento, mayonnaise, and hot pepper sauce in a small bowl with a fork until well combined. Season with salt to taste. Cover and chill 1 hour for flavors to blend. Spread pimento cheese evenly on bread. Top with onions and watercress sprigs. Cut each sandwich into triangles and serve.

Nutritional info: 556 cals (per sandwich); total fat 35 grams; saturated fat 12 grams; cholesterol 65 mg.; sodium 307 mg.; protein 22 grams.

Here's another version.

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese

2 medium kosher dill pickles (the original version of the recipe called for Claussen's pickles, but I've found that most brands suffice)

2 or 3 cloves of garlic (three cloves yields a powerful garlic punch; adjust the amount to suit your taste)

1 4-ounce jar of pimentos (or pimientos, as they are also called), drained

Cut all ingredients except the pimentos into large chunks. (The pimentos are already chopped.) Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse just long enough to roughly chop. You don't want to puree the ingredients, just make them pliable for the next step.

Put in large bowl and mix with about 3 good tablespoons of mayonnaise. (I use Duke's, a Southern brand based in Richmond, Va., that many pimento-cheese aficionados prefer.)

Refrigerate, but set out for 20 to 30 minutes before use.