The Proof is in the Loaf

In honor of Mother’s Day, last weekend, I decided to make my Mom’s “Cheese Bread,” to share with all of you, and many people asked for the recipe. I am happy to share it with you, but there is a bit of work that you have to do before you decide to make it. The truth is that I have two recipes—the one my mother shared with me and her original. That may seem curious to those of you who did not know her, but to me, it was not such a surprise and it actually brought me a chuckle when this became clear to me.

My mother guarded her recipes very closely. She loved to feed people, and she was an exceptional home cook. Naturally, her recipes had great value to her, as she measured her own self worth by the rave reviews without fail she received from the grateful recipients of her food. I am not sure if anything else brought her greater pleasure. Sharing food was second nature to her, but sharing her recipes was another story. (Did I mention that she was Calabrese?)

Growing up as my mom’s prep cook, I had security clearance. I was sworn in, and this was no joke. She took both my hands and held them close to her chest, as she leaned in and stared directly and sternly into my eyes as if she could read into my soul, as she explained, “I will give you my recipes, but only if you swear you will never share them until I am dead.” There may have been the threat of death in there, but I can’t say she would have needed to speak those words; it was implied by the death grip she had on my hands. I complied, but I thought she was ridiculous. At the time, I was in my late teens, so needless to say, I told this story a lot! That said, I was true to my word, much to the distress of others who imagined I could be persuaded otherwise.

You can imagine my dad’s disappointment when he called me for a cookie recipe for a good customer of his then manufacturing business!

Well, I am not my mother in many ways, but I do love to cook and feed, and I am grateful that she instilled that in me. I am not as good of a cook as she was, but I am happy to share the recipes! One thing I have learned is that no matter how hard I try, my versions are not quite as good as hers. Everyone puts their own distinct touch on a recipe that will make it taste different, and that is the wonderful thing about food. It is that truth that inspires me to try every pizza from here to Naples—and vive la difference!

All of this leads me to the discovery that I had last weekend, which is that my mom actually didn’t give me her recipe for the cheese bread, after all. Well, she gave me a slightly modified version, perhaps to test me, or to ensure that mine was not exactly the same as hers, or perhaps to just to have a little fun with me. (Judy, you never cease to amaze me, and I imagine you giggling about this right now!) Funny enough, it still tasted pretty good. I will give you both, and you can play with it to see which works better for you.

Judy’s Cheese Bread (the recipe that she gave me)

6 Cups AP Flour

6 Cups Grated Romano (I used Parmigiano)

1/2 lb Munster (I used Taleggio)

1 dozen eggs

1/2 Cup Olive Oli

3 Tablespoons Butter melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-2 Tablespoons ground pepper (I used 2 heaping)

4 Tablespoons Yeast (I used Fresh Bakers Yeast)

Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then combine them. Divide in 3 loaf pans, allow to rise for an hour or two. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, turn down oven to 350 and bake an additional 20.

Cool slightly before slicing, then enjoy it with a bold red, like this Red Zin from California.

While I was cooking the bread, I called my Dad to tell him what I was doing, knowing that it would making happy to hear. He had recently some across the original, and he read it to me. Needless to say, we had a good laugh remembering my mom.

I learned from a customer that this is, in fact, a traditional Umbrian Easter bread that is called Crescia. The recipes that I found support that, though they are loftier than what I remember. They do confirm that my mom was right about the Pecorino, so try it out and let me know what you think. Either way, call your mom and tell her that you love her and “eat your cheese bread!”