“My name is Rafe Montfort and my bride is Juliet Capel. Although we were recently married, our friend Calum Prioleau insisted on throwing me a Bachelor Lunch. I never wanted a Bachelor’s lunch, especially since I haven’t been a bachelor for almost ten years. (Those nine months when I was divorced from Juliet never counted because in my heart we were still married.) But since Juliet and her friends are having a Bridal Lunch at the same time, I said yes.

Now I’m ensconced, with my friends, in the lounge of a hotel restaurant in Savannah’s Historic District. Calum invited my brother Philip, Detective Garza, and a few of my army buddies. Nate and Pete who were all over the free drinks and great food. Cain, Zack, Ty, and Luke–also ex-Green Berets I’ve known for years–who’ve just arrived in Savannah are sitting awkwardly probably because they’re still not sure why I was released from prison. Vane, another buddy, declined. And no way was I inviting my former CO Kells Torridan.

Of course Calum is here as the master of ceremonies and overall manipulator of everything in his world.

The waiter just arrived with drinks and our first course: Cheese Straws. A specialty of the south, Cheese Straws are a classic appetizer bread made with sharp cheddar cheese and cayenne pepper. A perfect start to what will be a memorable day. And I promise not to text Juliet to find out what she’s doing now. Although I can’t help but wonder if she’s missing me as much I miss her.”


Cheese Straws

Course Appetizer
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 10

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese grated
  • 4 Tablespoons salted butter softened and cut into 8 pieces
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • dash paprika
  • 1 Tablespoon light cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Line2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. In a food processor, combine the cheese, butter, flour, salt, red pepper, and paprika and process in bursts, until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add the light cream and process until the dough forms a ball.

  3. On a lightly floured surface, and with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into an 8" x 10" x 1/8" rectangle. With a sharp knife also coated in flour, cut the dough into 4" long strips, 1/4" wide. After every four cuts, re-coat the knife in flour to keep the cuts neat.

  4. Gently transfer strips to the parchment-lined pan, keeping a 1/2" between each strip. Or, for a more decorative option, use a cookie press with a star-shaped tip. Following the press directions, use the dough to make long ribbon-like strips on the parchment-lined pan. cut the lengths into 4" strips.

  5. The straws can be any length, from 2" – 10". 4 inches is easy to transfer to the pan without breaking and also easy to eat. But it doesn't matter and the baking time is the same, regardless of length of the straws.

  6. Bake the straws on a middle rack, one pan at a time, until the ends are just lightly browned, 13-15 minutes. Watch carefully so they don't burn.


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