BOOK/A TABLE - Welsh Rabbit

It sure ain’t the charming tale of Peter Rabbit, foraging among the lettuces and French beans in Mr. McGregor’s garden until the old geezer chases him out with a rake. In Watership Down, the fear of being caught is very real—and everything is a threat.

Since I read Richard Adams’ book, I figured rabbits have enough to deal with in their everyday lives without me adding to their peril (much as I had previously enjoyed rabbit braised in Riesling or served with a creamy mustard sauce). But there is Welsh Rabbit—aka cheese toast, so warm and comforting—which was traditionally served as a savory course in England after dessert if the rabbit had gotten away. I hope all rabbits get away.

“To come to the end of a time of anxiety and fear! To feel the cloud that hung over us lift and disperse—the cloud that dulled the heart and made happiness no more than a memory! This at least is one joy that must have been known by almost every living creature.”

A happy, hopeful 2025 for everybody!

Welsh Rabbit
Adapted from saveur.com

Ingredients:
3 1⁄2 cups (about 3⁄4 lb.) grated aged English cheddar
1⁄4 cup light beer or ale
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp dry mustard
Dash of Tabasco
4-6 slices crustless, toasted wheat bread
Ground pepper

Method:
Combine cheddar, beer, butter, worcestershire sauce, salt, dry mustard, and a dash of Tabasco in a medium pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it melts into a smooth sauce, 4-5 minutes.

Pour melted cheese over slices of bread, sprinkle with ground pepper, if you like, and serve at once.

The Philadelphia Story, Part Eight

Perhaps this post should really be called Evenings With Peter Rabbit, or rather A Morning With Peter Rabbit, as we join in on an Easter Egg Hunt! The Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts is celebrating the promise of spring by putting their eggs in a number of undisclosed baskets, so to speak, on April 24^th from 11am to 1pm for children 10 and under to find somewhere within the grounds of the Kimmel Center Plaza. Harried parents in attendance breathe an unburdened, collective sigh of relief that they don't have to do it--and it's free.

Easter was a big deal for me growing up as I did in a relatively Catholic household because my father would make a grand show of things, creating poetic clues written on little pieces of paper that he'd scatter around, leading us kids to the eggs and prizes he’d hidden in the backyard somewhere. I loved it. Although I didn't necessarily understand the religious underpinnings, it was simply thrilling enough, waking up on Easter morning to discover huge chocolate bunnies, Peeps, jelly beans, and alarmingly colored plastic grass stuffed in glorious white wicker baskets for us too, wrapped in cellophane. And of course, I’ve always had a penchant for pastels.

Thanks, Papa.

Stay tuned as eveningswithpeter.com ventures forth in its coverage of PIFA through May 1.

This post is supported by Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA). Please like their facebook page and follow them on twitter!