Puerto Rican–Style Pimento Cheese

Name: Puerto Rican–Style Pimento Cheese
Ingredients: 8 ounces extra-sharp yellow cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups) 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups)½ cup diced roasted red pepper½ cup mayonnaise1½ teaspoons Sazón seasoning, homemade (recipe follows) or store-boughtChopped fresh cilantro (optional) Crackers or celery sticks; Sazón Seasoning; 1 tablespoon garlic powder1 tablespoon onion powder1 tablespoon ground cumin1 tablespoon ground turmeric½ teaspoon ground black pepper2 tablespoons kosher salt2 tablespoons ground achiote or sweet paprika

In the fall of 2000, I was invited to my first queer potluck. I grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, in a moderately conservative household, and the consistent message I received from the world around me was that being queer was dangerous. So the invitation made me uneasy. I’d heard stories about people being followed and attacked after leaving gay clubs, and I was worried that might happen to me. But I knew my way around a potluck, as these sorts of gatherings were a part of my childhood. I walked in with a bowl of popcorn, and was immediately overcome with unprecedented freedom. The people were of every shape, color, size, and gender presentation. Until that moment, I’d had no idea such a community existed—and after that, LGBTQ+ gatherings became my safe space. The more comfortable I became, the more I wanted to share the food of my culture with my new friends, so I started making some of the Puerto Rican dishes my mom had prepared when I was growing up. This pimento cheese recipe is my homage to queer spaces and a literal fusion of my Southern home and my Boricua roots. Tasty Pride: 75 Recipes and Stories from the Queer Food Community by Jesse Szewczyk and BuzzFeed’s Tasty, copyright © 2020.

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