My friend came over with a packet of genuine, smokehouse dry cured bacon ends and pieces. If you have never tasted real bacon, you're missing out. We carefully browned some, and added lettuce and as ripe a tomato as we could find, along with about a tablespoon of good quality egg mayonnaise on a homemade hard roll. A slice of this smokehouse cheddar topped it all off. I may not go to heaven in the end, but I know where it is.

I grew up on artisan smoked meats, although we did not know we were artisans. We were getting by. My family made their own bacons and hams. I remember saving chunks of apple wood from prunings that would feed the smokehouse. One doesn't forget that savor. If you like assertive smoke flavors, this cheddar will be just your game. I believe it to be smoked with hickory, which gives it a deep, rich smoke flavor. The trick is starting with good cheese in the first place. While this can be eaten as a table cheese, it's probably better melted over a properly grilled burger with a slice of tomato, red onion, and some lettuce on a good bun. Get a good beer, and you will be the absolute hero of your next barbecue or tailgate party.