Smoky Sesame Cheese Log

The Fourth of July and the backyard is full and the grandchildren are loud and the flag is on the porch and the corn is fresh and the potato salad is Grandma Rosen's and the day is American and Jewish and Feldman and mine. Ethan helped me grill this year — he is ten and tall enough to reach the grill (with supervision) and I taught him to flip a burger, which is not a skill that Sylvia would have recognized as essential but which is an American skill, a Fourth of July skill, and the teaching of it is the expansion of the chain from the Ashkenazi to the American, from the challah to the hamburger, from the kitchen to the grill.

Noah, five, asked me why we celebrate the Fourth of July. I said, "Because this country let your great-great-grandparents come here when their country was trying to kill them." He said, "That's sad." I said, "Yes. But the coming here was happy. And the potato salad is happy. And you are happy. And the happy is the holiday." He accepted this. Five-year-olds accept a lot of things that adults would argue about. This is one of their many advantages.

I brought Marvin a burger and corn on the cob on Friday. Not Fourth of July food specifically — just food, just the food of the week, just the container at two o'clock. He ate the corn. The corn required assistance — I held the cob while he bit — and the holding was intimate and tender and slightly ridiculous, a sixty-seven-year-old woman holding a corn cob for a seventy-four-year-old man while he bites, and the biting was steady and the butter ran down his chin and I wiped it and thought: this is love. This specific, butter-chin-wiping, corn-cob-holding love. This is what forty-two years becomes.

Every Fourth of July, there is a gap — the gap between when the guests arrive and when Ethan and I are actually ready to pull the burgers off the grill — and something has to fill it. Grandma Rosen’s potato salad fills the stomach, but the cheese log fills the time: it sits on the table with crackers and does its work quietly while the rest of us are loud and busy and American. I make it the night before, which is its great virtue, and the sesame crust gives it just enough smoke and nuttiness to feel like it belongs next to the grill without requiring the grill at all.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 45 min (includes chilling) | Servings: 12

Ingredients

16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
1/2 cup smoked gouda, finely shredded
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup sesame seeds (toasted)
2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning (optional, for extra crust)
Crackers, sliced baguette, or crudites for serving

Instructions

Toast the sesame seeds. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast sesame seeds for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Transfer to a plate and let cool completely.
Mix the cheese base. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer or wooden spoon until smooth. Add the shredded cheddar, smoked gouda, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix until fully combined and uniform.
Shape the log. Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap on your counter. Spoon the cheese mixture onto the center and use the plastic wrap to shape it into a tight log, approximately 10 inches long. Twist the ends to seal. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
Prepare the coating. On a flat plate or sheet of parchment, combine the toasted sesame seeds, chopped chives, and everything bagel seasoning if using. Spread into an even layer.
Coat the log. Unwrap the chilled cheese log and roll it firmly in the sesame seed mixture, pressing gently so the coating adheres on all sides. Return to the refrigerator until ready to serve, or serve immediately.
Serve. Place on a board or platter with crackers, sliced baguette, or fresh vegetables. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving for the best spreadable texture.

Nutrition (per serving)

Smoky Sesame Cheese Log — The Appetizer That Starts the Party Before the Grill Does