Welsh rarebit is 'fast food salvation'

For my entire childhood, I had a week's notice of my dinner fare. Every Saturday, my mother plunked a pile of cookbooks and her overstuffed recipe box on the dining room table and mapped out a week of dinner menus before heading to the local co-op. It helped her manage her budget, shopping and sanity, but left her open to scrutiny.\n"Welsh rabbit? What's that?" I quizzed her, when, at about age 6, the odd entree item was posted on the kitchen corkboard. Visions of Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, braised or boiled, came to mind.\n"Not Rabbit, rare-bit, and Welsh as in 'from Wales,' dear."\n"Whales?" I squeaked. The bunnies turned to blubber and baleen.\n"Wales, the country," she sighed, eyeing my blank expression and returning it with one of her exasperated "yikes, what are they not teaching you in school" looks. \n"It's cheese, it's toast, you'll like it," she assured.\nI loved it. Thick slabs of San Francisco sourdough or sturdy wheat bread, crisply toasted before being napped in a melted blanket of sharp Cheddar cheese. Welsh rarebit is the English pub equivalent of fondue and a busy mother's fast food salvation. The list of ingredients, including cheese and butter, might make pious nutritionists recoil in horror. But take another look at the measurements -- small. Room can be made in a balanced diet for an occasional smattering of such richness. \nAnd balance, as the great American food writer MFK Fisher wrote more than a half century ago, need not be a requirement for each meal. Such a strategy inevitably leads to dinner dissatisfaction, if not outright despair. A truly "balanced" diet is more likely achieved by aiming for week-long balance. \nIf you view fresh fruits and vegetables as punishment (stripped, steamed, blanched -- bleah) when partnered with austere entrees, try them alongside Welsh rarebit. The contrast is enlivening. Such was the case when Welsh rarebit appeared on my mother's menu. My siblings and I were bamboozled into eating everything from brussels sprouts to beets if melted cheese took center stage.\nLike all elementary dishes, the level of Welsh rarebit's delectability varies directly with the quality of ingredients. It is still excellent on the cheap, but steer clear of wimpy white bread -- it is too feeble to sustain the weight of the cheese. Any crusty bread, whole wheat, rye or the remnants of a baguette will work.\nFor snap, I reach for a jar of roasted red peppers. These were once something of a luxury product in both price and availability, but no longer. Find them in the canned vegetable section of most any supermarket for an average of $1.50 per jar or can. To add them to the Welsh rarebit, drain, slice into strips and place them on the warm toast just before covering with the melted cheese. Bliss. \nMelt butter in saucepan; add mustard and beer, and bring to a simmer. Add the cheese and salt and pepper to taste; as soon as cheese melts, remove saucepan from heat. Pour over toast and serve as is or place under preheated broiler to brown (about 15-20 seconds). Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings (recipe can be doubled). \nOPTIONS: Place a few strips of jarred roasted red peppers on the toast just before adding the cheese. Roasted asparagus spears, eggplant slices or a thin slice of ham are also welcome additions.\nWelsh Rarebit\n• 2 tablespoons butter\n• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or any other good mustard)\n• Salt and pepper\n• 1/4 cup beer (white wine or milk may be substituted)\n• 4 ounces grated cheddar or double gloucester cheese\n• 2 thick slices sturdy bread, toasted\nMelt butter in saucepan; add mustard and beer, and bring to a simmer. Add the cheese and salt and pepper to taste; as soon as cheese melts, remove saucepan from heat. Pour over toast and serve as is or place under preheated broiler to brown (about 15-20 seconds). Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings (recipe can be doubled).