Essentials: Spicy Cheese Bread, Stella's, Madison, Wisconsin
A farmers' market favorite
The internet tells me it’s famous, but when I was growing up, it was just the last stop at the farmers’ market: a burnished loaf dusted with chile flakes, the unassuming exterior belying the decadence inside. We pulled off hunks with grubby child fingers in the back seat of our minivan, gobbling down bites of sweet, yeasty bread swollen with slick pockets of provolone and jack cheese. It was destined for cold soups like potato-leek or gazpacho—if any made it home. —Paula Forbes
Paula Forbes is a cookbook author, critic, and the editor of Stained Page News, a cookbook newsletter. She grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and currently lives in Austin, Texas with a man, a dog, two cats, and a vegetable garden.
Kevin Necessary is a freelance illustrator and editorial cartoonist. He is currently the editorial cartoonist for The Cincinnati Enquirer. His cartoons are syndicated by GoComics, and his cartoons have been published in a variety of publications such as The Week and Politico. A Cincinnati native, Kevin will fight to the death defending Cincinnati chili. He lives with his wife, Julie, and three cats, Huckleberry, Grayson, and Bonnie.