Baked Fontina Val D'Aosta

Do people who cook do it for attention?  It's a surprising question, one I hadn't really considered until I wrote that sentence.  But, c'mon.  You can't read any blog and ignore the fact that, well, blogger = needy.

I'm aware the world doesn't need another food blog.  No, the world needs lots of other important things.  Nevertheless, here I am wooden spoon in hand.  The comedian Mark Maron wrote a funny essay about that once for Saveur (here's the link).  I love this quote from it: "The idea that I could do something giving and seemingly selfless and still be the center of attention seems magical."  I bring all this up because last weekend I was cooking for someone who needed impressing.  But first things first, the appetizer, a little pre-nosh.

It had to be fabulous, so, naturally I turned to Ina.  Her Baked Fontina Val D'Aosta recipe produces a gooey, salty, cheesy fantasy that could get anyone's attention.  It's not so much a recipe as it is just sticking some super expensive cheese into a pan and watching your cash melt away, but if Ina thinks it's worth listing out the steps then who am I to object.  It begins with 1 1/2 lbs of Fontina Val D'Aosta cheese:

Preheat your broiler and position the oven rack 5 inches from the heat.  Remove the rind and cut into small squares.  Ina says to cut in 1" diced cubes.  I prefer chopping away with absolutely no precision.  It's just cheese.

Place the cheese into a 12 inch cast iron pan and drizzle olive oil.  Combine the following into a small bowl and sprinkle over the cheese and olive oil.
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  About of teaspoon of each.  Place the pan under the broiler for 6 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling and starts to brown.
Serve family-style right out of the oven in the cast iron pan with French baguette or whatever crusty bread you like and start dipping.                          

The person I was doing all this for actually had the nerve to say it looked "greasy."  If you find yourself with a similar guest I suggest you tell him it's supposed to be that way, just eat it and your welcome.