By March 2029. The ground was still cold but the weather was right and we started on the house. The contractor—a man named Jeff who Art had recommended and who had built several houses for Cherokee families in the area—was methodical and communicative, which is what you want. He walked the site with Carol and me on the first day and laid out the plan and then started digging the foundation.
Watching the ground being disturbed for the first time after six years of tending it was strange. I stood at the edge of the site on the second day and felt the particular discomfort of creation: the thing isn't built yet but the ground has been committed. You're in the gap between what was and what will be, and the gap is a construction site, which is not beautiful but is necessary.
Caleb came out to see it that week and stood next to me looking at the excavation. He said: it's smaller than I expected. I said the walls weren't up yet. He said: right. He said: what does it feel like? I said: like deciding something permanent. He said: that's what it is. We stood there for a while and then went to the barn and ate the bean soup I'd had simmering all morning.
River came on Saturday with his school backpack and asked Jeff if he could see the foundation measurements. Jeff showed him. River studied the measurements with his characteristic seriousness and declared them correct. Jeff said he was glad to have the oversight. River appeared to take this seriously.
That bean soup in the barn after Caleb left — warm, unremarkable in the best sense, something that had been quietly doing its work all morning while we stood at the edge of the excavation trying to locate ourselves — is the kind of food that fits that kind of day. I’ve been thinking about that quality ever since: food that holds its shape while everything around it is unfinished. A pretzel bread bowl has that same character. The bread is sturdy and a little serious, the cheese inside is molten and generous, and the whole thing gives you something to tear into when the work of deciding permanent things has used up most of what you had. We made this on one of those long Saturday evenings after River had gone home with his backpack full of foundation measurements and Jeff had packed up for the day.
Pretzel Bread Bowl with Cheese Dip
Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 round sourdough or pretzel-style bread loaf (about 1 lb)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons baking soda (for boiling, if making pretzel bread from scratch)
- Coarse sea salt, for topping
- Torn bread pieces and soft pretzels, for dipping
Instructions
- Prepare the bread bowl. Preheat oven to 375°F. Using a serrated knife, cut a circle from the top of the bread loaf and hollow out the center, leaving about a 1-inch wall on all sides. Reserve the removed bread, torn into chunks, for dipping. Place the hollowed loaf on a baking sheet.
- Toast the bowl. Brush the inside and outside of the bread bowl lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle the outside with coarse sea salt. Bake for 10 minutes until the edges are just beginning to crisp. Remove and set aside.
- Make the cheese sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute until lightly golden. Gradually whisk in milk and heavy cream, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, about 4–5 minutes.
- Add the cheese. Reduce heat to low. Add cheddar and Gruyère a handful at a time, stirring until fully melted before adding more. Stir in Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill and bake. Pour the warm cheese dip into the toasted bread bowl. Return to the oven and bake for 15–18 minutes, until the dip is bubbling and the bread has deepened in color.
- Serve. Set the bread bowl on a wooden board surrounded by the reserved bread chunks and any additional dippers. Serve immediately while the dip is hot.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 520 | Protein: 21g | Fat: 31g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 780mg