Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup Grated Romano cheese
  • 2 tbsp Sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp Poppy seeds
  • 2 tbsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Celery seed
  • 1 tsp Garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp Coarse black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
  • 1.5 tsp Salt

Instructions:

  1. Place the 2 tbsp sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat. Cook 3 minutes until golden and fragrant, tossing constantly to avoid scorching.
  2. Spread the toasted seeds on a cold plate and cool completely. If you add hot seeds to the cheese, it will melt and clump.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp celery seed, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1.5 tsp salt.
  4. Stir in the 1 tbsp poppy seeds. Ensure the color is a uniform rust red before moving to the next step.
  5. Grate the 1/3 cup Romano cheese using the finest holes on your grater. It should look like snowy dust.
  6. Gently toss the cheese into the spice mixture. Use a fork to break up any small cheese clusters.
  7. Fold in the toasted sesame seeds last. Listen for the dry 'clinking' sound as you stir — that means your ingredients are perfectly dry.
  8. Transfer to a glass container and give it one final, vigorous shake to distribute the seeds evenly.