A Few Notes on Grilled Cheese

And the perfect gift to go with it...

A great grilled cheese sandwich is a seriously seductive creature. Warm, tangy and gooey, it should be absolutely irresistible. But here’s the problem: even ordinary grilled cheese sandwiches, the kind made with white bread and Velveeta, are pretty appealing.  Which means that too many people are willing to settle for good enough.

That’s a shame: Making it better is remarkably easy. Here are a few tips beyond the obvious ones of using good bread (something with character like sourdough) and good cheese (any good Cheddar will do, although I prefer Montgomery).

1.  Do not use margarine - ever. Butter the inside and the outside of the bread.  Or try spreading a thin film of mayonnaise onto the outside of the bread instead of butter; it will not only add a persuasive tang, but is also much more scorch-proof on the griddle.

2.  Grate the cheese, rather than slicing it, for quicker, more even melting.

3.  Mix the grated cheese with a scattering of finely chopped members of the allium family - whatever you happen to have on hand.  I like to mix in about a tablespoon of onions, scallions, shallots and/or garlic per sandwich.

4.  Add a gentle swipe of mustard (or horseradish) to the inside of the bread.  It adds a nice layer of flavor, an extra tang.

5.  Pat some of the grated cheese onto the outside of the bread, where it will create a wonderfully crisp and shaggy crust, giving your sandwich an entirely new dimension.

6. Don’t take your eyes off the sandwich; these babies burn easily!

The Diva of Grilled Cheese
Shallot, leek, scallions or onions (any color)
1 clove garlic
¹/₄ pound cheddar cheese, divided
Butter
2 slices thickly sliced, sturdy sourdough bread
Mayonnaise

Gather a group of shallots, leek, scallions, and onion—as many members of the allium family as you have on hand—and chop them finely into a small heap. Add a minced clove of garlic.

Grate a few generous handfuls of the best cheddar you can afford. (Montgomery is particularly appealing), set a little aside, and gently combine the rest with the onion mixture.

Butter one side of thickly sliced bread and heap as much of the mixture as possible between the slices (butter facing in). Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the outside of the bread (this will keep it from scorching on the griddle). Press the reserved grated cheese to the outside of the bread, where it will create a wonderfully crisp and shaggy crust, giving your sandwich an entirely new dimension. (For less mess, it helps to apply the mayonnaise and cheese first on one side only, lay that side on the griddle, then quickly do the remaining top side while the bottom is sizzling.)

Fry on a heated nonstick griddle or in a nonstick skillet about 4 minutes a side, until the cheese is softly melted.

If you’re looking for the perfect thing to watch while eating grilled cheese in winter here it is. Bird feeders are absolutely magical at this time of year.

Having spent a LOT of time fending off squirrels, I recommend this one. (I’ve got nothing against squirrels, but they’re so greedy they don’t stop until the feeder is empty. And that gets very expensive very fast.)

But as you can see from the video, one of these cheap tube-type feeders is a lot more popular with the birds! And they’re pretty much available everywhere. Add some bird feed and you’ve got a pretty perfect present.