March 30, 2014
— Open Blogger
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As none of you may know, April is National Grilled Cheese Month*. And what better way to celebrate our nation's newest holiday than to make one every day!
30 grilled cheese sandwiches -- 30 days in April. Coincidence? I think not. They are stretching the definition of "grilled cheese," and a few of these are a bit odd (apples? Uh....no), but most of these are drool-worthy.
The classic French grilled cheese....called a croque-monsieur, is a fantastic dish, but a tedious one. You have to make a bechamel sauce to do it correctly. Sure, it's worth it, but its rival, the classic American grilled cheese is made from white bread, Kraft singles and butter, and is at least as good.
There is something very satisfying about wielding a chef's knife with great aplomb, chopping and mincing and carving and feeling oh-so-professional. But some dishes require lots and lots of knife work, which can get tedious quite quickly.

I use this beast for the recipe below, and when a large quantity of mirepoix (copped onion, carrot and celery) is required for things like braised lamb shanks and short ribs. I find that a finely cut mirepoix melts into the liquid and thickens the sauce without any addition of a roux or other thickener. And if you aren't cooking it for a long time, the perfectly uniform cut looks great.
1 ½ cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups couscous
¼ tsp. saffron
1 cup shredded arugula
1/3 cup currents
½ cup finely chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped sweet red peppers
¼ cup chopped red onion
2 tbs. toasted pine nuts
5 tbs. lemon juice
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. water
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1 large tomato, diced (optional)
Bring stock and saffron to boil over high heat.
Stir in couscous, cover and remove from heat.
Let stand for 5 minutes, fluff with fork, and transfer to serving bowl to cool.
Add arugula, currents, celery, peppers onion and pine nuts and toss lightly.
Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, water and cinnamon.
Pour dressing over couscous and toss to mix.
Sprinkle with tomatoes and serve.
Serves 8-10
Notes:
I am not sure that the saffron is necessary. I can barely taste it and it doesnÂ’t add much.
I add more olive oil after I mix the dressing in.
You can use dried cranberries in place of currents, but I prefer currents.
Depending on your preference it may need a bit of salt.
* At least in Chez Dildo.
Posted by: Open Blogger at
12:30 PM
| Comments (77)
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Posted by: fluffy at March 30, 2014 12:36 PM (Ua6T/)
http://thespohrsaremultiplying.com/family-and-friends/fooled/
Posted by: HR at March 30, 2014 12:36 PM (hO8IJ)
Thanks for the post.
Are those choppers durable and can you just fill it with carrots or just one at a time.
Posted by: DaveA[/i][/b][/s] at March 30, 2014 12:38 PM (DL2i+)
Home made pizza
Grilled deli meats with lots of extra stuff.
It's the ingredients.
Posted by: Loquacious Smith at March 30, 2014 12:40 PM (TLmN3)
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars™ [/i] [/b] [/s] [/u] at March 30, 2014 12:41 PM (HsTG8)
It's a Whopper Chopper!
Posted by: Fred G. Sanford at March 30, 2014 12:41 PM (Ua6T/)
and soup, gotta have soup to go with, and salad.
Damn, now I'm hungry.
Posted by: Loquacious Smith at March 30, 2014 12:46 PM (TLmN3)
Saw this on Candyblog.net. One of those obscure foods you hear about and are immediately "do want":
Pariya Pashmak Persian Orange Blossom Fairy Floss
Pashmak is a form of cotton candy, but made in a different way. Traditional fairy floss or cotton candy is made by spinning melted sugar to create long threads. In Persian (and Asian) confectionery traditions, they made the impossibly thin threads through pulling. Just pull, double over your coil of melted sugar and repeat until the strands are as thin as an angelÂ’s hair.
The big difference with this Pashmak, though, is that itÂ’s made with sesame paste. So itÂ’s not just spun sugar, itÂ’s a lighter-than-air halvah. The ingredients list is very short: sugar, sesame, flour, vegetable oil, orange blossom extract and natural colors.
http://tinyurl.com/lqfd4nm
Pic: http://tinyurl.com/n6xvkln
Expensive, something like $15 for a 7 oz package, so it's not going to replace your afternoon Snickers. But real potential to impress a date when cooking at home.
Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at March 30, 2014 12:47 PM (kdS6q)
Posted by: garrett at March 30, 2014 12:47 PM (ZmTY/)
Posted by: Vic[/i] at March 30, 2014 12:50 PM (T2V/1)
I don't see this as an either/or proposition.
Posted by: fluffy at March 30, 2014 12:51 PM (Ua6T/)
Posted by: DaveA at March 30, 2014 04:38 PM (DL2i+)
I think you probably can, but I wouldn't recommend it. Carrot is tough, and the amount of force necessary to cut it will eventually break the device.
I slice the carrot into the correct thickness and then use the chopper to do the rest.
Vic? How about you?
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 30, 2014 12:53 PM (QFxY5)
Posted by: garrett at March 30, 2014 04:47 PM (ZmTY/)
That is a "Bacon-Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwich," according to the website.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 30, 2014 12:55 PM (QFxY5)
Posted by: garrett at March 30, 2014 12:58 PM (ZmTY/)
Posted by: itchytriggerfinger at March 30, 2014 01:02 PM (XwN3V)
Posted by: Peaches at March 30, 2014 01:02 PM (8lmkt)
Vic? How about you?
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 30, 2014 04:53 PM (QFxY5)
I have never used it for anything but onions and I slice them first. But I have had it for a number of years and it still works fine.
Posted by: Vic[/i] at March 30, 2014 01:02 PM (T2V/1)
Posted by: Social Justice Cookbook at March 30, 2014 01:03 PM (ZmTY/)
Posted by: All Hail Eris at March 30, 2014 01:04 PM (QBm1P)
Posted by: itchytriggerfinger at March 30, 2014 01:06 PM (XwN3V)
Posted by: Chef Marlon Brando at March 30, 2014 01:06 PM (ZmTY/)
Posted by: olddog in mo at March 30, 2014 01:09 PM (EKOIc)
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 30, 2014 01:10 PM (DmNpO)
Posted by: shredded chi at March 30, 2014 01:13 PM (tko4W)
Posted by: Synova at March 30, 2014 01:13 PM (7/PU+)
Posted by: garrett at March 30, 2014 01:13 PM (ZmTY/)
Posted by: IrishEd at March 30, 2014 01:14 PM (bfm04)
And in other food pimping news, someone gave a shout out to Whole Foods earlier this week. I wanted to shill for my favorite chain, Vallarta Supermarkets.
They're located in California in Hispanic areas. A superior meat department, inexpensive but excellent quality. Seriously the chicken is amazing. Great prices on good produce, fresh made tortillas, and a take-out counter with really fine Mexican food. And for pantry staples like big bags of rice or beans, they're cheaper than CostCo.
Downside? Parking at these stores is a mess, so go early/late when the crowds aren't there, or be prepared for the hassle. Bakery kinda sucks, because Mexican pastries are way too sweet and they can't make a loaf of french bread to save their souls, although their whole wheat bollitos are superb. And their prices on canned stuff is a bit high, so might as well pick that stuff up at Vons.
www.vallartasupermarkets.com
Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at March 30, 2014 01:14 PM (kdS6q)
You could take a round loaf of French bread, slice one end off pull the inside out, and add fresh ham chunks, some of the bread, your choice of cheese and some butter, in alternating fashion.
5 minutes in a 350 degree oven and enjoy your heart attack.
Posted by: irongrampa at March 30, 2014 01:18 PM (SAMxH)
Took a look around the site, and looks like the guy has some good recipes. Seems to be geared towards what, in my youth , was called "bachelor cooking". For those who aren't familiar with the phrase, it means "cooking that even a moron can do, with good results".
Worth a look.
Posted by: jbarntt at March 30, 2014 01:18 PM (UNFot)
I don't care for Kraft singles.
Posted by: shredded chi
They used to be good for grilled cheese. Very reliable melt. Not as good as Velveeta, but significantly less expensive.
But I've noticed a change recently. The same cost cutting that has made your "margarine" into a 50% water "spread" is hitting a lot of processed products with oil in them. The Singles just don't melt right any more.
Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at March 30, 2014 01:20 PM (kdS6q)
Posted by: Prosqtor at March 30, 2014 01:22 PM (0xOQP)
Posted by: Mama AJ at March 30, 2014 01:26 PM (SUKHu)
Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at March 30, 2014 05:20 PM (kdS6q)
You are so right, LDC! I used to love just a regular ol' pedestrian-style grilled cheese with Kraft american slices. Last few times I've had them, they've been very disappointing. Now I know why. Maybe I will try what someone suggested above, getting sliced American cheese from the deli counter.
Posted by: Peaches at March 30, 2014 01:29 PM (8lmkt)
Posted by: Lauren at March 30, 2014 01:37 PM (hFL/3)
Posted by: Kensington (@NYKensington) at March 30, 2014 01:42 PM (uaEZS)
Posted by: Hrothgar at March 30, 2014 01:43 PM (o3MSL)
The only grilled cheese he would eat had to be prepared in the following fashion:
1. Toast two slices of bread in the toaster.
2. Place two Kraft singles between them.
3. Microwave for twenty seconds.
4. Om nom nom.
Posted by: Kensington (@NYKensington) at March 30, 2014 01:44 PM (uaEZS)
But I've noticed a change recently. The same cost cutting that has made your "margarine" into a 50% water "spread" is hitting a lot of processed products with oil in them. The Singles just don't melt right any more.
Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at March 30, 2014 05:20 PM (kdS6q)
Ahh. That must be what happened to the Kraft mayonnaise a few years back. I generally use ranch dressing in lieu as my standard condiment these days, but I'll get some Dukes if I really need mayo. Kraft can suck it.
Posted by: Sandra Fluke's solid gold diaphragm at March 30, 2014 01:46 PM (M5T54)
What they do there is pile everything in the center. The result of this is that there's nothing happening around the edges?
Why wouldn't you spread things around evenly?
Posted by: Kensington (@NYKensington) at March 30, 2014 01:49 PM (uaEZS)
Posted by: Hrothgar at March 30, 2014 01:50 PM (o3MSL)
Posted by: Mama AJ at March 30, 2014 01:50 PM (SUKHu)
Make two grilled cheese sandwiches (rye and provolone, buttered). After the first side is done, flip one, then lay a couple of slices of Virginia baked ham on it. Put the other one on top of that, then flip the whole assembly over to grill the final side. Press it down flat.
Can't wait to make that after my doctor's appointment this month.
Posted by: Taro Tsujimoto at March 30, 2014 01:52 PM (celt+)
Posted by: shredded chi at March 30, 2014 01:58 PM (tko4W)
Because they compete for the tallest sandwich.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 30, 2014 02:02 PM (QFxY5)
The Monte Cristo.
Sandwiches of the Gods.
I'm surprised they didn't have just the simple Patty Melt on the 30 Sandwich list, they're damn fine also.
Posted by: lowandslow at March 30, 2014 02:04 PM (IV4od)
Posted by: lowandslow at March 30, 2014 02:06 PM (IV4od)
Posted by: Mama AJ at March 30, 2014 02:08 PM (SUKHu)
Posted by: Synova at March 30, 2014 02:11 PM (7/PU+)
Posted by: lowandslow at March 30, 2014 02:11 PM (IV4od)
Posted by: Mama AJ at March 30, 2014 02:22 PM (SUKHu)
Posted by: DangerGirl at March 30, 2014 02:29 PM (GrtrJ)
Posted by: Susanamantha at March 30, 2014 02:42 PM (J0VjC)
Posted by: eman at March 30, 2014 02:46 PM (AO9UG)
Posted by: eman at March 30, 2014 02:48 PM (AO9UG)
I just finished making and eating fried shrimp. So easy to do but man do I hate the oil smell/cleanup.
Posted by: DangerGirl at March 30, 2014 02:50 PM (GrtrJ)
Posted by: Kensington (@NYKensington) at March 30, 2014 02:53 PM (uaEZS)
Posted by: Tutu at March 30, 2014 03:28 PM (CpWI4)
Posted by: rickl at March 30, 2014 03:44 PM (sdi6R)
Posted by: The Farmer at March 30, 2014 03:53 PM (eBupg)
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at March 30, 2014 04:12 PM (GDulk)
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at March 30, 2014 04:19 PM (GDulk)
Why not just make your own, when needed, Mama AJ?
Very easy to do mayo, sweet relish, lemon juice, maybe some minced onion- I'm probably forgetting something.
---------
Personally, I'd use dill relish, but yeah, that is what you need for tartar sauce. Advice re: Mayo, Hellmans or Best Foods, depending on what part of the country you inhabit.
Have no idea for those who live outside the USA, other than to say, good mayo is worth a bit extra.
Never hold the Mayo, unless it is Virginia Mayo, in which case holding is highly recommended.
Posted by: jbarntt at March 30, 2014 05:03 PM (UNFot)
Posted by: Blacque Jacques Shellacque at March 30, 2014 05:21 PM (rakCv)
Posted by: Mindy at March 30, 2014 06:06 PM (Ew9Pv)
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Posted by: Vic[/i] at March 30, 2014 12:34 PM (T2V/1)