From the time of childhood, one mainstay comfort food has been the grilled cheese sandwich. Gooey cheese between two lightly buttered and toasted pieces of bread - what's not to like?
In her newest cookbook, Grilled Cheese, Please!, award-winning cheese expert Laura Werlin offers 50 recipes that elevate the classic sandwich into works of culinary art.
Inside the Book
There are eight chapters of recipes, arranged by topics such as "Global Grilled Cheese," "Anything Goes," "Meat and Cheese," and "Veggie and Cheese," among others.
A chapter titled "Grilled Cheese on the Go" collects recipes from several restaurants around the U.S. that specialize in their grilled cheese creations. A couple of food trucks are also represented. An appendix at the end lists even more restaurants by state.
But this book goes further and includes recipes for side dishes that go well with grilled cheese, like fried pickles, as well as helpful sections on topics like the best cooking techniques. When recipes call for special condiments, those recipes are also included in the book.
Many of the recipes are also accompanied by gorgeous full color photographs by Maren Caruso that will almost invite one to eat the book.
Handy Tips for Making a Great Grilled Cheese
Among the author's many useful tips: grate the cheese instead of slicing it. The smaller pieces of cheese will melt faster, preventing the burning of the bread that could occur while waiting for slices to melt.
For the cheese connoisseur, Werlin also offers a short informative section explaining which cheeses she's found to melt better, thus making better grilled cheese sandwiches.
To make the book universal, there's another appendix of metric equivalents so the recipes can be converted.
Grilled Cheese Recipes
Among the 50 recipes, there are plenty of options for both vegetarians and carnivores.
More than just cheese, these creations include various combinations of vegetables, meat, spreads, condiments, chutneys and more, providing very tasty modern takes on the grilled cheese.
Sample recipes available online to try from the book include the Italian-flavored "Mozzarella with Crispy Prosciutto and Broccoli Rabe" sandwich and the "Chips and Guacamole Grilled Cheese," which is good with or without the bacon.
Taste Testing the Book
Serving several of the created recipes to friends, the sandwiches were met with two thumbs up. Mostly because their mouths were too busy eating to talk.
So while the classic grilled cheese recipe still holds its appeal, Grilled Cheese, Please! will definitely give one ideas on how to jazz up the sandwich for something new.
This book was published by Andrews McMeel Publishing on March 8, 2011.
[Note: This review was based on an advanced copy provided by NetGalley]
Michelle Snow - Michelle Snow been a freelance journalist and photographer for over twenty years, specializing in travel and entertainment. She got her ...
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