I’m happy to announce the official opening of the Simply Advanced Nexus for the Discovery of Worthy Ingredients and Choice Happiness Laboratory, or SANDWICHLab for short. The SANDWICHLab will collect user-submitted sandwich recipes or dilemmas and test them out with a rigorous, analytical, time-tested evaluation methodology: eating. Submit your sandwichy thoughts and ideas via the link on the right bar (here)!
To welcome in the new laboratory, I’ve decided to start with the basics: grilled cheese.
I looked in the sandwichbooks on my shelf and none of them even bother to include this staple! I was horrified, so I googled “ultimate grilled cheese” and found this thorough recipe for grilled cheese with sour cream bread. What was supposed to be a quick bread-making session turned into a half-day long I’m-hungry-and-can’t-wait-for-the-bread-to-rise journey. The net effect was that my taste buds were primed and ready for crunchy, cheesy action. Everyone says cheddar is the best for grilled cheese. I say, “perhaps, but let’s find out!” And with that set out to test 3 cheeses: Baby Swiss, NY Sharp Cheddar and Chile Pepper Jack (and a blend of all 3). All delicious, but do they fit the grilled cheese mold?
No.
The swiss tasted too tangy, the jack too peppery and the cheddar absolutely delicious. Turns out cheddar is the best. And testing new grilled cheeses is fun, tasty and filling.
Clockwise from the top: Chile Pepper Jack, NY Sharp Cheddar, Baby Swiss
The Bread: The sour cream bread came out a little short, and very crumbly. It needs to be cooled completely and cut into THIN slices. The cheese and bread join forces as the cheese seeps into the crumbly structure.
The Sandwiches: Pan fried in plenty of butter until golden brown and crispy. Be sure to keep the heat low enough, or cover the pan, so the cheese melts.
Tasting Bites: Each type of cheese sandwich was sliced up for everyone to taste. Why don’t people serve these slices alongside pigs-in-blankets?
The Vanishing Act: The final three slices. I miss you, grilled cheese!
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[...] I submit to you, precious readers, the first piece of the boring-sandwich conspiracy: a guide [461k pdf] on how to pair sandwiches with deli meats from the US Dairy Export Council (USDEC). Sounds ominous to me! Naturally,they have an agenda to promote sandwiches as a vehicle for cheese consumption. Oddly enough they focused only on meat and cheese combinations and don’t include the most obvious cheesy sandwich of all: Grilled cheese (Tested in the SANDWICHLab here). [...]
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