By:
Michelle Hershman
A day
spent reading cookbooks and eating grilled cheese sandwiches (yes, multiple) is
my idea of the perfect day. When I heard there was a cookbook called 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, I
thought I’d stumbled upon the Holy Grail. I could eat grilled cheese sandwiches
and ogle pictures of ooey-gooey grilled cheese at the same time? Heaven, right?
Not so
fast. There can’t possibly be 150 different grilled cheese sandwiches in this
book, I thought, picturing slices of American cheese oozing out of white bread.
Well, there aren’t. At least, not in the form I expected. Is Grilled Heuvos
Rancheros on a flour tortilla really a grilled cheese sandwich? How about a
Chorizo Melt? Sure, the recipes both contain cheese and are grilled; but, when I
think of grilled cheese, Grilled Mascarpone, Banana and Honey is not what comes
to mind. Grilled cheese is supposed to be simple and remind you of childhood. A
Pear Ricotta Panini is a stretch. Then I thought more about it, and I realized,
why am I thinking so inside the box? Why
am I being a grilled cheese snob? Lasagna Grilled Cheese may not be
conventional but it sounds delicious. I think this cookbook could be more
accurately titled 150 Best Grilled Cheese
and Grilled Cheese-Inspired Sandwiches but I guess that’s too long of a title. Not quite as snappy!
150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches contains
an interesting array of sandwiches, ranging from the breakfast Grilled Egg,
Cheese and Bacon Biscuit to the dessert Tiramisu Grilled Cheese. The variety is
incredible. Sure, we’ve all had a breakfast sandwich with cheese but I never
would have thought of the Grilled Bacon and Fried Green Tomatoes sandwich.
The
author, Alison Lewis, begins the book with a brief history on Grilled Cheese
(did you know grilling cheese on bread began in the 1920s but adding the top slice of
bread wasn’t popularized until the 1960s?). She follows the history with tips
on choosing bread and cheeses. Some of the tips, I thought were common
knowledge and not that useful. For example: whole-grain bread is healthier and
provides more fiber and basic white bread is always a hit with kids. However,
there were the occasional helpful hints: use brioche and Challah bread when
making dessert or French toast-type grilled cheese recipes and spread softened
butter on the bread instead of adding it to the pan to keep the butter from
burning. The author continues the tips throughout the book and also includes sandwich
shortcuts. Again, some of these are “duh” tips (gather ingredients before
beginning for time savings) but there are some valuable tips like grating
cheese over wax or parchment paper for easy transport and cleaning.
I think
the best part of the book is the condiments section which provides easy recipes
for chutneys (Peach-Ginger Chutney), relishes, pesto (Roasted Asparagus Pesto
sounds delicious) and various cheese spreads that you can add to sandwiches or
use in other non-grilled cheese recipes.
If I had
to find fault with this cookbook, it’s that there are just not enough
pictures. Sure I love reading new recipes, but it’s always disappointing for me
when the recipe is not accompanied by yummy-looking food photos. My favorite
cookbooks have pictures for every recipe. I know this is not always practical
or possible but pictures make a huge difference, not only because they’re fun
to look at, but they also show how the finished product is supposed to look and
can give readers an idea of how to plate the dish. For example, the Black Russian
is pictured with potato chips - the
perfect accompaniment for a deli-style sandwich. The absolute best food photo in the book is the photo the author
used for the cover – the Classic Grilled Two Cheese sandwich with cheese oozing out the sides. YUM! This is also the only recipe I recognized as “grilled cheese” with simple
ingredients of white or whole-grain bread, butter, muenster and cheddar cheese.
This
would be a great cookbook for someone who’s looking to add flavor and variety to their
lunch. It would also be a great cookbook for kids because it includes a lot of
fun recipes that involve just a few ingredients and are simple to put together.
But most people who have spent a lot of time in the kitchen aren’t going to get
that much out of this book. Still, I cannot fault a cookbook that devotes its pages entirely to my
favorite sandwich! If you love grilled cheese, you’ll love reading the different ways to put cheese to bread. But, next time, Alison Lewis, give us the goods – more ooey-gooey pictures!
1 comment:
i really really love chess! looks yummy..im starving now:)
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