Comfort Food…

Hello Cheese Enthusiasts!

During these last lazy days of Summer, I have found myself craving more comfort foods…Maybe it’s because the weather has turned a little cooler, or maybe it has just been too long since I have enjoyed some.

Everyone has a different idea of their comfort foods…for some it’s Macaroni & Cheese, for some its Cheesy Casseroles, but for me it’s a Grilled Cheese Sandwich (notice that they all have cheese!)….and what’s not to love? I mean, we Americans celebrate National Grilled Cheese Day every April 12th. Not on your calendar??…It should be!!

Grilling cheese with bread though is not necessarily an American idea…It seems as if every country has some form of this culinary marriage:

France has Croque Monsieur; Britain has “Toastie” and Welsh Rarebit; Italy have Paninis; Eastern Europe has Khachapuri; Australia has Tiger Toast and Jaffles; South America has Quesadillas and Arepas de Queso; Cuba has Cubanos, and the list could go on and on…

Now completely starving for a grilled cheese sandwich, do I turn to my favorite cookbook? – Grilled Cheese by Marlena Spieler – or do I drive to Shift – Grilled Cheese and Coffee Bar (*Voted Best Grilled Cheese in California)?? Not having enough of the ingredients for the cookbook, I decided to drive to Shift and ponder today’s story over one or two of their cheesy culinary creations.

Americans tend to have an “anything goes” attitude when it comes to grilled cheese sandwiches – The chefs at Shift were no different. I started with their Bay Area Brisket sandwich – Smoked beef brisket, garlic jack, smokey cheddar on grilled sourdough (photo at top), and then worked my way through The M.O.S.T. sandwich – Mushrooms, Onion, Spinach, and Tomato, with Herb Garden Havarti on grilled sourdough.

Thoroughly satisfied, I returned to my desk to write and tell you about three of my very favorite variations on the Grilled Cheese Sandwich:

The Monte Cristo – It is hard to pinpoint where and when this sandwich first originated, but I can tell you that it first appeared in the newspapers in Los Angeles in 1924. It started as a ham and cheese sandwich that was dipped into a beaten egg, then fried in butter until golden brown. While this may be the first mention, the variation of this sandwich only improved with time. In fact Disneyland has had it on the menu since 1967 at its famous Blue Bayou restaurant within the park. Today, September 17th is recognized as National Monte Cristo Sandwich Day across America. Today it is commonly served with Blackberry preserves and dusted with powdered sugar.

Taleggio Panini + White Truffle Oil – Oh, this one makes me miss traveling all the more…I first tried it at Cru, a wine bar in the Dallas, Texas area, but I have since found other variations (like in my Grilled Cheese Cookbook and online) that are delicious. There is something about the earthiness of Truffle Oil, as well as the Taleggio Cheese. This cheese melts beautifully and makes the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. I just wish I had a photo of it! Cru served it with a Tomato Basil soup that was a perfect match up.

Croque Madame Photo courtesy of Jenn S.

Croque Madame Photo courtesy of Jenn S.

Croque Madame–This sandwich starts as a Croque Monsieur(Ham sandwich served on Brioche Bread, then sprinkled with French Emmental, Gruyère, or Comté cheese on top of the bread, then fried, or heated under a broiler until the cheese forms a crust on the outside of the bread. Served hot.) This sandwich’s history can be traced back to Parisian Cafés around 1910.

A Croque Madame takes this sandwich up one level higher by adding a fried egg on top. I have enjoyed several hundred of these in my days, but by far, the best was served at Café des Amis on Union Street in San Francisco.

Sadly, the restaurant has since closed, but thanks to Yelp! (and more importantly, Jenn S. - a Yelp! reviewer) this meal is immortalized thanks to her photo above from 2012.

Happy eating!...and remember, you can always make your sandwich a little better by adding a little (or a lot) of cheese!

Until next time….

Trevor, your Cheese Traveler