grilled cheese

DISH: Grilled Cheddar Sandwich with Pears and Pecans
TYPE: Weekday Lunch
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Homemade Bread, Cheese, Pears

I adore grilled cheese by whatever name: quesadilla, panini, pizza (ok, maybe that last one’s a stretch). It is practically in my blood, at least the blood from my mother’s side. My father’s side almost universally detests cheese. But my maternal grandparents, as I understand it, when they went to Paris for the first time fell in love with Croque Monsieurs. They ordered them at a bistro for lunch and were blown away. At all the Parisian meals that followed that …

HEALTHY-ISH NAUGHTINESS: Grilled Mushroom-Cheddar Melts; Spinach Hash Browns or Sweet Potato Fries; Carrot Cake

I love a good grilled cheese. But sometimes it just feels right to introduce a vegetable to the mix, even if that vegetable is sauteed in butter. This seems to be my rationale come summertime (otherwise known as bikini season). To help this sandwich trim down even further, I decided to grill instead of fry it. Getting a nice charred cross-hatch on hearty country bread really does a summer sandwich good.

I made these mushroom melts for a picnic lunch in Central …

WEEKEND BRUNCH MENU (FOR TWO): Turkey Pepperjack Melts; Sweet Potato Fries; Cilantro Slaw; Pickles

I love a good turkey sandwich. But for some reason, I’m not really the type of person who keeps regular old sandwich bread around. In New York, that’s easy enough to remedy. When I get the craving, I’ll often just make a pit stop at my corner deli and either order their version of my go-to turkey club, or, in this case, if I have some random sandwich fixings already, I’ll ask them to just sell me two pieces of whole wheat sandwich bread …

WEEKNIGHT DINNER MENU: Arugula Caprese; Brown Sugar Shortbread

Ever since my Food52 victory with this Prosciutto & Fontina Panini, I have been on a sandwich kick, trying any and all variations of cured meat with rich melty cheese and an appropriate condiment. For November Mag Club, I decided to forsake the meat all together and, instead, allow this pungent sundried tomato pesto to take center stage (much to Cara’s delight–she’s obsessive about sundried tomatoes). The mozzarella is mild so as not to detract from the sauce, and the arugula lends just the right amount of freshness to an otherwise …

DISH: The Perfect Grilled Cheese
TYPE: Soul Satisfying
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Bread, Cheese, Butter

I have this really clear memory—though it may be an invention—that Jennie, our chef friend of Bolognese fame, once dictated instructions for making the best grilled cheese sandwiches. I think it was after she’d spent some time working in restaurant kitchens, and so she already understood the power of butter, and how delicious it makes everything it touches. Anyway, as per Jennie’s instructions, you were meant to butter BOTH sides of the bread before slowly browning the toast and melting the cheese in the middle.

But …

EVENT: Coworkers (sort of) over for dinner
VENUE: Phoebe’s Apartment, Flatiron
PARTY SIZE: 5
TYPE: Casual Weeknight Dinner
MENU: Roasted Tomato Soup with Crispy Pancetta; Pesto Grilled Cheese; Bistro Salad

Part of being a big girl in New York is coming to terms with the fact that your time (and life, by extension) is not your own. Second is learning how to manage your budget so the meager time spent out of the office can be enjoyed to the fullest without breaking the bank. In my case, this meant the weekday soup diet.

When I first started my job, I …