I am from Philadelphia, and when I meet someone who isn’t from
Philadelphia they always say “Oh! You are from Philadelphia. You must
love cheese steaks,” because this is the only thing people know about
Philadelphia.
Cheese steaks are embedded into the national imagination as “Philly
food,” or “Philly phood” (mad men dreaming up ad campaigns for local
Philadelphia business or sports teams love to replace “f” with “ph”
whenever possible). Philadelphians bear this and other burdens
patiently, but at a certain point, even the most sanguine lose their
cool. How many times have I weathered cheese steak-related questions
with the same bottled response, which is: the secret to a great cheese
steak is the bread, and the secret to the bread is the water, and the
water has to be Philadelphia water because otherwise it doesn’t taste
quite right.
Sandwiches
The Perfect Sandwich
Two Ways of Looking at a Sandwich
Since I photograph at least 50% of what I cook and bake, just in case I might someday wish to write about it and preserve an ephemeral cupcake or casserole for posterity, my camera is always where I can easily find it. Today, however, my camera was at a Minor League baseball game with Sam, after a prolonged series of “pleaspleasepleasei’llbe caaaaaaaaareful!” attacks wore me out. It didn’t occur to me until after we had eaten what I considered to be an interesting lunch that I could have photographed it using my phone – I just scrapped the whole project when I remembered that my camera was on walkabout among a herd of sugar-addled sixth graders.
I had made really good sandwiches based on things lying around the house: leftover whole grain buns, two different kinds of cheese with hot peppers, pulled pork with barbecue sauce, an abandoned avocado…stuff like that. Mr. Annie got two giant sandwiches piled high with pork, Cabot Habanero Cheddar and avocado, and I made myself a more modest vegetarian model with no pork and a healthy pile of spicy alfalfa sprouts. Alas, these gems of thrifty husbandry were doomed to slip away (literally and figuratively), unmarked.
A Breakfast Recipe
My mother stayed with us during her recent visit from back east. She emerged early each day from the back bedroom in need of coffee. In the kitchen she would find me up to my elbows in three-grain biscuit dough or in the midst of mixing a large oven baked pancake, or perhaps dropping oatmeal scones onto a cookie sheet. I was always in the midst of something made from scratch, time consuming and terrifically messy.
A ritual that was met with a quizzical look and her quiet reproach, as if I couldn’t hear her say, “Nu? Whats wrong with frozen waffles?” My childhood breakfasts came straight out of a box from the freezer in the cold mid-western kitchen where I grew up. My mother taught in downtown Detroit, and early morning school days were mostly about getting up and getting out. Yet, somewhere in between the up and out part, I remember a breakfast ritual that my mother and I shared, just her and I, before she left for work.
Best Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich
Lunches for me have been a mixed bag of sorts, I'm never sure what to eat, and I'm not always satisfied with what I get. But the sandwich shop near my workplace always seems to have the right sandwich for me. It's my standby.
'Wichcraft, pretty much a chain restaurant in New York City, in my opinion, has the best pressed sandwiches, among them the grilled Gruyère and caramelized onions. It is just mouthwateringly good with its oozy cheese and sweet caramelized onions. Whenever I need a comfort food fix, I always seem to gravitate toward this sandwich. It's simple and it always hits the spot. I've decided to come up with my own personalized version.
My version of this popular sandwich includes ham, for extra flavor. I use a panini press to make the sandwich, but you can also use a regular skillet, and just simply weight the sandwich with a foil-wrapped brick between flips. The caramelized onions can be prepared a day in advance, making this lunch come together even faster. Use either Gruyère or Emmental cheese for the best results in both flavor and texture.
One for the Table's Grilled Cheese Recipe Contest Winners
We’re very happy to announce the WINNERS of One for the Table's first-ever BEST GRILLED CHEESE RECIPE CONTEST. We know we're a bit late with the results, but there were so many great recipes it was hard to choose the winners. In fact, we got so excited about the entries that we added a fourth prize for Best Written. Thanks to everyone who contributed. And a giant thank you to our amazing sponsor Grill on! FIRST PLACE: MACKENZIE SMITH Grilled Mozzerella and Sopressata with Basil Honey & Red Pepper Flake Butter Sandwich - 1 tablespoon of basil infused honey Combine 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes with one tablespoon of real salted butter, MIX. Coat one side of the bread in basil-honey, add layer using half of the mozz, add sopressata, rest of the mozz and coat one side of the remaining slice of bread with basil honey lay on top of sandwich. Coat both of the outsider sides of bread in red pepper flake butter and grill on medium-low for a few minutes until crispy, golden, and melted. Allow to sit for a minute and serve! |
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