BS: Grilled cheese sandwich

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Dec 14 - 05:55 AM

Yep, I reckon Jarlsberg Fondue would work.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 17 Dec 14 - 03:49 PM

what I haven't had in many years is fondue... with nice swiss & crusty bread... wonder how Jarlsberg would work?

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Dec 14 - 01:37 PM

Venetian, of course. Apologies.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Dec 14 - 01:35 PM

I tend to go for the 'Harry's Bar' Venitian reciepe:

Ingredients

250g Fontina, or Gruyère, or other melting cheese
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 dried red chilli or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp double cream
Sea salt
12 slices sourdough bread
6 slices prosciutto
Olive oil


▶ Cut the cheese into small dice and put into a bowl in a warm place for 30 minutes. Mix the mustard with the Worcestershire sauce, and add the chilli or cayenne and the egg yolk. Put the cheese into a food processor and add the cream. Pulse-blend for a few seconds, then stir in the mustard mixture. You should have a smooth thick sauce that will spread easily. Season with sea salt.

▶ Trim the crusts off the bread and spread the cheese mixture over one side of each slice. Lay the prosciutto or speck over six slices and cover with the remaining slices, cheese side down. Press sandwiches together firmly and cut each one into three pieces.

▶ Heat a large frying pan. Pour in enough oil to cover the surface. When the oil is smoking, add as many sandwiches as will fit. Fry for about 3–4 minutes, until light brown and crisp, then turn over and fry the other side. Drain on kitchen paper. Repeat until all the sandwiches are cooked.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 17 Dec 14 - 03:30 AM

I use very sharp cheddar,then I add bacon and fried egg! Very tasty.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,#
Date: 16 Dec 14 - 04:54 PM

You are so right, Dan. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: olddude
Date: 16 Dec 14 - 04:43 PM

One word velveeta

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 16 Dec 14 - 06:08 AM

Whilst re-reading this article, I was reminded of this thread:

How to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich

albeit from a British perspective.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 16 Sep 14 - 09:32 AM

my father-in-law (who did not serve in the military) is the only one I ever knew who actually liked chipped beef. :) he could get it at the local diner along with the runniest sunny side up eggs I ever saw. lol

What we all liked was sausage gravy over hash browns or homefries... or toast rather than bisquits.

instead of grilled cheese we ended up finishing the angel hair pasta with thick, tasty sausage & zuchinni, etc. tomato sauce. I guess with enough grated cheese, it came close... LOL

who am I kidding?

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Sep 14 - 05:29 PM

That's right - also chipped beef. My mother's version was tuna. We didn't care for it.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 15 Sep 14 - 01:51 PM

SOS... chipped beef creamed and on toast... navy fare

chicken on a raft - check out the Cyril Tawney song... another navy dish

post Thanksgiving feast... how many ways to re-serve turkey etc. lol

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Sep 14 - 01:39 PM

To move the thread upward again (SOS is a creamed gravy with tuna over a piece of toast, or at least it was when I was a kid) I'd wax nostalgic for a hot open face turkey sandwich. I make it with homemade bread, warm slices of breast (or whatever is available and fits on the bread, leftover from a holiday turkey), topped with a turkey gravy. Looks deceptively bland, but is a magical way to harden one's arteries. First time my children walked in and saw me eating one they made faces and I heard "ewwww!" but I gave each one a bite and they nearly snatched the plate from the table in front of me to gobble down the rest. Now, my son would as soon skip the turkey and cranberry stage and go straight to the open face turkey sandwich at Thanksgiving. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 15 Sep 14 - 08:49 AM

I knew you'd miss it - shit on a shingle, chicken on a raft...

I understand those terms. Can you elucidate exactly what I've missed, please?

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,Rahere
Date: 15 Sep 14 - 08:44 AM

I knew you'd miss it - shit on a shingle, chicken on a raft...

It may be Safeways explains why the US has neither decent beer nor cheese, both need some bugs in the environment.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 15 Sep 14 - 07:21 AM

It's not too cold here yet in Northern England, but when it is..

Mind you, it'll be Heinz rather than Campbell's which Americans seem to prefer.

It'll also be a Welsh Rarebit rather than the grilled cheese sandwich, but the idea is pretty much the same.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: sciencegeek
Date: 15 Sep 14 - 04:16 AM

it's been a cold, wet, breezy weekend... looked at the garden and the chives are doing well...

dinner tonight... grilled cheese & tomato soup with a sprinkling of chives... that should do the trick!

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 03:46 PM

mg, glad you were about to find a work-around to enjoy one of life's little pleasures... :)

btw... been listening to Bob Webb's Band Troller CD driving in to work. he did such a great job on Bank Troller and the rest... when I listen I can just picture him singing once more...

and I listen without only a few tears... good idea when driving...

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 03:39 PM

thanks..i had my usual no carb stir fry..should say no starch..but the sandwich was great.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 02:56 PM

so mg... have a small hamburger waiting in case you need it... :)

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Ed T
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 02:52 PM

Anyone here made a GCS variation out of those triangular buns at Costco? I may try, as they seem to have potential, with texture and even with shape:)

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 02:32 PM

you know..I don't eat bread usually but I think I will take a piece of great white bread we have in the ref at work and some tillamook pepper jack and some darigold butter and make half a one. just for the sake of scholarship. tillamook cheese is really great. i prefer it to couger gold...and their ice cream is the best chocolate i think.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,Claire M
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 02:20 PM

Hiya! Love that pouring cheese. I'd rather have a cheese toastie than a normal cheese sandwich. find lots of sandwiches too dry but could quite happily live on cheese toasties; maybe w/ some dried onions. & I'd hope there weren't those horrible white bits on the ham.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 01:09 PM

I get good results by wrapping cheese in waxed paper and keeping the wrapped block in a quart-size plastic bag. Sometimes a little mold forms, but it's easy to cut off.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 04 Sep 14 - 08:57 AM

while I enjoy a nice slice of ripe tomato - beefsteak variety is preferable- the true joy of a grilled cheese sandwich is that the cheese completely melts while the bread has a crispy crunch but is still soft and chewy so that each bite is a complex blend of flavor and texture.

The tomato soup rounds out the experience by being smooth with a blend of sweetness and acidity so that you are torn between alternating from sandwich to soup, or just go whole hog and dunk your sandwich into the soup... LOL

yup... probably as close as I will ever come to a religious experience :D

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Janie
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 09:32 PM

I ain't gonna let any of this technical talk get in the way of my enjoyment of a grilled cheese sandwich.

What to my wondering eyes should appear, in today's paper, is news that a grilled cheese and tomato soup chain will be coming to the local fair city of Carrboro. Specific location as yet undisclosed. Tom+Chee, out of Cincinnati, Ohio. What will be next? White Tower Burger joints? Cincinnati based 1-5 way Chili joints?

Southern Culture on the Skids?

Are we being haunted by Spaw?

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Ed T
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 09:09 PM

"Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese." 
― G.K. Chesterton

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 08:53 PM

What I did was use the can to store the Cougar Gold cheese - I removed it from the can, put in a layer of plastic wrap, then put the cheese back in the can. As it happens there is a standard sized Tupperware bowl lid that perfectly fits onto the can, so I used that in the fridge with the plastic extended beyond that upper rim.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 07:39 PM

From the Washington State University website- FAQ
"In the 1930s the Creamery became interested in different ways to store cheese. Cans seemed the best option as plastic packaging materials had not been invented and wax packaging sometimes cracked., leading to contamination.
Cougar cheeses should be stored under refrigeration....may be transported at temperatures under 70F and should be refrigerated upon arrival.
Once opened do NOT store the cheese in the can as the opened lip will rust and/or a black film will develop....
Remove cheese from the can and store in an airtight container. ...recommend cutting into smaller pieces and individually wrapping in plastic wrap.
...freezing endangers the quality. ....left out of refrigeration too long....most likely there will be a change in the texture of the cheese and moisture (whey) may be forced out of the cheese.

As long as the cheese is unopened and refrigerated it will last indefinitely. An unopened can of cheese becomes more flavorful, sharp, dry and crumbly with age.
Smoked cheese will become bitter....
"We know of customers who have stored their Cougar Gold for over 30 years."

http://creamery.wsu.edu/cougar-cheese/faqs/
(A lot more there.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Ed T
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 06:51 PM

An answer on tge eggs, not culture, salmonella on washed eggs from large egg producers.

on keeping eggs cool 

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Jeri
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 06:16 PM

True story (which I probably already told somewhere): I did food inspection for the Air Force. Eggs had to be below 60° when delivered. For a while, we got in eggs that were above 60°, and had no choice but to reject the shipments. Checking the time the USDA inspector had inspected them, it was obvious the eggs were so fresh, they hadn't had time to chill. Eventually, we got this worked out, but there was a bit of "sheesh, this is stupid" involved for a little while.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Ed T
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 06:15 PM

Ed, if your anchivies do not say they should be refridgerated, I suspect they must be heat retorted. If they werent, and are not very high in brine content, I suspect they could present a potentially serious health issue.

Food safety folks even require salt cod must be refridgerated in super markets where I live. Years ago this product could be stored in the direct heat.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Ed T
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 06:08 PM

I suspect with eggs it may be a shelf life/quality issue, not food safety?
Many eggs come from huge factory farms in NA, and there could be related issues.
They are rarely refridgerated in farmers markets, with a small scale source.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 06:06 PM

I would think refrigerated eggs stay usable longer.

All of this talk of eggs and anchovies and cheese sandwiches - I'm getting hungry.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Jeri
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 05:45 PM

Sometimes, refrigeration is to keep bacteria in high-protein, raw foods from growing to hazardous levels. Sometimes, it's so foods last longer. I don't know what it is with the particular cheese, but you can normally store hard and partially hard cheese at room temp, and what eventually happens is it gets hairy, can break down and oxidize (which is what causes rancidity). Soft cheese can be dangerous. If the shells aren't cracked, eggs just last longer when refrigerated.

Anchovy Jello definitely sounds weird.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: olddude
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 05:02 PM

Anchovies are next to jello yikes ya have em

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 04:57 PM

Although the eggs are not refrigerated in the shop, the boxes often have instructions telling you to keep them in the fridge. Why would they be OK in the shop and not in my kitchen?
Well the fact is they are perfectly OK in my kitchen. I never put them in the fridge.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 04:47 PM

Thanks for that link regarding canned anchovies, Ed T.

I'm not sure if the anchovies we buy here in the UK are 'retorted' or not. What I do know is that the fillets keep their shape and don't turn to mush.

They are never kept in the 'cooler section of supermarkets', just on normal shelves.

I have a can in my cupboard that I've probably had for a year. Just had a look at it, and it doesn't suggest refrigeration on the tin, just 'keep in a dry place' It has an expiry date of Jan 2015 and I'm sure it will be fine.

I'm not sure but along with food safety, I wonder if there is some cultural thing going on here? My understanding is that in America eggs are always refrigerated in supermarkets? They never are here in England, yet we don't get food poisoning...

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Ed T
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 04:12 PM

Much like this Cheese, most canned anchovies are not retorted, and, thus, must be storedc chilled.
Canned anchovies are not retorted 

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Ed T
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 04:07 PM

couger gold 

the cheese in question-the tins seem to be a preservation method.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: olddude
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 04:03 PM

I am off to Wisconsin in a month or so. Now their cheddar oh yes heaven

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: gnu
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 03:58 PM

SRS... "I can't imagine that there is processing in the traditional "canned" sense or the cheese would melt to a disgusting goo (Cheez Whiz?"

My first thought too.

Cheeses... edam up!

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 03:57 PM

Chemical change! It goes on constantly, but cold slows it down. It goes on in sealed as well as open conditions.

See your organic chem textbook.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 03:44 PM

Ed, perhaps you need a Secret Santa this year who will ship you a cheese. In cold weather it should be okay for a while in transit. I'm not sure how one would describe the difference, cheese in a can vs canned cheese. I can't imagine that there is processing in the traditional "canned" sense or the cheese would melt to a disgusting goo (Cheez Whiz?) And clearly shipping in hot weather isn't good for it.

The food timeline is amazing. I'll spend a lot of time reading through that.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Ed T
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 03:07 PM

""One thing that I don't understand though is why a canned product has to be chilled? Surely the whole point of the sterilized and airtight environment of a can is in order to negate that need?""

Likely to prevent the growth of botulism. Unless a product is retorted (steam heated to kill all bacteria), there is a possibly of anaerobic bacterial growth. Fortunately, few products and surfaces, in food preparation, are certified sterile from a food preservation perspective.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 02:34 PM

There are places in the U. S. that ship cheese chilled during warm weather.

Chilling, regardless of seals, delays chemical change.
I always keep Edam (balls with the red seal) in the fridge (and any other cheese, regardless of seal).

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 02:12 PM

Thanks for the the clarification regarding Cougar Gold and canning, Q and SRS.

One thing that I don't understand though is why a canned product has to be chilled? Surely the whole point of the sterilized and airtight environment of a can is in order to negate that need?

I'm curious about the cheese and would love to try it. A quick search suggests that it isn't exported though :-(

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 01:51 PM

ED, that timeline mentions its use by Navy Cooks. The Army also served them in WW2 dining halls, but usually without the butter coating. I remember them well.
Also I remember "shit on a shingle," toast with a coating of various kinds, usu. Spam-like flakes in a gravy-like, sometimes cheesey mixture.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Ed T
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 01:40 PM

Oops, I was wrong, here is timeline information on a grilled cheese sandwich.

grilled cheese timeline 

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Ed T
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 01:35 PM

Food timeline 

I dont see much about cheese in this food timeline site. But, I will share it in case anyone has a food history interest.

Subject: RE: BS: Grilled cheese sandwich
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 01:33 PM

I've had several varieties of the Cougar Gold, and they are all excellent. Yes, I found the can itself a bit off-putting at first - but once you open it and get a taste of that sharp cheddar, you'll be hooked. Last time I checked a #3 can is about $18. $6 a pound for good cheese isn't a bad price. Order it in cool weather or they'll pack it with stuff for cold shipping.

SRS