From saltwire.com
It's been around since Roman times, but the quintessential favourite grilled cheese is still popular and inspiring new versions
Delicious. Simple. Convenient. Timeless. Affordable.
Imagine sitting at a table inside a time machine made with glass doors. You travel through periods in history, and for every stop, you get a plate in front of you.
First, push the button for the past, you land in ancient Rome era where a traditional dish is brought up.
Next, push the one for the present and return to the modern era, where a gourmet dish appears, inspired by European cooking.
Finally, you push the button for the future, and to your surprise, maybe, you get a dish that doesn’t use any dairy products at all. Cows are not invited to your plate because you got the vegan version.
Every dish? A different version of the humble grilled cheese.
After trying them all, you close your eyes and only one word comes to mind to describe your feeling… comfort.
The concept of melting cheese in between two slices of bread has been popular for decades, but recently has taken on a new twist as individuals create their own unique versions. The grilled cheese sandwich evolved from its origins dating back to ancient Rome, and has gotten updates from the Europeans and Americans.
Some see it as a culinary tradition with mainstream cooking techniques, while others use it as a culinary experimentation to test various recipes incorporating local ingredients. Others cook it to make a statement based on their personal values.
Over time, the grilled cheese sandwich has transformed based on preferences and individuals’ introduction to new ingredients.
Easy and traditional
Brenda Kennedy lives in Waterford, N.B., and only discovered grilled cheese sandwiches as an adult when she started her own family.
“We never had grilled cheese when I was growing up. I guess it was just the habit I got into when my kids were small,” said Kennedy. “It was an easy lunch on Saturdays, so that’s what we always had, most always with tomato soup.”
Her approach to the grilled cheese is very traditional, using butter only, and is more about convenience to feed her family. Like most people, she has her own preferences, and to meet the household’s various tastes, she uses different ingredients to accommodate their favourites as well.
Kennedy also tries to maintain healthy options when making grilled cheese since she could not escape the processed cheese frenzy started with Kraft in the early 1900s.
“I like the sourdough bread with cheddar on it. And my husband prefers multigrain bread with processed cheese slices,” said Kennedy. “I just think it’s healthier than other breads.”
Unlike his wife, David Kennedy grew up with grilled cheese sandwiches and carried on the family recipe when he moved out to live on his own before starting his own family.
“I enjoy the taste of the tomato soup and the sandwich itself. That’s just the way I’ve always made them,” said David. “This would be my favourite lunch meal. It’s not hard to make, and it’s filling.”
Getting creative
Jeremy Thornhill lives in Richmond, P.E.I., and completed three years of culinary school when he was younger. He left his fast-paced community in Ontario to move to the Island about five years ago.
“When I moved to P.E.I, a big component of it was that I have a space on my property for a bed and breakfast,” said Thornhill. “It was in hopes to cook for people, have conversations and hear other people’s stories around food.”
He has been in the entertainment business for over 20 years and currently works in the film and television industry. Thornhill has been trying to leverage his creativity within the cooking area using his culinary expertise and exploring his relationship with food.
“We have access to ingredients that the kings of just even 200 years ago didn’t have access to,” he said. “I feel like that kind of privilege is wasted on buying processed, frozen, ready-made meals.”
Thornhill cultivates and cherishes food from all over the world, allowing him to be creative. He learned how to cook them and how to authentically make food from other cultures.
“I would always dip my grilled cheese in ketchup to add sweetness,” said Thornhill. “Once I grew up and learned how to cook for myself, that basic Kraft sliced grilled cheese went out the window. I just started exploring with different cheeses, flavours and combinations.”
Grilled cheese isn’t just a piece of cheese melted in between bread for him. It’s a place to add fruit, candied nuts or even some crunch with potato chips.
“The biggest comfort grilled cheese I had as a kid was an everything bagel with sliced cheddar and peanut butter. Nowadays, it’s a little bit more elaborate,” said Thornhill.
“One of the favourites I started making in college was a mozzarella-stuffed brioche with a parmesan cheese crust using sauce and fried pepperonis, just like a pizza, but in a grilled cheese format.”
When he was studying to be a chef, Thornhill learned to take 10-cent ingredients and make them gourmet.
“I think for a lot of restaurants, the whole idea is to take cheap ingredients and make somebody pay a lot of money for it because of what you do to it creatively,” he said.
Customized for dietary preferences
Hélène Lebon is a filmmaker originally from France, who has lived in Canada for 20 years now. She has been vegan for about five years.
“It’s been fantastic. I think it allowed me to express my views on life, compassion, politics, but also ecology very deeply,” said Lebon. “I also love food because of the social aspect, and it was always like this idea of food as a good social marker.”
Born and raised in France, cheese had always been a big part of Lebon’s life. When she adopted the vegan route, she decided to quit cheese completely.
In the last three years, she started experimenting with cheese alternatives, allowing her to taste new recipes for grilled cheese.
“I think grilled cheese is a quintessence of what seems opposite, put together, delicious. It’s both crispy and, at the same time, it’s melting in the mouth,” said Lebon.
Her signature recipe is a fancy vegan dish she named the ultimate vegan umami grilled cheese with faux cheese cheddar, pepper jack and Havarti, avocado, fennel fried onions, crispy fried onions, spinach, soya sauce, P.E.I. potato chips, and on top chili oil with black sesame seeds.
Lebon uses margarine or vegan butter on the outside of the bread and sometimes both sides, depending on the ingredients inside. She also uses mayo because it gives more creaminess in the bread crust.
“There is a good vegan mayo where you can add some chipotle hot sauce,” she said. “It can be a nice add-on, as well as pickles.”
Whatever the bread or the cheese used, the key is to remember to eat with pleasure because grilled cheese is an opportunity for experimentation and discovery.
“You can never run out of ideas when you are in front of your pantry and you’re using your creativity when you want to make grilled cheese,” said Lebon. “It’s not necessarily to look for what people know or are used to, but it’s more like finding a balance with the rest of the ingredients that you’re using. This is a good food, good mood plate to make any time.”
No comments:
Post a Comment