Sunday, March 15, 2009

Grilled Cheese Not Quite So "Top Chef" style


The great cheese off has came & went. Last night Justin & I battled it out in a hardcore grilled cheese throwdown......ok not really hardcore, just fun. We had been discussing this contest for quite some time. From the get go I knew I wanted to do something with a gouda style goat cheese. I don't know why other than the fact that I LOVE gouda goat. I was considering a second grilled cheese, something sweet rather than savory. However, I just couldn't come up with anything at the market. So, I picked up some Mahon cheese from Spain to complement the gouda. I grabbed an avocado as well. The unctuous texture of the avocado, I speculated, would work well with the cheese. Earlier in the day I caramelized some onions in hopes that they would add some sweetness & depth the sandwich.

Upon arriving at his home, I discovered that Justin had similar ideas. He had caramelized onions as well, but added extra punch with sage & rosemary. Hmmmm....this was going to be a tough one. As we unpacked our goodies, Amy poured both Kelly & I a glass of wine. Justin & I both got to work grating cheese, I sliced up my avocado & bread. I chose a roasted garlic boule & Justin decided on a large French bread. We both layered our fresh breads with the goodies & got to griddling. After they were significantly golden brown we sliced them up & served them to our significant others, & ourselves of course.

I gotta tell you, it was tough going up against Justin. No matter how fun it was, & it WAS super fun, part of me did really want to win. But I had to give it up to Justin. His grilled cheese was packed with flavor, his caramelized onions packed some serious richness & sweetness. They added so much. But the biggest factor was the all important "gooey" factor. It is paramount that a grilled cheese has serious goo. My grilled cheese, while delicious, just wasn't gooey enough. Oh well! This "cheese" off was too much fun.

3 comments:

Samantha Dugan said...

Okay, I'll bite...what kind of cheese did Justin use and what did you all drink?

Michael Hughes said...

In the whirlwind prepping time, I overlooked what white Amy poured for me. I just needed wine, you know?? So the white, not sure. I brought a bottle of the Charles Smith Boom Boom Syrah 2007 from Washington State. So, so, so GOOD!! Oh my goodness, ripe blueberry, a hit of smoke, some gaminess & a rich but not overwhelming texture. Outstanding for $17. Justin went classic & used gruyere, hence the gooey yumminess. I think next we are going to battle it out over pasta dishes.

Samantha Dugan said...

Can't beat the classics! Wonder how something with a little sparkle would have gone? Although the sweetness of the onion may have sucked some of the fruit from a sparkler...still think white would have been really good as well.