A big ol' American cheese hug!
Photograph by Matt Hocking
At the end of yoga class our instructor would guide us through a meditative experience. We slowly climbed down a ladder to a quiet place inside ourselves. Once there we moved to the most comfortable place we could imagine.
I would guide my mind past beaches and gentle breezes, past spring mornings and the warm sun streaming in the window of my bedroom, to my family's home, arriving at the kitchen table on a sunny, spring morning, dew still on the grass outside, windows open, birds chirping. I am sitting at the kitchen island with my Mom and Dad, sipping coffee and talking with no urgency whatsoever about the promise-filled day ahead over an endless breakfast. I would emerge from the vision calm and centered, filled with a purposeful, calm energy.
Comfort foods, indulgences of texture, taste, smell and memory, serve the same purpose: to deepen moments of calm - think a pancake breakfast on a snowday - or to center us in moments of pain, uncertainly or loss. Grilled cheese is as perfect a comfort food as I can imagine: crisp bread giving way to creamy cheese, with rich, sweet butter balancing the pleasant bite of cheddar or Gruyère.
It is adaptable to any moment, from the salving balm of melty Provolone to the cheerful wit of creamy goat cheese paired with peppery arugula. Whether what you need today is a white bread and American cheese hug or some celebratory Gruyère sandwiched between sourdough, brushed with white truffle oil, may you enjoy some comfort. What are your favorite comfort foods? Share below.
Apple, cheddar and chive grilled cheese
Serves 4
Crisp, gooey, rich and comforting, this grilled cheese balances sweet-tart apples, earthy chives, sharp cheddar and butter, toasted bread.
Ingredients:
4 tbs butter
8 thin slices Pugliese Italian-style bread or another country-style bread, about 1/2 loaf
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 sweet-tart apple like Mutsu or Pink Lady, cut in small dice, about 1/2”
1/4 cup chopped chives
Directions:
Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter.
In a medium bowl mix together grated cheese, apple and chives.
With buttered side facing out, spread about 1/2 cup cheese mixture on four slices of bread.
Top each sandwich with another piece of bread, buttered side out.
Cook sandwiches in a 10” skillet over med-low heat, turning once, about 3-4 min per side.
TIP: dicing the apples takes a little more work than slicing them, but whole slices come out in one big piece or squeeze out the side while you try to eat this sandwich. The dice is a better eating experience.
