The Grilled Cheese Sandwich Revolution

The Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Soup Revolution

National Grilled Cheese Day was met with wild enthusiasm across nation. Too often I dourly write about our troubling times (more so than I like). This is a significantly hopeful turn of events.

The grilled cheese sandwich tells us our troubling times are not necessarily so dour. We can still take a humble sandwich and in an outpouring of human exuberance raise it to on object of celebration. (I do believe mankind’s job is to find the extraordinary in the ordinary and to joyfully celebrate it. Think of taking the time, and we all do now and then, to watch an everyday sunrise unfold. Taking the time to enjoy a masterly crafted grilled cheese sandwich is in the same higher order of things.)

Here’s a sample of cheese sandwich enthusiasm:

ABC News tracked down the best grilled cheese sandwich in New York City. It’s from the Malt Shop and make with aged cheddar, a blended Wisconsin cheese spread, bacon and cranberry chutney.[Link]

In San Francisco nearly a dozen food trucks converged at a local park, each serving up their version of the grilled cheese sandwich, and created something of grilled cheese festival. Here is a sample of grilled cheese that will be offered. The Fish Tank truck will offer a sandwich of smoked salmon and watercress brie on sourdough. El Calamar’s features Peruvian pepper jack with tomatoes and jalapenos. And Adam’s Grub Truck will be servings what is described as an “Insane Cheese Lover’s Grilled Cheese sandwich: Triple Decker grilled cheese with a plethora of oozing pepper jack/muenster/Havarti cheese smothered in our own blend of Cheez Whiz…definitely not for the lactose intolerant .”  [Link]

The LA Times posted 12 grilled cheese recipes on its web page to honor the month. The Huffington post featured 26. [Link] & [Link]

This unfolding praise for the serendipity of grilled cheese sandwiches is from New York, Los Angelis and San Francisco and celebrated by the likes ABC News, the LA Times and the Huffington Post. That’s hopeful. These are the very places and very publications where progressive, activist government intervention is favored. Increasingly, public health policies are being advanced to address obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. And increasingly, restaurant and cafeteria menus are becoming objects of regulatory focus.

The Grilled Cheese Sandwich Revolution

I think we are witnessing a grilled cheese sandwich revolution. Grilled cheese lovers, and they are apparently legion, are drawing a line on excessive regulatory intervention.

I mean how could Mayor Bloomberg, who has trouble tolerating super-sized sodas, tolerate a “Triple Decker grilled cheese with a plethora of oozing pepper jack/muenster/Havarti cheese smothered in our own blend of Cheez Whiz”?  Yet, his political kindred spirits in San Francisco held an almost pagan celebration of such culinary delights.

While that went on, the State of California is considering legislation that would all  but do way with Adam’s Grub Truck and his delicious three decker cheese oozing sandwiches. They have proposed to outlaw the Garden of Eden, or rather the little patches that still remain – like Adam’s Grub Truck where nearly every menu item features bacon, cheese or both. [Link]

 

“This bill, known as the Public Health Epidemic Protection Act of 2013, would require department to require the manufacturer of a contributing product, as defined, to create, for approval of the department, a public health impact report (PHIR) containing specified information, including a list of adverse public health impacts and a mitigation plan for those impacts. The bill would authorize the department to enforce the PHIR and would authorize the department to restrict or suspend sales of the product in the state if the PHIR is insufficient or if the manufacturer is not complying with the terms of the PHIR. The bill would authorize the department to charge the manufacturer of the product for the reasonable costs of reviewing, approving, and enforcing the PHIR requirements.”

Sec. 1(c) states:

“California and its residents face a growing burden of largely preventable chronic illness, including heart disease, stroke, obesity, and diabetes.”

Sec. 1(f) goes on to declare:

“It is the intent of the Legislature to regulate products sold in the state for consumer consumption that pose significant public health risks and mitigate their use in order to prevent chronic illness and improve public health.” 

[DraftLegislation via “Legislative Heads Up” Link]

The bill authorizes California’s department of public health to regulate all food products that contribute to obesity, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. The reach of that authority extends to individual menu items. It would not specifically ban a triple decker grilled cheese sandwich. Instead it would impose an onerous regulatory burden on the likes of Adam’s Grub Truck that would likely result in triple decker cheese sandwiches in simply being pulled from the menu.

I’m pretty sure Californian’s enthusiastic participation in the National Grilled Cheese Day demonstrated there is less than overwhelming support for The Public Health Epidemic Protection Act. Could it be that even in the bluest of blue states we’ve grown weary of regulatory overreach – one can only be hopeful.

Retreating to the Grilled Cheese Underground

However, should my hopes be misplaced and grilled cheese sandwiches are banned from menus in California and across the land, here is a good one to make at home. (And there are many others. Let your spirit soar.) And with it I’ll give you a take on tomato soup.

The Half Baked Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Oven Ready

This sandwich draws upon an open faced “grilled” cheese sandwich my mother made and quite often served with Campbell’s tomato soup. Her sandwich consisted of a slice of bread grilled in butter on both sides, than layered with bacon, tomato slices and Colby or cheddar cheese. It was finished under the broiler until the cheese melted. Colby cheese provides a gooey melt. A sharp cheddar has a wonderful tang. Use either. For each sandwich you will need.

3 Strips of fried bacon.

2 or Three ¼ inch slices of cheese (enough to cover).

2 Tomato slices, the riper the better.

2 Teaspoons minced garlic.

2 Tablespoons butter.

½ Loaf of mini, submarine style French bread slice in half length wise.

Spread each slice of bread with a teaspoon of minced garlic. Melt the butter in a frying over a medium high burner. When the butter begins to bubble grill the bread pressing it firmly in the butter until it’s gently browned. Layer the bacon, tomato slices and cheese on bottom slice of grilled bread. Bake the sandwich open faced and the top slice of bread in a 300^o oven until the cheese is nicely melted. Press the top on the melted cheese and serve.

Improved Tomato Soup

This is a vast improvement over condensed canned tomato soup and is just as easy to make. For four 8 ounce serving you will need.

1 Can of premium diced tomatoes preferably packed in tomato sauce.

2 Cups of chicken broth.

½ Cup of cream.

1 Teaspoon dried basil.

½ Teaspoon garlic powder.

½ Teaspoon onion powder.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Tomato paste (optional).

Combine all ingredients except the cream in a two quart pot, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and thicken the soup if desired with tomato paste and then simmer for 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning add cream and serve.