I have been utterly remiss. I've been blogging for a a year and I've yet to expound upon the merits of some of my favorite foods, namely bread and cheese. I love freshly baked bread, especially with a bit of a crispy crust, and I'm a big fan of the major cheeses (as long as they're not too old and smelly. I'm also a lifelong cottage cheese nut, but that deserves it's own blog). Put them together, add a little butter (mmm...the smell of cooking butter) and a wonderful creation emerges in the kitchen. (I make my toasties in the kitchen, but I suppose if you're desperate you can make one in the living room with an iron, in the den with a fireplace, or in the library with a flame thrower. Versatility is one of the beauties of this simple, delicious meal).
Americans choose to call this magnificent marvel a "grilled cheese sandwich", which takes all the romance out of it. I much prefer the Dutch "toastie" which sound cozy and warm, with a hint of fun. I had a little teddy bear named "Toasty" once (he came with a name tag, that's how I know). He wore a little red and white scarf and looked like he would have enjoyed a cheesy delight if his mouth hadn't been sewn on. It wouldn't have been cannibalism because he was a bear, not a sandwich. Anyway, Toasty is long gone (he was a gift from a John Deere boy in 3rd grade, so still having him would be weird), but I can make a comforting toastie anytime (unless I run out of cheese, which would be a major catastrophe).
I have this device called a George Forman grill (a gift from my in-laws, so it's not weird to still have it), named after a boxer who needed to make money doing something else. I don't know why his name sells grills, but apparently it does. All his kids are named George, though, so maybe he has a strange compulsion to put his name on everything that crosses his path. I don't call the apparatus "George", though. I just call it the grill. It cooks meat well, but only makes second-rate toasties because it's too hard to put butter on. Give me a frying pan anyday.
I don't name my frying pans, either. Should I? I used to name my cacti, but I've grown out of that. Or maybe I've become cold-hearted. I did give Toasty away, after all. But I never gave John Deere Texas the time of day, either, so I've been cold-hearted all my life.
Nothing heats up a cold heart like a warm toastie.
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2 comments:
You might add that "grilled cheese" is not, strictly speaking, an accurate description of the sandwich, as it is not grilled, but fried. "Toasty" works slightly better. I suppose that frying a piece of bread in butter does toast the bread. The most accurate name would be a fried cheese sandwich.
The French have a version called the "Croque Monsieur" that is similar to your toasty except that it has mounds of ham. A "Croque Madame" goes a bit farther with a fried egg on top. Obviously, one generally eats the latter with a knife and fork.
As for your comment about the flamethrower: such a method would be problematic. Flamethrowers are designed to give short, hot bursts of flames, and not the sustained low-intensity heat one might find on a gas range, the kind needed for the perfect toasty (or Croque Monsieur, etc.). I should know about this.
Regards,
Dr. Slojak-Pittman
Professor Emeritus of Ethno-Culinary Studies and Military Technology
University of Ghent
I share in your love of the toasty! (Although I've never heard it called that... at first I thought you were lovin' on the thick socks that have the tread on the bottom that people love to give on Christmas). You're right, "toasty" is a much better name. All hail toasty!
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