Grilled Cheese Please!

50 Scrumptiously Cheesy Recipes

by Laura Werlin

Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9781449401658
ISBN-10: 1449401651
Size: 6 x 7 3/8 in.
Page Count: 184 pages

“The oozy-goozy richness of warm cheese melted between two pieces of buttery toast is a combination that is hard to resist. Grilled cheese sandwiches can be an unstoppable addiction. They are comfort food that takes me back to lunchtime in my childhood home. Treats that make me smile. Especially grown-up versions, such as those created by cheese expert-cookbook author Laura Werlin. Her latest book, “Grilled Cheese, Please!“, offers contemporary approaches to the classic bread-and-cheese indulgence.” ––The Orange Country Register http://bit.ly/iSMsNZ

“Ms. Werlin, a respected cheese expert (may I say whiz?), has authored several other books, including the Beard Award-winning “The New American Cheese.” In “Grilled Cheese, Please!” she classifies cheeses by easy-to-find melters and those that are slightly more exotic, melters that don’t become stretchy, nonmelting but nutty (sometimes mixed with butter for the outside of the sandwich), and unique American artisan melting cheeses. She combines cheeses from different categories to get just the flavor she wants, such as non-stretchy blue and brie with easy melting mozzarella. (That combination also includes sliced pears.)” ––Central Jersey.com http://bit.ly/kg3yQc

“This book is full of good ideas, starting with her time-tested tips on making the best grilled cheeses, such as always grate the cheese.” ––The Star Press http://bit.ly/jsiYlJ

“If anyone had asked me if I needed a cookbook about grilled cheese, there’s no question I would have said no. Good thing no one ever asked, because Werlin’s book is as fun as it is informative. … Clearly Grilled Cheese, Please! would make a marvelous gift. (Is it too soon to mention Father’s Day?) But buy two. You’ll want to keep one on hand for yourself. There is, among others, a chocolate chip grilled cheese recipe you really don’t want to miss.” ––Al Dente http://bit.ly/ii6tuW

“Given the pain au fromage’s popularity, Werlin has just published Grilled Cheese, Please!, a followup to her Great Grilled Cheese book of 2004. The sequel was required, she says, because, “grilled cheese has grown up since that book was published.” ––The Times Colonist http://bit.ly/lNrHPN

“Think your taste buds have outgrown the grilled cheese sandwich? Think again. This childhood favorite has evolved into something quite sophisticated. Cheese expert and James Beard award-winner Laura Werlin recently released her second book dedicated to the ultimate comfort food sandwich. Grilled Cheese, Please! 50 Scrumptiously Cheesy Recipes takes this classic sandwich to new culinary heights. ” ––Syracuse News Times http://bit.ly/eVwwSa

“This book is full of good ideas, starting with her time-tested tips on making the best grilled cheeses, such as always grate the cheese. … From Pizza Grilled Cheese to Spring Pea Pesto and Fontina and Alpine Grilled Cheese with Pickled Shallots and Watercress, these aren’t processed-cheese-slices-on-Wonder bread creations. Though she does give a recipe for the “Ultimate Childhood Flashback” made with American cheese, mayonnaise, dill pickles and potato chips. There’s sure to be something that appeals to you, and just in time so you can properly celebrate April, which is, of course, National Grilled Cheese Month.” ––Pittsburgh Post-Gazette http://bit.ly/hLxdgJ

“Grilled cheese is one comfort food that almost everyone loves, and it’s truly the definition of perfection: crunchy, toasty bread with a gooey, yummy center and a soothing warmth that stays with you long after you’ve finished the sandwich. But sometimes you’d like a little variety, right? That’s when you need the creativity found in Grilled Cheese, Please! 50 Scrumptiously Cheesy Recipes by Laura Werlin. This new, compact hardbound book from a leading cheese maven and award-winning author will keep you and your family in melted-cheese heaven.” ––Star Telegram http://bit.ly/fVQxSQ

“”Toasty, nutty and fantabulously crunchy, with plenty of oozing cheese” is how Laura Werlin describes the perfect sandwich. Werlin has written five books on cheese, starting with The New American Cheese, and including not one but two books on grilled cheese (the latest is Grilled Cheese, Please!). … They’re the kind of recipes any cheese fanatic might dream about.” ––Food & Wine http://bit.ly/g31Srw

“Grilled Cheese, Please!: 50 Scrumptiously Cheesy Recipes is author Laura Werlin’s fifth book on cheese! Delightfully presented, her cookbook on grilled cheese sandwiches in all forms is an inspirational take on an old favorite. … From Meat and Cheese to Around the World, cheese is comfort food, healthy food and offers what seems, an endless variety of choices, textures and flavors. Thick, glossy pages and pictures of her creations will make your mouth water within a few pages.” ––Portland Book Review http://bit.ly/i1oBn4

“James Beard award winning author and cheese expert Laura Werlin, has complied a cookbook that puts a new spin on an old classic. The fifty recipes that she has included in her latest work, Grilled Cheese, Please, are not only great dishes in their own right, but, in fact, childhood memories in the making for a whole new generation.” ––The Cookbook Man http://bit.ly/fPISQO

“The only thing more satisfying that an oozing, melty grilled cheese sandwich is, of course, more grilled cheese sandwiches. San Francisco food writer and James Beard award-winner Laura Werlin knows that best of all. Her newest cookbook, “Grilled Cheese, Please! 50 Scrumptiously Cheesy Recipes“, delivers on that gooey promise with every possible permutation of the toasty bread and melty muenster, manchego and mozzarella genre.” ––Mercury News http://bit.ly/hvdarx

“Grilled cheese sandwiches are kicked up several culinary notches in a new cookbook by Laura Werlin, a nationally renowned cheese expert and author of a previous collection, “Great Grilled Cheese.” The fifty recipes featured in her latest cookbook run the full spectrum, from the classic basic grilled cheese sandwich to the more exotic Mozzarella with Crispy Prosciutto and Broccoli Rabe. … This is an excellent collection. If you are a cheese lover, you should get a copy of this delectable book and dive head first into its wonderful oooey, gooey, cheesy recipes.” ––Tucson Citizen http://bit.ly/hT3ElH

Broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, is a bitter green often used in Italian cooking. When nestled in the folds of the gooey mozzarella, the greens along with the crispy prosciutto create a sandwich almost as soulful as
Italy itself.

8 thin slices prosciutto (about 4 ounces)
¼ cup olive oil
12 ounces broccoli rabe (about 1 bunch), tough stems removed and coarsely chopped (or use Swiss chard or Tuscan kale)
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
¹⁄8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
¹⁄8 teaspoon salt
8 sandwich-size slices Italian bread (or use pain au levain or sourdough)
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, drained and sliced if water-packed; otherwise coarsely grated

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and line a plate with paper towels. Add the prosciutto slices to the skillet (you may need to do this in batches) and cook until browned and crisp, about 2 minutes on each side.

Transfer to the paper towels to drain. The prosciutto will become crisper as it cools.

Add enough oil to make 2 tablespoons fat in the pan. Heat over medium high heat for 1 minute. Add the broccoli rabe. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, tender, and bright green yet caramelized around a few of the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. (Add water to the pan if it seems dry.) Add the lemon 24 juice, red pepper flakes, and salt and toss to coat. Transfer the broccoli rabe to a plate. Wipe out the skillet but don’t wash it.

To assemble: Brush the remaining oil on one side of each slice of bread. Place 4 slices of bread, oil side down, on your work surface. Distribute the broccoli rabe and follow with the prosciutto. Pile the cheese on top, compressing it with your hand if necessary, and top with the remaining bread slices, oil side up.

For stovetop method: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Put the sandwiches into the pan, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the undersides are golden brown. Turn the sandwiches, pressing each one firmly with a spatula to flatten slightly. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the undersides are well browned. Remove the cover, turn the sandwiches once more, and press firmly with the spatula once again. Cook for 1 minute, or until the cheese has melted completely.

Remove from the pan and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut in half and serve.

For sandwich maker method: Preheat the sandwich maker. Follow directions for assembly above. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Makes 4 sandwiches

In this recipe, tortilla chips are on the outside of the bread to give the sandwich its corn-like flavor and to give you the ability to enjoy all the flavors—guacamole, bacon, cheeses, and corn chips—all at once.

8 slices bacon
8 large tortilla chips (about 2 ounces)
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
8 slices sourdough bread
½ cup guacamole (recipe follows; or use purchased, preferably one with tomato in it)
2 tablespoons peeled, seeded, diced Roma tomato (see Note)
4 ounces Colby cheese, coarsely grated
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
4 ounces goat cheese

Line a plate with paper towels. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until very crisp. Drain the bacon on the paper towels.

Remove the bacon fat from the pan and wipe the pan with a paper towel, but do not wash it. Set aside.

To make the tortilla chip butter, put the chips in the bowl of a food processor and process until the texture is very fine, similar to sand. Alternatively, place the chips in a sturdy plastic bag. Using a meat mallet or other heavy object, pound the chips until they are the texture of sand.

Put the butter in a medium bowl and add the ground chips. Using a fork, work the chip “sand” and butter together until well mixed. The mixture will be somewhat stiff.

To assemble: Spread the butter mixture on one side of each slice of bread. Place 4 slices, butter-chip mixture side down, on your work surface. Spread 2 tablespoons of the guacamole on each slice of bread. Sprinkle the tomato on top of the guacamole. Follow with the colby and Monterey Jack cheeses. Dot with small pieces of the goat cheese. Finish by placing 2 bacon pieces on each sandwich. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered side up.

For stovetop method: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Put the sandwiches into the pan, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the undersides are golden brown. Watch carefully because the chips in the butter can burn easily. Turn the sandwiches, pressing each one firmly with a spatula to compress the filling slightly. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the undersides are well browned. Turn the sandwiches once more, press firmly with the spatula again, cook for 1 minute, and remove from the pan. Let cool for 5 minutes. Cut in half and serve.

For sandwich maker method: Use your sandwich maker for this sandwich only if it has variable heat settings. Otherwise, it will cook too hot and burn the chips on the bread without melting the cheese.

To use your sandwich maker, follow directions for assembly above. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Note: There’s no need to use the tomato if your guacamole already has tomato in it.

Makes 4 sandwiches

Oooey, gooey ribbons of melted cheese sandwiched between savory slices of butter-crisped bread have long been a source of emotional nurturing for individuals across the globe. And although comfort food never loses its style or great taste, in good times or bad, it does evolve. Now’s the time for Laura’s new spin on the satisfying sandwich of our childhood with the addition of modern ingredients.

Grilled Cheese, Please! offers a variety of recipes, from exotic grilled cheese to nostalgic, modern, ethnic, all-American, savory, and sweet. Eight chapters cover Just Cheese, Meat and Cheese, Anything Goes, Veggies and Cheese, Global Grilled Cheese, Grilled Cheese on the Go (featuring recipes from popular grilled cheese restaurants and food trucks), Regional American Grilled Cheese, and Old Favorites and Modern Sides.

Paired with full-color photos and Laura’s foolproof method for making the perfect grilled cheese, recipes such as Spinach, Egg, and Manchego; Mozzarella with Crispy Prosciutto and Broccoli Rabe; and Crab-Swiss Melt with Asparagus will have novice and experienced chefs joining the grilled cheese revolution!