Alexandre Dumas’ Count Becomes a Sandwich.

Ah, reading; a combination of eye stimulation leading upwards to the synapses of the brain, and creating, not just pleasure, but knowledge.  In my humble opinion, cellphones, tablets and computers should no longer be allowed for school usage.  Instead, let the children go back to using paper, pencils, notebooks and books, and do actual manual homework.  Let us bring back stimulation to the senses, and development of the synapses and nerve network of the brain.  Lecture over.

A classic in literature is The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas (he also wrote The Three Musketeers).  Basic synopsis, Dantes (main character) is imprisoned on the island of Chateau d'If for 13 years, where he plots revenge against those who betrayed him. With help from another prisoner, he escapes the island and proceeds to transform himself into the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo as part of his plan to exact revenge.  There are elements of betrayal, mystery, suspense, vengeance, love, relief and justice; a constant barrage hitting the reader throughout the story.

There has been remake after remake of this novel in film; the best depends upon style, adherence to the story, actors/actresses, musical score and many other features.  Like The Three Musketeers, this novel is a popular classic.

So, how did it become a sandwich?  Around 1910, a popular sandwich, served in Parisian cafes, was called Croque Monsieur, a grilled cheese sandwich containing Gruyere cheese and lean ham, between two slices of crust-less bread, and fried in clarified butter.  In 1912, the first silent film of The Count of Monte Cristo came out.  What better way to honor a French classic (the novel), then to rename another French classic (the sandwich) after it? 

Of course, after the film came to the United States, cookbooks began featuring the sandwich, and chefs played with the ingredient content.  In the 1950s, the inclusion of sliced turkey made an appearance.  It was in 1966 that the Monte Cristo sandwich made its appearance, on the menus, at the Blue Bayou and Tahitian Terrace restaurants, in the New Orleans’s Square, of California’s Disneyland.

When explaining what the sandwich is, I usually say, “Think of it as a grilled cheese sandwich, loaded with meat, and cooked up like French toast.”  It is often served with a dusting of powdered sugar, plus a side of a berry jam, or maple syrup.  The bread often used is brioche or challah which are rich in butter, and have a sweet flavor.  Personally, I opt out of powdered sugar, jam and syrup, as the sandwich is buttery sweet as is; that does not mean you should not adventure with it yourself!

Make the sandwich, curl up with a copy of the novel, and give your senses, and brain, pure enjoyment.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

Ingredients:

(brand names in parentheses are simply personal favorites)

2 eggs

1/4 cup whole milk or half n ’half

1/8 tsp. salt (optional – really don’t notice if it’s not added)

4 slices bread (brioche or challah are best, but Sara Lee Butter Bread is a good option)

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

4 slices Swiss cheese (Sargento Ultra-Thin)

4 slices deli turkey (Hillshire Farms Oven Roasted Turkey Breast)

4 slices deli ham (Hillshire Farms Black Forest Ham)

2 Tbsp. butter

Powdered sugar (optional)

Berry jam such as strawberry, raspberry or currant (optional)

Maple syrup (optional)

 

Preparation:

In a wide bowl, 1-2 inches depth, whisk eggs, milk, and salt together.

Spread mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread.  Place one slice of Swiss Cheese on each slice of bread.  Layer two slice of bread with 2 slices ham and 2 slices turkey; place other two slices of bread (Swiss cheese side down) on top to form two complete sandwiches.  Press down slightly to make sandwiches more compact.

 

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium low heat.  Dip each sandwich in the egg mixture; turning to coat both sides.  Add the sandwiches to the hot skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides.  Place lid on skillet, for one minute, to ensure cheese melts and any egg mixture cooks thoroughly.

 

Optional: sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with a side of berry jam, or maple syrup.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

Mary Cokenour 

 

 

 

Grilled Cheese Upgraded?

Have you seen the new commercials for Sonic Drive-In for their Ultimate Grilled Cheese sandwiches?  One of the men in the car states, "grilled cheese upgraded" while holding a sandwich that has the ingredients for a Philly Cheesesteak.  The other has the "BLT" which stands for bacon, lettuce and tomato, if you didn't know.  So what exactly is the upgrade?  Well instead of using a sub roll for the Philly and regular sliced bread for the BLT, Sonic uses Texas Toast style bread.  Texas Toast  is very thick slices of bread that are normally used for making garlic toast or french toast.  I'm sure its used to make sandwiches also, but the other uses seem to be the more popular.

So again I ask, "What exactly is the upgrade?"  Looking at the photos, the bread makes the sandwich look thick, but you don't see much in between those slices; maybe a bit of lettuce, perhaps a hint of tomato or peppers, and is that brownish color the meat?  Maybe the BLT is upgraded because cheese is now incorporated, but you cannot upgrade a Philly Cheesesteak by changing from a roll to sliced bread.  That seems more like an insulting downgrade in my opinion.

The Grilled Cheese sandwich is an ultimate comfort food of its own. No matter what your age, toasted bread with gooey cheese brings out warm childhood memories, especially when it is nasty weather outside. When you add another ingredient inbetween the gooey cheese, isn't that an "upgrade" in itself? Consider the Tuna Melt or the Patty Melt; both made the same way as a grilled cheese, but with the inclusion of either tuna or a hamburger patty. What about when tomato and bacon are added to a grilled cheese? Just add lettuce and there's your BLT right there.

Well I'm going to give you my "upgraded" version of a Grilled Cheese BLT; packed with filling, messy, gooey and oh so, disgustingly good.   While you can use any bread you like, I'm going to be using English Muffin bread; same airiness as the muffins to get those nooks and crannies, just in a sliced bread form.  This bread looks like typical white bread, but with a firmer texture. 

I'm also going to use mayonnaise as my frying oil, instead of traditional butter for a grilled cheese.  If you're a fan of flavored mayonnaise such as avocado, wasabi, chipotle or sweet chili, spread those on the insides of your bread slices; use regular mayonnaise for the frying.

Time to make the sandwich...

Besides the mayonnaise, you'll need four slices of thick cut bacon (or double up with thin bacon), slices of tomato (2 to 3 depending on the size of the tomato) and Romaine lettuce (try to use the  stems inside the head, they're crispier).

Slather mayonnaise on both sides of each slice of bread, don't be cheap about it!  Heat your stovetop griddle or skillet on medium-high heat, place the slices down onto it and put one slice of American cheese, then cover that with a slice of Cheddar.  The American will melt into ooey-gooeyness while the Cheddar will form an enclosure, or seal, to keep the cheese from oozing out. 

 

When you see the Cheddar start to form its enclosure, place the bacon, then the tomato on one slice of bread. Here's the tricky part, the mayonnaise browns the bread much faster than regular butter, so check the slice with just the cheese on it. If it is browned the way you like it, put the lettuce on top of the tomato, top with the other cheesy slice of bread, press down to help seal it together and remove to a plate.

 

...and there my readers is my version of the upgraded Grilled Cheese sandwich, or the Grilled Cheese BLT. It is messy; you will get it all over your face and fingers; you will laugh; you will enjoy yourself.   Then again, enjoying your food, isn't that what you should be doing anyway?

Mary Cokenour

Tuna Sandwich that aims to Cheese.

Usually when having a sandwich, it might come accompanied by a side such as potato chips, french fries, cole slaw, etc. Then again, since I was a little child, I've always taken my potato chips and put them inside my tuna salad sandwich. The crunch factor was awesome and it just made the two separate items taste so good together. Oh sure, lots of folks add a crunch factor to their salads with chopped up bell peppers, onions or celery, but they can't beat good old fashioned potato chips.

Then there is the grilled cheese sandwich which can be just plain cheese or include any numbers of taste additives such as bacon, ham, or dare I say it....tuna salad. On a diner menu, you would see this item listed as a tuna melt, but who are we kidding, it's a grilled cheese sandwich with tuna salad added in. Simple comfort food goodness! Now a typical side for a grilled cheese is tomato soup, but macaroni and cheese is very welcomed.

Now the point to all this? How about if we took an old fashioned tuna melt and put the macaroni and cheese inside before grilling it? Have I gone nuts? Well I hope so, and so does my family, since they love this goody from the sandwich realm.

Now for the macaroni and cheese, here's a tip: after cooking it up, place it inside a buttered loaf pan and cool it in the refrigerator for a half hour. It will be easier to make slices that fit into the sandwich itself.

Simply put, have your tuna salad and macaroni and cheese made up before hand. My tuna salad is a mixture of albacore white plus chunk light; two (5 ounce) cans of white to one (5 ounce) light; two tablespoons of mayonnaise, 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper and one tablespoon of diced onion. If you're not in the mood to make a homemade macaroni and cheese, a packaged brand like Velveeta works best, since it has the liquid cheese sauce, not a powdered mix.

If you have a square flat top griddle for the stove top, heat it up on medium-high heat and melt a couple of tablespoons of butter on it. While that's heating up, take 4 slices of bread and generously butter one side of each slice. Place them butter side down on the griddle; place a slice of American or cheddar cheese on each slice.

Wait one minute before placing a slice (about one inch thick) of macaroni and cheese on one slice of bread, and a half cup of tuna salad spread out on the opposite slice. When you start to hear sizzling in the pan, time to put the sandwiches together.

With a wide spatula, quickly and gently lift up the macaroni and cheese side of the sandwich onto the tuna side. Use a spatula to press the sandwiches down lightly; you want to make a seal with the cheese, but not squeeze out the insides. Wait 30 seconds and flip the sandwiches over; wait another 30 seconds and remove to a plate. Cut and enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

It's just a sandwich, so get over it!

A while ago a new fad hit the food scene...the Panini. People went crazy over the concept of putting cheeses, sometimes meats and/or veggies too, onto bread, into a "panini press" and toasting it. News Flash!!! Panini is Italian for the word "sandwich", and what I just basically described was the good old American Grilled Cheese sandwich. I laughed my butt off when a member of a reality show (Real Housewives of New Jersey) was going on and on about needing her Panini. In other words, call a simple comfort food a fancy name, give it a fancy price, and that makes it something more worthwhile? No, sorry dear, it's a grilled cheese sandwich, so get over it now.

No matter what your age, you have probably had a grilled cheese sandwich sometime in your life. People just love it and you can make it as simple or special as you want it to be. I usually use potato or oatnut (Oroweat brand), 3 slices of cheese and soft spread butter to create mine...simple and quick. I use a stove top flat grill pan, melt a couple tablespoons of butter on high heat; place the buttered sides of the bread on the grill. Then I place 2 slices of cheese on one unbuttered side, 1 on the other unbuttered side. When I see the cheese beginning to melt on the bread, then it's time to flip them together to make a sandwich. I press the bread down, so the ends will seal together and the cheese won't ooze onto the grill.

When it comes to cheese, American is the best, but sometimes I enjoy using different types. A combo of American with Swiss or Provolone; Colby Jack with Provolone; Pepper Jack with American...you get the picture. Maybe I want something more filling, so add bacon or thinly sliced Black Forest Ham; maybe some spicy mustard, maybe not. One of Roy's favorites is oatnut bread, 3 slices of American, thick cut applewood bacon and thinly sliced tomato. I enjoy tuna melts, so American cheese and tuna salad...now that is yummy!

So, if you want to be snooty, go get yourself a Panini. If you want to be real, have an old fashioned grilled cheese sandwich. Whatever floats your little boat.

Mary Cokenour