Great Grilled Cheese: 50 Innovative Recipes for Stove Top, Grill, and Sandwich Maker - Hardcover

LAURA WERLIN, who won a James Beard Award in 2004 for her book The All American Cheese and Wine Book, is a food journalist and cheese expert whose articles have appeared in Saveur, Cooking Light, and Country Living. In addition to having written two books on cheese, The New American Cheese (2000) and The All American Cheese and Wine Book (2003), Werlin writes a biweekly syndicated column on cheese.

MAREN CARUSO is a San Francisco-based photographer who specializes in food photography. Her work has appeared in Wine and Spirits, Chocolatier, and Taste magazines, and in more than ten books, including Grilling and Barbecuing (STC).

Anyone who needs a recipe to make a grilled cheese sandwich should probably not be in the kitchen in the first place. But cooks interested in more clever versions of the American classic could certainly learn a thing or two from Werlin, IACP winner for The New American Cheese and James Beard Award winner for All American Cheese and Wine. Stressing the sandwich's versatility, the author serves up everything from classic (and "almost-classic") grilled cheese sandwiches to quesadillas and sweet grilled cheese options. Spicy Double-Jack, for example, calls for red pepper flakes and sourdough, while Grilled Spinach and Goat Cheese Croissant uses the French pastry's plentiful butter to complement a cheesy filling. Even Buttery Figs and Blue Cheese and Rich Raspberry Brioche can be classified as grilled cheese sandwiches; the former incorporates crusty Italian bread and gorgonzola, and the latter uses goat cheese and egg bread. In order to make a "great" grilled cheese sandwich, Werlin explains, grate cheese (don't slice it), pile it on and let it ooze. Use salted butter, softened beforehand. And when it comes to bread, size does matter-thicker bread will outweigh the filling. For each recipe, Werlin provides instructions on making the sandwich in a skillet, in a sandwich maker or on a grill. 20 color photos.
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