Rooftop Gourmet

Grilled cheese reminds me of my childhood and I’m pretty sure that memory goes for most people as well. When I was little, I would go to friend’s houses to play and their parents would make us grilled cheese sandwiches for after school snacks and I noticed that everyone’s parents made it a little bit differently. Differently than my mother would at least. I was used to classic white bread and four slices of orange Kraft Singles, slowly toasted in a skillet with a little bit of butter. That was my childhood staple.

Whenever I’d come inside from playing in the yard, I’d whine to my mom, “I’m hungryyyy!!!”, and this was a quick solution that she didn’t mind spending two minutes to fix. As I got older, my perception of grilled cheese evolved… and I noticed my mother’s love for grilled cheese too. I’d have a couple friends sleep over and we’d ask my mom to make us some of her by then, famous grilled cheeses. I started to notice that my mother would always burn the first one and pretend like she was upset by it, but later I realized that she had a thing for burnt grilled cheeses. Somehow, that first ”mistake” always disappeared.

When I got to college, my concept of grilled cheese changed again. When I wasn’t eating twelve of them in one sitting, I was busy stuffing them with cheese Doritos and dipping them in con queso or blue cheese dressing. Probably the reason I put on the freshman thirty, but at least I was being creative with my comfort food that reminded me of home. Now, I still appreciate the classic Kraft contraption every once in a while, but I also can’t resist getting gourmet with my grilled cheese.

The other day, my school teacher fiance called me up at lunchtime because she had a craving for grilled cheese after working lunch duty in the cafeteria of her middle school. I told her, “great idea!”, but she had no idea what I had in store for her when she got home.

I wanted to pair different cheeses with different types of bread to create three of the ultimate grilled cheese sandwiches, in three different styles. Wine wasn’t the route to go with this blog so I opted to pair each sandwich with a different craft beer. Let’s face it… beer and cheese are a match made in heaven (just ask Brad Wasik from Wasik’s Cheese Shop in Wellesley center, who offers amazing beer and cheese pairing events from time to time).

My first GCS (Grilled Cheese Sandwich) started off on the light side (ironic, I know). I crumbled up some local goat cheese and spread it in between two slices of fresh sourdough bread. Taking notes from my mother, I slowly toasted it in a skillet with some butter until both sides were golden brown and the goat cheese oozed out of the sides. This became my early favorite because the sourdough toast and the tangy goat cheese were amazing together.

I poured a tall glass of Chimay Cinq Cents Gold Label, which is a traditional Belgian Wheat Ale, and watched as the foamy head settled to the top. I was shocked at how aromatic this beer was, almost more aromatic than it was flavorful but in a good way. I stuck my nose right into the glass like it was a fine white Burgundy and noticed all of the honey, clove, and yeasty smells. The beer was a hazy golden color and was full of carbonation. It was medium bodied with a bitter, caramel finish that was actually quite pleasant.

My second GCS was created using, freshly sliced pumpernickel loaf and two amazing melting cheeses. I was going for the picture-esque, Kraft television commercial, pull apart shot where the stringy cheese stretches for miles. I layered a slice each of both aged Gruyere and Emmental cheese, which is kind of like a funky Swiss.

 It was a good thing that the pumpernickel toasted quicker than the sourdough because these cheeses broke down fast and started to drip down the sides of the bread. The Gruyere is my type of cheese… super funky! and when it gets warm, the smell gets better and better. It was a really cool combination with the nutty, roasted malt flavors in the pumpernickel.

This is the GCS that you don’t want to serve to your children if you don’t know how to perform the HeimlichManeuver! I paired this one with a bottle of Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale. This comes from an old English Brewery that has been making beer for hundreds of years. It’s much darker in color and has a significantly lower level of carbonation. The nose smelled of sweet apples and flowers but when I tasted it, it was rich and nutty. It had a cola-like mouthfeel, and almost tasted like toasted pumpernickel bread and toffee. It was like a New Castle on steroids!

My last creation was by far my favorite GCS and the richest one as well. I spread tons of creamy Gorgonzola (Italy’s blue cheese) in between two slices of dense, cinnamon-raisin bread and performed the same toasting procedure. I paired these two odd balls together because with a cheese that is so rich and full of mind boggling flavor, it would have considerably dominated a wimpy slice of Wonder. I needed a bread that had an equal amount of wallop to combat the Gorgonzola, so I chose one that was studded with plump raisins and laced with sweet cinnamon. Let me just say, that I have officially created a monster. The raisins caramelized with the toast and the blue veins just oozed out into the pan.

The love affair of sweet and savory was the most incredible GCS combination of the night. I paired this one with a bottle of Schlafly Reserve Barleywine Ale from Missouri. The beer was a burnt orange color and smelled like vanilla and sweet oak. I had never had a barleywine ale before but I really enjoyed this beer. Just like the GCS, it was a perfect balance of earthy and sweet. Tons of bourbon and maple flavors combined with a dry, creamy finish. After three giant craft beers, and three different, super rich, grilled cheese sandwiches it was time to revert back to my childhood once again and take a much needed nap.

On Saturday, when I came home after a long day of work, I was greeted with the aromas of a holiday roast in the oven and my girlfriend who had been slaving in the kitchen all day. The house smelled amazing and I was anxious to see what she had in store for me so I asked her to open the oven. To my surprise, she removed a giant roasting pan holding a perfectly browned leg of lamb the size of a football! My first reaction was “how many people are coming over to eat this beast?”, followed by uncontrollable drooling. I love surprises and I love surprises even more when they’re stuffed with goat cheese! She had gone to the butcher and had them de-bone and butterfly an entire leg of lamb.

 Butterflying is a butchering technique that transforms thick, compact pieces of meat into thinner, larger ones with more surface area. It gets its name because the “unfolding” or the meat resembles the wings of a butterfly. She ended up at home with a piece of meat the size of a place mat and a roll of butchers twine; the next part I am glad I wasn’t around for because assembling and tying roasts is not my specialty.

She made a creamy goat cheese stuffing with apples, toasted pine nuts, and fresh mint that was to die for. Every component of the stuffing added another element to the dish; the nutty flavors from the pine nuts were great with the crisp and refreshing apples, and the fresh mint complimented the tangy goat cheese. Mint is one of those herbs that just elevates the flavor of lamb, and really brings out its natural gaminess. My grandmother still loves to eat her lamb chops with mint jelly (a classic condiment served with lamb) but I’m glad my girlfriend chose to put fresh mint in the stuffing rather than serve me something out of a Ghostbusters movie. She loaded the filling into the center of the lamb and rolled it up, tying it as she went along.

I have no idea how she did this part all by herself but somehow she managed to make it look absolutely beautiful; I’ll admit, I am a little frightened at how good she is at tying things up. She slowly roasted it in a 300 degree oven for almost two hours, and I had walked in just at the right time. Due to the fact that this leg of lamb (looks more like a leg of a linebacker) was stuffed with cheese, it was even more crucial to let it rest on the cutting board.

The internal temperature was hovering right around 140 degrees which indicates medium rare… just the way I like it. We sliced the roast and the cross section was picturesque; pink, tender and juicy meat surrounding a wallop of creamy stuffing. I inhaled about three slabs and some roasted potatoes before I started getting drowsy. I had to bring out a special bottle to serve with this masterpiece so I grabbed a 2006 Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf du Pape. Chateauneuf du Pape translates to “New Castle of the Pope”, and is a village in the Southern Rhone Valley France.

This wine growing region produces the best of the best from the Rhone Valley and uses primarily the Grenache grape although others such as Syrah and Mouvedre can be blended in as well. This wine is medium bodied and has aromas of sage, cedar, and dark plum. The texture of every sip is elegant and seductive with tons of peppery raspberry flavors.

Rhone Valley wines, especially Chateuneuf du Pape are classic pairings  for lamb dishes because even the wines have a slight gaminess to them. The mind-blowingly tender lamb was perfectly cooked and I could have eaten the filling with a spoon. The wine was a treat and the entire evening was exquisite thanks to the Rooftop Gourmette; no question about it, it was my turn to clean up.