Meal 1: Grilled Cheese

For my first meal, because of my virtual lack of knowledge, I wanted to start off with something that everyone knows how to make: grilled cheese. The humble grilled cheese and its classic companion, tomato soup, are a combo that perfectly breaks the ice to this monolithic project and begins the month with all of the cheesy goodness it deserves.

When it comes to grilled cheese, it seems that the traditional wisdom is keep it simple, stupid; two pieces of a sturdy bread and a nice, meltable cheese toasted to a crispy, buttery golden brown. This is suitable for a quick comfort but it lacks a certain amount of depth for the adult palate, so I wanted to spice it up with a few additions and modifications.



The result was a more "adult" sandwich, with salty notes from the Swiss and prosciutto, accented by the sweet tomato and buttery bread, which all together paired perfectly with the slightly acidic tomato soup.

All in all, I was quite happy with the results of tonights dinner, my maiden voyage on this project. I am excited to get onto bigger and more complex meals.

Recipe:

To make the jazzed up grilled cheese I used;
-Crusty french bread
-"Lacey" Swiss cheese
-Freshly sliced tomato
-Prosciutto

1.) Put a 1/2 tbsp of butter or oil into a medium pan, make the sandwich and place it into the pan, using a spatula to firmly it down for 2-3 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown. Flip and brown the other side. Serve immediately. 

Tomato Soup: 

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

2 tbsp tomato paste 

1 large onion, sliced

1 carrot, diced

Salt and ground black pepper 

3 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomato (canned is fine: include juices) 

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil 

2-3 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock 

1 tsp sugar (optional) 

Chopped fresh basil for garnish  

1.) Put oil in a large deep pot over medium heat. When hot, add the tomato paste and let it cook for a minute, then add the onion and carrot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. 

2.) Add the tomato and the herb and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato breaks up, 10-15 minutes. Add the stock, stir, and cook until hot, then adjust the heat and simmer until the flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings (if the soup tastes flat add the sugar).

3.)When the soup is done, use a blender or immersion blander to puree the soup until smooth. Reheat and garnish with fresh herbs or croutons.