Although this blog is written primarily for people who lack the skills, talent or inclination to be ecstatic in the kitchen, I sometimes forget just how alien cooking is to some of them. Forget, that is, till they pop up in my inbox demanding 'recipes' that, in my opinion, cannot even remotely be called 'recipes'.
The word conjures, for me, a sense of the exotic, the mysterious, the tantalising 'secret ingredient' The orange peel softened in fish-blood, the pasted nuts marinated in grape juice, the liver chopped with a knife made by blind virgins in the Appalachians. "Boil potatoes and mash with butter" is NOT my idea of a 'recipe'.
Cheese toast is a non-recipe. It's bread, butter, cheese, melted together like meeting souls, on an old, scratchy griddle. Or saucepan. Or tawa. Or skillet. It really doesn't matter which. What matters is that the cheese, butter and bread meld together like meeting souls. And that is easy to do.
Served with a steaming cup of Assam strong. Keep your wispy Darjeelings for the afternoon. I like my morning cuppa to knock sleepiness into the next galaxy :-)
The word conjures, for me, a sense of the exotic, the mysterious, the tantalising 'secret ingredient' The orange peel softened in fish-blood, the pasted nuts marinated in grape juice, the liver chopped with a knife made by blind virgins in the Appalachians. "Boil potatoes and mash with butter" is NOT my idea of a 'recipe'.
Cheese toast is a non-recipe. It's bread, butter, cheese, melted together like meeting souls, on an old, scratchy griddle. Or saucepan. Or tawa. Or skillet. It really doesn't matter which. What matters is that the cheese, butter and bread meld together like meeting souls. And that is easy to do.
Liberally butter toasts hot off the griddle. The crusts are off because they bruise my mouth. I'm delicate like that.
Topped with mild cheddar sliced from a 3-inch-sqaure cube.
Topped with another piece of liberally buttered toast. And put back on the griddle at medium-low, three minutes each side.
One sandwich cleverly made into TWO sandwiches by slicing through the centre. I'm pure genius.
And shown off. Melty, chewy, and warm inside, with an oozing, golden, creamy, semi-liquid butter.
Served with a steaming cup of Assam strong. Keep your wispy Darjeelings for the afternoon. I like my morning cuppa to knock sleepiness into the next galaxy :-)
3 comments:
I agree there were no appalacian virgins involved in THAT meal! My most recent version has been even lazier: remove frozen bread from freezer, put in skillet tha has had butter melted in a square the size of a slice of bread, put cheese and second slice on top. Cook until toasty golden.
I bought new glasses! I no longer need tape across my nose!
I am considering to refer this blog to one of my younger colleague who has recently been dispatched to Sheffield UK, alone. He is absolutely clueless what to and how to cook for survival.
Well, hope he'd do this much at least!
For the non-recipe cconcept, for those who see a khunti and sanrashi like a chisel and a hammer, I beg to differ. Its more than a recipe.
Yum. Cheese toast cures everything.
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