Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

Dear Devon,

Despite my attempts to stay on top of food trends and all things culinary, I have been unforgivably lazy since leaving New York. I half-heartedly blame the time difference and our temperamental internet connection, but in the end, it’s the lack of a proper lunch hour. With more thought, I realized that my do-or-die urge to read the entire NY Times in one 45 minute period has vanished, now that lunch lasts three hours. I am no longer addicted to the food section of the Times or to the twenty or so food blogs I love. So, it was with some excitement that I returned to my old surfing routine and found rejuvenating ideas from old favorites.

I love sandwiches, especially hot pressed ones. When I see a good sandwich idea, I whip out a pad of paper and a pen and quickly copy it down, inspiration for a relaxed Saturday lunch on the roof terrace. And so it was that one random Tuesday morning, I found myself on the Tartine Bakery and Café website, drooling over their delectable pastries and excited by their treasure trove of sandwiches. The grilled cheese with carmelized onions grabbed my attention. I threw on a pair of jeans, pocketed my keys, and ran out the door to the market. I had just finished breakfast, but lunch was already on my mind.


Back in the kitchen, I proudly announced my lunch plans, which led the boy to reschedule his library visit. Tartine’s sandwich does not include fried garlic or mushrooms: That inspiration came from the basket of old mushrooms chilling in the fridge. I really had no idea what I was doing. The garlic fried a bit too fast, the onions got a bit dark, the bread was a three days old, the mushrooms could’ve used a bit more fat, and I forgot to salt. But in the end, it didn’t matter. It was the epitome of an autumnal sandwich: savory and dark, complex flavors of sweet onion and melted cheese, punctuated by pungent, aromatic garlic and juicy mushrooms. The crisply toasted bread made a satisfying crunch with every enthusiastic bite. This should definitely be a $10 sandwich.



I am fantasizing about making this for you and Jeff when I come back to New York. All the elements can be prepared in advance and assembled upon your arrival. Throw the sandwiches into the oven at a low temperature to allow them to crisp up. Serve alongside a hearty butternut squash soup, and you’ll have the perfect autumnal lunch.


Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
(makes 2 small sandwiches)

Swiss cheese (Emmental)
1/3 cup onions, thinly sliced
5 large button mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced on a bias
4 tbsp butter
4 slices of bread
2 tbsp olive oil

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a medium sized skillet. When the oil is nice and hot, gently fry the sliced garlic. After 3 minutes or so, remove the garlic. Be careful not to burn, the edges should be light golden brown and the garlic should remain crisp. Set aside to cool. Turn down the heat and add the sliced onions. Slowly cook for 15 minutes, adding a tablespoon of water, if needed, to prevent the onions from burning. Remove carmelized onions and reserve with fried garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet, add sliced mushrooms. Cook over low heat until both sides are nicely browned, 7 to 10 minutes.

Using a large serrated knife, cut four slices from a fresh loaf of bread. Spread each side with a generous amount of butter. Lay carmelized onions over two slices, top with garlic slices and mushrooms. Set a generous slice of cheese over onion-mushroom mixture and top with remaining slice of bread. Heat skillet to medium high temperature. Grill sandwiches until the cheese is nicely melted and the bread is golden brown. A bacon press would work very nicely here.

Grilled Hanger Steak

Dear Devon,

Do you ever get those nights when you just don't feel like cooking? I know, I have a food blog! How can that happen? Well, it does. A few nights ago, I just wasn't in the mood to dig through the fridge and think of something to eat. In these situations, I try to have something easy on hand like salad, frozen pizza, and if I'm really not feeling it - cereal. I managed to scrape myself off the couch to rummage through the fridge. Luckily, I had this beautiful hanger steak just waiting for some heat. I whipped out my brand new grill pan and grabbed some salt. Once the stove fired up, inspiration came knocking at my door.

The grill pan is my newest acquisition from Bloomies. It's dangerous working within walking distance of that store. I often find myself wandering through the incredible Home Department, drooling over the knives, the rainbow of Le Creuset, assortment of French Presses, and various displays of kitchen gadgetry. Beware, casual browser- it's hard to escape without a Big Brown Bag. I'm not an experienced griller, but I think I have it figured out. Raw meat, meet grill pan.

With the steak on the grill, I fished around in the fridge for some fixings. I grabbed a yellow onion and a red bell pepper. A few quick chops later, they joined the steak. Soon the kitchen and living room were filled with the intense smell of cooking. For a quick sauce, I smashed a clove of garlic with a mortar and pestle, added a squeeze of lime juice, olive oil, and lots of chopped parsley. The makeshift chimichurri sauce was a great addition.

Photographic documentation not a priority for a certain someone. I can't blame him. The meat was succulent with the slightly sweet flavor of beef, but without that tough, my-jaw-is-being-exercised feeling that this cut of meat can produce. Nicely striped with black grill marks, the red peppers burst with flavor and the soft onions practically melted in my mouth. The raw garlic and peppery parsley were a fantastic last minute addition, brightening the dark flavors of the meat.

The lazy cook's dinner ended up like a big night out.


Grilled Hanger Steak
1 piece hanger steak
1 red bell pepper
1 small onion
lime
salt
pepper
1 clove of garlic
parsley
olive oil

Heat a large grill pan on the stove top. Drizzle hot grill pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Salt meat on one side. Place meat salt side down on hot grill. Salt the top side and sprinkle with lime juice from half a lime. Cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes before flipping over for another 5-8 minutes. Keep the meat on the heat until your desired level of doneness. I like my meat medium rare, so a total cooking time of 10-15 minutes works well. Flip the meat over only once to get those beautiful grill marks. Cut an onion, lengthwise, into eighths. Slice up a bell pepper. Place on the hot grill. Remove the meat before slicing. This will allow the meat to rest and keep its wonderful juices.

For chimichurri sauce: crush one clove of garlic in the mortar and pestle with pinch of Kosher salt until it forms a paste. Add the juice of half a lime and 3 tbsp of olive oil. Whisk to combine. Mix in 1/3 cup roughly chopped parsley. The sauce should be fragrant and thick. For some nice heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes. Serve over the sliced meat.