Grilled Cheese & Pickles

I'm sure many of you like kicking back with a beer, some chips, and primetime television after a long day at work.  I certainly enjoy that luxury, but subtract the chips and add a jar of dill pickles with a fork.  No joke -- I can sit down and watch reruns of Friends and simultaneously devour an entire jar of pickles.  I love pickles, and I love discovering ways to add pickles into my cooking.  While shopping at Trader Joe's the other day, I noticed some samples of a sandwich being served near the back of the store.  Upon closer inspection, I realized that what they had termed "The Dubliner" was actually heaven in a sandwich.  Sharp, melty cheese and crisp dill pickles sandwiched between toasted bread thick with Irish butter.  Are you dying yet?  The people around me seemed a little suspicious of this pickle sandwich, but I audibly exclaimed, "OH MY GOD" as I walked toward the frozen foods, munching on my sample.  The next day, I set out to recreate this sandwich of my dreams.

Of course, I had no information about the ingredients used in the sample sandwich, except generic ideas of bread, cheese, and pickles.  I actually baked two loaves of rustic, hearty bread that afternoon, so I went with that.  But any sturdy sandwich bread, or even 1/2-inch slices of a good Italian loaf would be stellar.  I decided to stick with a nice, sharp cheddar to pair with the crunchy dill pickles.  Both have strong flavors of their own, but the cheese and the pickles worked very well together.  Such an easy idea...I can't believe I had never thought of it before.  And now I've had a grilled cheese with pickles twice in two days.  Plus pickles for snacking while cooking.  Of course.

Grilled Cheese with Pickles
inspired by a sample at Trader Joe's
serves 2

Ingredients
4 slices of hearty bread (about 1/2-inch slice)
~ 1-2 tablespoons softened butter
4 slices of sharp cheddar cheese
4 medium-sized dill pickles (I used the full-sized pickles, but you could just as easily use the pickle chips)

Directions
Spread the butter thickly on one side of each slice of bread.  If you are using full-sized pickles, slice them lengthwise into thirds, not into rounds.  I found the rounds to be a little more unwieldy.  Assemble your sandwiches -- bread, layer of cheese, pickles, another layer of cheese, bread.

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Place the sandwich(s) into the skillet and cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until the bread is a golden brown.  Flip carefully, and cook the other side until it's golden brown.  If the cheese isn't melting, place a tent of tinfoil over the pan to trap in the heat and melt the cheese.  Once the bread has toasted and the cheese has melted, remove the sandwich(s).  Slice in half, and serve hot.  Be amazed at your grilled cheese with pickles. 

Hearty All-Purpose Bread

After a long hiatus from recipe blogging, I spent most of Sunday afternoon cooking and baking up an absolute storm in my kitchen.  I have no idea where I got the energy, but I turned out a pan of dulce de leche brownies, a killer grilled cheese sandwich, and two loaves of this hearty, rustic-style bread.  Now I'm exhausted, but I am forcing myself to get at least one of these recipes on the blog before I pass out!

For the past few days, I've been daydreaming about homemade bread.  I rarely buy bread at the store, with the exception of baguettes, so if I want bread in the house, I usually have to make it.  The last time I made homemade sandwich bread was probably a year ago, but there are a few sandwich recipes on my to-do list, so I decided it was time to bake up some bread.  Baking bread is actually a very easy task.  In fact, waiting for the dough to rise is probably the most challenging part of the entire process.  I snagged this insanely easy recipe from one of my new favorite cookbooks, Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese. 

As an aside, I adore this cookbook (props to my dad for the great Christmas gift!) and it's given me a lot of great ideas on cooking more from scratch.  With spring in the air, I start craving all things healthy, all things local, and all things homemade.  You might start to see some more of these types of recipes on the blog!  But if you are a frugal shopper, this cookbook will also give you price points for all of the things that you could be cooking instead of buying.  For example, according to Reese, cooking your own bread costs you less than $1 per loaf.  And that includes the cost of heating your oven.  Plus, you control the amount and quality of your ingredients, and you can be more creative.  And there's nothing like bread fresh from the oven.  Am I right? 

So I cooked up two rustic-looking loaves of bread (rustic because I barely kneaded them), with crunchy, chewy outsides, and soft insides.  The whole wheat flour gave the bread a touch of heartiness, but it still tastes like a very versatile bread.  One will go into the freezer for later use, and the other will likely be gone by the middle of the week!  If you've never baked bread before, this is a great starter recipe for everyday use. 

Hearty All-Purpose Bread

adapted from Make the Bread, Buy the Butter

makes 2 medium-sized loaves

Ingredients

1 teaspoon instant yeast (don't use a packet...that will contain more than needed)

3 1/2 cups of lukewarm water

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups bread flour (optional; you can use all-purpose as well)

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

4 teaspoons salt

Directions

In a large liquid measuring cup or in a medium-sized bowl, combine the water, yeast, and sugar.  Allow the yeast to proof for about five minutes.  It should be foaming.  If it's not, you might need to try again with new yeast.

Prepare two loaf pans by spraying them with cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, combine the flours and salt.  Pour the yeast mixture into the flours, and combine using your hands.  The dough should be shaggy.  Knead it in the bowl briefly until it comes together.  Divide the dough into two equal pieces.  Place the dough into the two bread pans and cover with a towel.  Let the dough rise until it reaches just about the top of the loaf pan, about two hours.  If your dough is having trouble rising (as mine usually does because I keep my apartment cool), preheat your oven to 450 to warm up the kitchen.  You can also try putting the covered loaf pans on top of the stove to warm them up.

Once the dough has risen, bake at 450 for 30 minutes.  Then remove the bread from the pans and bake directly on the oven rack for another 15 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove the bread from the oven, and snag a quick slice of warm bread.  Then allow the bread to cool. 

Enjoy!

Restaurant Ruminations :: Brunch at Muddy Waters

Muddy Waters in Minneapolis really does have it all.  I went there for the first time this summer to enjoy some tap beer and small plates with a friend.  The white bean hummus and french fries were a perfect pair for my Surly Furious on that summery evening.  This week when I was researching possible brunch options for a date with two of my law school friends, I came back across the Muddy Waters brunch menu.  They offer a handful of breakfast offerings -- from classics to the unexpected -- and another smaller handful of lunch dishes.  I quick glance of the menu and I was sold. 

Luckily I arrived a bit early and was able to snag a table for my group of three.  Muddy Waters was bustling at 11:30 on a Sunday morning, but as I watched the crowds come and go, there always seemed to be people leaving just as another group arrived.  I ordered a hot cup of coffee as I waited and then noticed people around me drinking Bloody Marys and beers!  Probably best I stuck with my cup of strong coffee, but I appreciate knowing that a boozy brunch is an option for my next visit.

That's when I noticed what I was sitting RIGHT next to -- a case filled with sinful-looking bakery items.  I was seriously an arm's length away from these tempting treats.  I stared....and stared....and sipped my coffee....and stared....

.....and by the time my friends arrived, I had decided on a brunch appetizer...the cinnamon cardamom donut.  This was not your average donut hole.  First of all, it was only slightly smaller than the size of my fist.  I actually ate it with a knife and fork!  But second, the donut itself was light and airy and the sugary coating was made up of larger, crunchy sugar crystals and a dash of cardamom spice.  I cleaned my plate of all the sugar that had fallen off the donut...that's how good the combination was (or how decidedly unclassy I can be at restaurants)!

I was tempted by three options on the brunch menu: the malted waffle, the Cuban breakfast, and the biscuits and gravy.  It is so rare to see biscuits and gravy on a menu that I can actually eat and it was such a favorite of mine in college.  Luckily, Muddy Waters offers sausage gravy OR mushroom gravy on top of the biscuits for any vegetarians.  Paired up with eggs over-medium and some crunchy, well-seasoned roasted potatoes and I had a breakfast that was beyond comforting.  Plus the mushroom gravy was an absolute delight -- creamy, earthy, and everything you'd expect from a traditional gravy.  I only wish I had a teensy bit more on my plate.  I so rarely get to enjoy gravy! 

Beyond just the food, the atmosphere of Muddy Waters was enjoyable.  The service was friendly and personable.  The tunes kept me on my toes -- I heard everything from The Beatles to the Batman theme song.  And the guests ranged from people perched on window-side seats with their laptops open, to groups of people enjoying Bloody Mary brunches, to a seeming regular customer with a newspaper and giant cream-filled coffee.  (What can I say...I'm observant.)  Overall, it was a great setting for my brunch with friends.  And I was able to try a bite of the nutella & banana waffle -- oh holy wonderful.  That's all I'll say.

Restaurant Details

2933 Lyndale Avenue S.

Minneapolis, MN 55405

(612) 872-2232

Regular Hours

Monday-Friday: 7am - 2am

Saturday-Sunday: 8am - 2am; Brunch: 10am - 3pm

Lunch: 11am - 3pm

Happy Hour: 3pm - 5pm

Dinner: 5pm - 11pm