Micro rage

There are buttons on my microwave for everything except the shit I want to do. There's one that says 'chicken dinner plate' and then 'reheat pizza.' The 'popcorn' button is ubiquitous. The easy-on button makes it easy to only get 30 second increments. I actually puzzled for a long time before figuring out how to get my cheese-crackers to the right level of meltiness without standing in front of the door absorbing radiation waiting to snatch it out.

Clearly 30 seconds is way too long for a little cheese over Triscuits. That's my favored munchie food at the moment. Using the flavored Triscuits is unbelievably delicious with a little slice of cheddar... Mmmm... My favorite flavor is rosemary/olive oil. They're pretty tasty plain too.

The issue is that for a plate of crackers, the optimal moment of melt comes around 12 to 15 seconds. If I hit 'easy on' I have to watch it and stop it around 18 or so. But that requires me to do math and to avoid being distracted for a full quarter-minute!

My attention span is not that reliable. This is what I want my new microwave to look like...

The Global Sandwich

There is no doubt that we're falling behind in the international sandwich race. In a more global economy, our classics are now competing with a broader range of potential sandwiches. We've got some classic models in the US - I think we're probably leading the volume question with offerings and exports like Subway, Quiznos and others. Our best offerings are going to for fresh soft bread - toasted - and loaded up with a whole variety of fixin's.

Vietnamese sandwiches are a totally different bird and gaining ground in the states. that's a more crusty bread with some killer flavor combinations - like a great funky pate pulled chicken - and interesting texture touches like shredded carrots.

Felafel offerings in sandwiches also offer some great options and are growing in popularity around here. Great sauces and realy nice textures from whatever you load in there. I think felafel - with all the loading up is a lot more like an american sandwich because of all the stuff we jam in there.

One of the big things these two other imports are getting right is on the cost of ingredients. We're getting some delicious sandwich options at much lower prices.

One of the annoying things about Quizno's - and to a slightly lesser extent - Subway is that they're almost $10 for a big-ole sandwich.

Felafel and Vietnamese sandwiches are real good, but rely on cheaper ingredients. Mmmm delicious.

Grilled cheese - art and science

Grilled cheese is one of those god-given pleasures that is very hard to get wrong. There are so many types of pleasures and additions that can really make a grilled cheese something special. There's a video on MSN about a $50 grilled cheese made with Fontina and truffles... that's definitely one way to go. There's sharp cheddar with some smoked turkey or tomato... mouthwatering.

I've enjoyed making grilled cheese in the waffle iron, lean-mean Foreman machine, frying pan and even under a broiler (more cheese toast than grilled that way). Really it's all fair-game except for the microwave. Don't bother with grilled cheese in a microwave- it's too easy to go all rubbery that way. Cheese can be microwaved on triscuits, but not more than 15 seconds for a plateful.

Butter is an absolutely essential component of successful grilled cheese - and about the only essential component. Butter on both sides of the bread is a great idea and buttering one side and then flipping it over is my preferred approach.

Today, I found myself without any butter and some good bread and cheese and a healthy case of the muncheese. My lady friend convinced me that the restaurant she used to work at would use mayonnaise. I was doobious, but a thin coat on the outside of the bread formed a perfect crust. I would definitely give this a shot in the frying pan. Haven't given it a whirl in the waffle iron yet. If you give it a try, keep the heat on medium and try not to let it smoke :)