Cheese Dreams

(Aug. 25, 2011) OK, let’s get this out of the way first. Comfort food is not always NC (nutritionally correct). The function of comfort food is contained in its name.

Put your Euell Gibbons/Michael Pollan hysteria on hold and allow yourself to be comforted by food whose only reason for being is to make you feel better while eating it. Quintessential comfort foods are as much about soothing the psyche as filling the belly. Meat loaf, tomato soup, hot dogs, glazed doughnuts, mac ‘n cheese, chocolate chip cookies, fried chicken, corn on the cob (dripping with butter, of course), apple pie … the list goes on. Let comfort foods transport you to that time and place when life was perfect for you. Maybe not for daily consumption, but allow yourself now and then. Let’s sum it up in two words: It works.

James’ Grilled Cheese Dream PHOTO BY JAMES SCOTHORN

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Enter the gloriously greasy and unabashed delight that is the Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

Bread and cheese combinations are as old as the proverbial hills and known across most continents and cultures. Early recipes can be found in ancient Roman cookbooks. Modern grilled cheese sandwiches owe homage to these recipes.

The Oxford Companion to Food tells us toast was popular in the Middle Ages, being made over an open fire, and meat toppings became fashionable during the 16th century. Soon all kinds of things began to appear on toast, including melted cheese

Some sources place the introduction of the classic American GCS in the 1920s, when white bread and processed cheese were affordable. It was a time when tightening your belt was more than a metaphor. The sandwich was economical, easy to make, met government nutrition standards and (if done right) was quite tasty. Made with these basic ingredients, the GCS was sometimes called a “cheese dream,” and was an inexpensive option for feeding friends and family at Sunday supper. Sliced tomatoes, ham and bacon could be added, and the sandwiches were often accompanied by olives and pickles.

A 1932 San Jose News story, “Cheese Dream New Favorite Sandwich,” suggested sprinkling the cheese “very sparingly” with a bit of dry mustard, cayenne, “and a little minced red sweet pepper.” The sandwich was browned on both sides and served with “very hot, rich tomato sauce.” The sandwiches may predate the Depression, however, as a 1918 Good Housekeeping issue mentions cheese dreams as a luncheon dish, “our teahouse friend.”

In the 1940s and ‘50s these sandwiches were sometimes open-faced and made with prepackaged cheese (think Velveeta). It wasn’t long before school cafeterias and other institutional kitchens followed suit.

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