On Friday, January 2, 2008, I finally decided what my New Year's resolution would be. I had just read this article about the "Ultimate Grilled Cheese" in Saveur magazine. I was hungry. I went grocery shopping. And I saw it. Yes, the very cheese so exquisitely described in the article (Comte) was staring right back at me. I had to buy it, and then it dawned on me: this is what I've been waiting for! A reason to blog AND a new hobby!
I've been a blog reader for years, but everytime I've wanted to put myself out there and do it, I've come up blank with ideas. I definitely didn't want to write about work or grad school...because that just sounded like work. I also didn't want to write solely about my friends and family...because that seemed too boring and invasive (even if I changed their names-- and honestly, who else can I count on to read this?). What else is left in my life-- food and sleep. Sleep is a no-go, so food it is!
As much as I love cooking, I'm no gourmand. In fact, I barely know anything about cheeses that don't regularly star in deli sandwiches. This should be fun.
So, first up: Comte
Price: $10.99/lb, purchased smallest hunk for $8.02 at Trader Joe's
Smell Factor: Kind of nutty
Recipe Time:Step One: Shred Cheese. Shredding cheese for grilled cheese didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, as the bread of choice, sourdough, was tiny. I didn't know what to do with the rind, but I tried some anyway. Result= tasted like it looked, nutty and hard.
Step Two: Grill cheese. Is this even a recipe? According to Saveur, yes. As much as I piled up the shredded cheese on the sourdough, it just didn't want to stay there. Now, I have a lot of leftover Comte, and only a week to do something with it. I discovered that Comte that fell on the pan was pretty darn tasty. Note: Comte crisps would be delicious on salads. 
Step Three: Eat. Okay, the step thing is sounding a tad ridiculous. Just wait until I start the ultimate showdown of cheeses. I'm thinking brackets by season or (and?) by price. Go quantitative or go home, my friends!
The grilled cheese was okay. It took a long time to toast it "just so," and because the cheese melted as much as it did, the result was less than the super-cheesy grilled cheese that I had in mind for my "Ultimate Grilled Cheese." However, the Tomato-Basil soup I made to go with dinner and eat for lunch all week was fabulous.
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