Simple foods are all very well and good, but when you want
something special, you have to spring for higher quality
ingredients. While grilled cheese sandwiches are nice, some
sophisticated additions push them beyond the level of everyday
fare.
The following melted mozzarella concoction isn’t hard to
make ““ the quality comes from its components. The recipe uses
both sun-dried and regular tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and fresh
baby greens.
The flavor will still be good if you eliminate any of the
elements or replace them with their lower-grade counterparts, but
it will taste better if you don’t.
The adventure starts when your freshly showered roommate bolts
into the kitchen, clutching a towel around his waist.
“You’re a girl, right?” he gasps. “OK,
great, because this girl, she’s coming over for dinner in 10
minutes, very important date, and what kind of ramen is the
nicest?”
Oh, boy.
Take your roommate by the shoulders and make him breathe.
“Repeat after me: no ramen. No ramen and no frozen
pizza.”
“No ramen? What do you mean? Ten minutes, nine minutes
now, she’s gonna be here, no ramen, oh god, please help
me.”
Mention to your roommate that girls like nice food. Also
pants.
Tell him while he gets dressed, you’ll start mixing
something up.
Now is the perfect time to break out the good ingredients.
For each sandwich, very lightly toast two pieces of sourdough
bread.
Mix one tablespoon of mayonnaise with a tablespoon of balsamic
vinegar until blended. Spread the balsamic sauce onto each piece of
toast.
“Ew, what’s that? It’s brown. You’re
going to make her eat something brown?”
He’s back, ladies and gentlemen, in khakis and an ancient
“Space Ghost” T-shirt he got for free.
Tell your roommate to cover the surfaces of two slices of toast
with about five sun-dried tomatoes each while you brave his closet
looking for a better shirt.
Grab a blue button-down and hang it on the doorknob while
directing him to blanket the sun-dried tomatoes with a double layer
of baby spinach leaves or other leafy greens. Fresh vegetables
shrink when baked, so use more than you think you need.
“Like Shrinky Dinks? Remember, when we were little,
we’d color in the little plastic and ““”
“OK, yeah, calm down. You want this to be nice? You gotta
focus here.”
Layer thinly sliced fresh tomatoes over the greens. Top each
sandwich with a third of a cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, just
in time to hear the intercom to ring.
She’s here.
Buzz her into the building.
As she navigates the hallways and your roommate pulls on the
nice shirt, direct him to put the remaining two slices of toast on
the sandwiches and bake in a 500-degree oven for five minutes,
until the cheese is fully melted.
“Use a real plate,” you gasp as you duck into your
room. This is going to be great.
Raab is a third-year English student and a certified girl.
E-mail her at lraab@media.ucla.edu.