Peri learned to make grilled cheese sandwiches when she lived in New Orleans. Whenever she made them she always pretended that she was doing a cooking show. She remembers standing in a char to reach the stove! When Granny visited, had her make them for her and was also her audience. The butter was always too hard to spread on the bread so Pa showed her how to peel back the butter and “draw” in the pan. The butter would melt and then she would use the bread to sop up the butter, preparing both pieces before she started construction. One piece of cheese, she explains, was never big enough to cover the slice of bread so she placed one piece in the far corner and then would tear the second piece to fit around the first piece. Whatever was leftover, she would eat!
Today, she confides, she uses one piece for Caleb, two pieces for everyone else and three pieces for herself! This recipe also gave her one other skill — she learned to flip sandwiches.
Peri gets a lot of practice making grilled cheese sandwiches these days and here’s the reason – Caleb loves them!
2 pieces of bread
2 pieces of American cheese
2 pats of butter
Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place in small heated skillet or griddle, butter side down. Place cheese on bread and place second piece of bread butter side up on top. Fry until golden brown.
Main Courses, 2001