Jalapeno Popper: The Sequel

This week is Colin's birthday, so I wanted to be sure that our sandwich reflected his tastes, which means one thing: it must be spicy.  You may remember that around this time last year Colin created his own jalapeno based sandwich.  We liked it then, but there's always room for improvement/innovation, and I had seen a jalapeno popper grilled cheese recipe floating around on Pinterest, so I decided to give it a try.  This one actually remains a little truer to the basic structure/ingredients of an actual jalapeno popper.

Ingredients are as follows:
* Jalapeno peppers (we used 3 total that we picked from our very own jalapeno plant, but four would have been ideal)
* Sourdough
* Cream cheese
* Cheddar
* Jack
* Butter
* Tortilla chips

Our first order of business was bisecting the jalapenos and putting them in the broiler for about 12 minutes (until their skins turned black like this):

Next I put them in a ziplock bag for them to stew in their own steam for awhile.  This makes it easier to peel off the skin.

While those were steaming I started preparing the sandwiches.  Since we only had 3 peppers we were only making 2 sandwiches (instead of our usual four), but again-- the ideal would be 4 peppers, 2 per sandwich.  I started by spreading 1 tablespoon of cream cheese on each slice of bread (4 Tbsp total).

Once that was taken care of I turned to the jack and cheddar cheeses.  The recipe calls for "1/2 cup jack and cheddar cheese, shredded," so I just went ahead and shredded as close to one cup as I could eyeball, trying to get an even representation of both cheeses.  Once that was done, I spread half of the cheese evenly on two of the slices of bread (saving the other half for later).

Once this was all done the jalapenos were about ready to be handled again, so I took them out of their bag, carefully peeled their skins off, and sliced them into strips.

They were then, of course, added to the sandwiches.

Next the recipe called for one tablespoon of crushed tortilla chips per sandwich.  An interesting choice, but I'm no stranger to putting creative ingredients on my sandwiches, so I was on board.

I then topped the chips with the remaining cheddar and jack.

From there it was all standard operating procedure-- sandwich the bread together, butter the outside of the sandwiches, and grill them up!  Before too long we had some delicious looking sammies on our hands.

Taste Review:

While the jalapenos were roasting they emitted a nice roasted pepper fragrance, but once they were inside of the sandwich their scent was muted by the cheddar cheese (the dominant aroma for this one).  Since we couldn't smell the jalapenos as strongly at this point, we were worried that they would also be overpowered from a flavor standpoint-- we were right; but it wasn't because of the cheddar cheese.  There's actually such a strong cream cheese presence that the cream cheese is what overpowers the jalapenos.  This might be an unfair judgment against the cream cheese since we didn't have as many jalapenos as we would've liked (and when I got a bite with the jalapeno it tasted like a great combination!) but this was all further evidence that we could, in fact, use some more jalapenos on this guy.

Surprise, surprise-- Colin elected to eat his sandwich with salsa and he said that this was a necessary decision.  He wasn't a fan of the strong cream cheese presence and needed another flavor to counter it.  We both agreed that the sandwich could use less cream cheese, but Colin argued that it shouldn't have any.  He actually had added some pepper jack to his sandwich and said that the pepper jack, monterey jack, and cheddar would be a perfect combination for this sandwich (with more jalapenos, of course).  The cream cheese does help to keep the filling creamy, but we started to wonder if there were other ways to do that as well (its rich flavor just wasn't the right fit).  We thought that maybe mixing sour cream in with the cheddar and monterey jack before adding it to the sandwich would give the adhesion necessary to keep the cheese on the sandwich gooey and would be a more appropriate flavor.

Last comment: the tortilla chips tasted chewy instead of crunchy, so they didn't really add much to the sandwich.  I'd say they should be a side dish with some salsa instead.

FINAL RESULTS:

Sandwich:	Jalapeno Popper 2
Gooey-ness:	3.5
Aroma:	2
Appearance:	Bright orange and yellow with green spots.
Taste:	B-

Gooey Scale	Aroma Scale
1 = still cold/hard	1 = can’t smell a thing
2 = slightly melted but still firm	2 = tender waft
3 = melted evenly	3 = makes your stomach growl
4 = melted and slightly runny (starting to get those cheese strings between your sandwich and your mouth when you take a bite)	4 = strong scent
5 = runny	5 = overpoweringly pungent
6 = sloppy mess!

Field Report: Spacebar

It's time for a long overdue field report right here in my own backyard.  Although I have tried The Big Cheese Truck, this was my first visit to a local restaurant that specializes in grilled cheese.  Spacebar is a new kid on the block where local grilled cheeses are concerned, but the key is that they are (as far as I've found) the only local restaurant that has dedicated their menu to the greatest sandwiches of our time: grilled cheeses (some of their melts border on non-grilled-cheese territory, but their intent is still clear).  Located just down Lee Highway from my apartment, Spacebar sits in the heart of Falls Church, so on our way to a concert at the nearby State Theater we decided to check it out.

The parking lot is pretty tiny, which is not ideal for a restaurant that's about 6 miles from the closest metro station, but we snagged a space and headed in.  It's clear that Spacebar's ideal vibe is a night spot that serves a variety of craft beers and grilled cheese sandwiches, so it wasn't that crowded when we came in around 7:00 PM, but presumably business picks up later in the evening.  We ordered at the bar, seated ourselves in a booth, and enjoyed a beer apiece while we waited.  In no time our sandwiches and side of tater tots arrived (Spacebar is owned by the same people who run Galaxy Hut, another local favorite known for its sides of tots).

After much deliberation during the ordering process I had selected Gouda and Havarti on multi grain.  The first thing I noticed about the sandwich was how gooey it was.  Cheese was oozing onto the plate as soon as it arrived.  As we all know, I LOVE CHEESE, and as far as I'm concerned, the more the better.  I was excited and dove right in.  The gooeyness was, of course, the first thing I noticed.  That along with a perfectly charred bread instantly put a smile on my face.  The super gooey texture of the Gouda blends well with the Havarti flavor, so the sandwich has a perfect balance between charred bread and gooey cheese.  Just looking at it right now makes my stomach growl again.  The only minor issue I encountered was that the crust seems dry because the cheese doesn't tend to ooze out of there as much as it does out of the center.  I solved this problem by eating the crust first (dipped in ketchup) and saving the cheesiest bites for last (I always save the very best bite for last, and you know you do too).

Colin had selected pastrami and Swiss with sauerkraut on rye.  He didn't have as much to say as I do because he was busy scarfing his down (I took that to be a good sign).  Since I'm not a mind reader I can't give you his bite by bite analysis, but he remarked on the sandwich's nice even melt.  His was gooey as well despite the abundance of non-gooey fillings like pastrami and sauerkraut.  He noted that for both of us the presentation is understated (a lonely sandwich on a white plate), but that the taste is excellent and more than makes up for what presentation may lack.

In summary, our visit showed us that Spacebar does well with both simple and complex sandwiches and we agreed that the trip was a success and that Spacebar will now be added to our regular restaurant rotation.  Plus, you gotta love the tots!

Onion Ring Grilled Cheese

This week continues my adventures in turning my favorite junk foods into grilled cheeses.  We've already covered pizza and mac and cheese, so now it's time to go to work with one of my all time favorite side dishes: onion rings.  I've adapted a recipe from the Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Academy, the source that gave us the brunch grilled cheese and the pilgrim.  Based on the resounding success of these two recipes I felt pretty good about creating my own spin on one of their creations.  The main modifications I made were: a different batter for the onions, onion rings instead of straws, and no cauliflower; but this probably doesn't mean much to you without first seeing what I did do, so here we go!

Ingredients:
* 4 ounces cheddar
* 4 ounces pepper jack
* Sourdough
* Yellow onion
* 1 egg
* 1 can of beer
* 1 tsp. garlic powder
* 1 cup flour
* Vegetable oil
(Ignore the olive oil in this photo-- not sure why I got it out).

The recipe I was modeling my sandwich on called for making a tempura style batter, but that required more ingredients than I was willing to buy, so instead I decided to go with a good old fashioned beer batter (finally I find a use for the Miller Lite that's been in my fridge since our house warming party about 3 months ago).  Making the batter was simple.  Mix together the flour, the egg and the garlic powder and add 1 cup of beer.

I'm sure this would be even better if you used fancy beer, but that's not how I roll (at least not tonight).

I set that aside while I cut up the onion.  I opted to cut it into thin-ish rings.

While I was making the batter and slicing the onions I was also heating about 3"-4" of olive oil in a large, deep pot.  The recipe advised letting it get up to 350 degrees, but since I don't have a thermometer I just left it on the burner on high and hoped for the best.  To determine if it was ready to go I coated one small onion in batter and carefully lowered it into the pot.  It started to sizzle immediately, so I knew we were good to go with the frying.

From there I started coating the onions in batter in small batches and CAREFULLY placing them in the pot.  The last thing you want in this scenario is scalding oil splashing up on you, so I found it best to use a fork to coat the onions in the batter and lower them into the pot, and tongs to remove the fried onions (when I used tongs for both steps, the batter on the tongs started to cook when I fished out the onions and I had a bit of a mess on my hands).

The onions didn't have to cook too long, just enough to get the outside nice and golden brown.

We continued working in small batches (me handling the batter and sous chef handling the frying)...

Until we had a nice little mound of homemade onion rings!

After lightly salting them and sampling one... or two... or several, we were ready to assemble our sandwiches.

I had already grated 4 ounces of cheddar and 4 ounces of pepper jack.  We only had enough bread to make 2 real sandwiches and one heel sandwich, so I actually would've grated a little more if we had 4 full sized sandwiches.

First I spread the cheddar evenly over three pieces of bread (that had been buttered on the opposite side).

Then came the onion rings-- PILED on, which was followed by the pepper jack-- sprinkled on.

Colin also added some of his super spicy peppers to his sandwich.  Clearly he hasn't learned from his painful (literally) experience with them a few weeks back.  I then topped the sandwiches with the other slices of bread (also buttered on one side).

I'd like to talk a bit about the thickness of the sandwich for a minute.  When we cooked the onion rings they had a tendency to all stick together as the batter fried up, so we actually had several large clumps of onion rings.  Rather than try and break them apart I opted to just pile them on the sandwich.  After all, we wanted to use all of them!

Next it was time to grill-- the cheese had been sitting next to the stove as we fried the onion rings, so it was already a little warm which meant it melted that much faster.  So after a few short minutes in the pan we were ready to serve!

Taste Review:

Throughout the cooking process, the strongest smell were the fried onions. Anytime you deep fry something I think you get a pretty strong deep fried aroma.  The first thing we tasted upon biting into the sandwich was the cheddar and the pepper jack. I was surprised to find that the pepper jack didn't overwhelm the cheddar, but acted as almost aftertaste.  It gave just the right hint of pepper without taking over. The onions in the beer batter were a little sweet and their crunchiness added a lot to the sandwich.

I was worried that the sourdough would be too dense of a bread given how much filling we were working with, but as usual it proved to be the perfect choice. The bread's density helps to contain the filling and compliments it with just the right flavor.

There's a lot of cheese around the edge of the sandwich (probably because it rolls off of the onion rings as it melts), so the first few bites around the edges are like a regular grilled cheese, but when you get to the onions, the sweet and spicy combo of the onions and pepper jack is so good!  Shockingly, Colin said "you don't need to add anything to this sandwich."  I think he could've done with not adding his hot peppers though!

Can you see his eyes welling up?  Well, I promise-- it was happening.

FINAL RESULTS:

Sandwich:	Onion Ring Grilled Cheese
Gooey-ness:	2.5
Aroma:	3.5
Appearance:	Looks a little like the brunch grilled cheese-- brown, white, and orange are the dominant colors.
Taste:	A

The only reason I don't give an A+ is because the sandwich is so heavy.  I wouldn't expect otherwise from any sandwich involving something deep fried, but it was still pretty intense.  Colin said he wished it was a little gooier, but I think more cheese might make this too much to handle.  Nonetheless, if I were to open a grilled cheese restaurant, this would be on the menu; and yay for acquiring a new skill-- deep frying.  I can't wait to try beer battering again with different seasonings incorporated.  My arteries are already excited.

Gooey Scale	Aroma Scale
1 = still cold/hard	1 = can’t smell a thing
2 = slightly melted but still firm	2 = tender waft
3 = melted evenly	3 = makes your stomach growl
4 = melted and slightly runny (starting to get those cheese strings between your sandwich and your mouth when you take a bite)	4 = strong scent
5 = runny	5 = overpoweringly pungent
6 = sloppy mess!