A Taste for Travel? Try this Serrano Ham and Cheese Sandwich

 

Food and travel go hand-in-hand. You simply cannot visit a place without tasting at least some of its cuisine. Fortunately, even when you are not traveling you can still experience some of that cuisine at home.

For example, if you are thinking about Spain then you might enjoy a little snack to enhance those memories, such as the recipe for this open-faced Spanish style sandwich. It is simple to make. The ingredients are premium Serrano ham, a choice of Brie, Camembert, or a soft cheese from Spain, a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, and some slightly toasted bread, such as sliced sourdough.

Simply toast the bread, add a bit of cheese, lay a piece of Serano ham across it, and lightly drizzle with olive oil.

Enjoy with your beverage of choice, such as a glass of Rioja, or even a California Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.

Find Serrano ham online at the Spanish Table, and olive oil from Wild Groves.

 

4 TASTY PICKS: What & Where TasteTV Editors have Eaten Recently

TasteTV editors love to find great food & drink. They search around the world for places and creators to recommend.

Here are 4 tasty picks from San Francisco (most deliver food too):

RECIPES: Korean Hot Bite Burger & Orient Cheese Burger from Chef Elizabeth Haigh

Jarlsberg® Cheese has shared with TasteTV two recipes for delicious cheese burgers from internationally acclaimed chef Elizabeth Haigh, considered as a shining star on the London culinary scene.

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Oven-Baked Buffalo Chicken and Crispy Skin Mac ‘n’ Cheese by Laura Werlin

For families and singles who are tired of fast food and heat-and-serve meals, Parrano cheese has released a tasty new Mac ‘n’ Cheese recipe with cheese guru and author Laura Werlin.

Oven-Baked Buffalo Chicken and Crispy Skin Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Chicken and Crispy Skin

  • 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, skin on
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp hot sauce or buffalo wing sauce
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Carefully remove the skin, in one piece, from the chicken breasts. Cut the meat into 1/2” pieces. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally until the meat is no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a bowl. Add the hot sauce and stir to combine. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel, then reheat it over medium-high heat. Add the chicken skin. Cook until golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Use a spatula to flatten the skin, as necessary. Turn and cook the other side until browned and very crisp, about 5-7 minutes.

Remove skins to a paper towel lined plate. When cool, break into pieces.

Mac ‘n’ Cheese

  • 1 lb small pasta (shells or elbows)
  • 4 tbsp salted butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 4 cups milk, whole or reduced fat
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 24 oz Parrano cheese, grated, divided use (about 8 cups)
  • 8 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 8 oz cream cheese, cut into 1/2” pieces
  • 3/4 cup hot sauce (use more if you like it hot!)
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 8 celery stalks, cut into 1/4” dice
  • 3/4 cup chives, finely chopped

Preparation

Prepare the pasta according to the package directions, to the al dente stage. Drain. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes, until the mixture begins to darken and smell a bit nutty. Slowly whisk in the milk, heavy cream and salt. Cook about 5-7 minutes, until it begins to thicken and bubble around the edges. Add 6 cups of the Parrano cheese, the gorgonzola, cream cheese, hot sauce and dry mustard. Stir until the cheeses are melted and the sauce is thickened. Add the pasta, chicken, celery and chives. Stir to combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining Parrano cheese and crispy, chicken skin. Place the baking dish on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake until bubbling and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.

 

Parrano cheese can be found in retail stores, as well as at https://www.parrano.com/

About Parrano
Parrano captures two of the world’s greatest cheeses in one wheel; Gouda and Parmesan. After aging for 5 months, Parrano develops a firm and smooth texture typically found in a Gouda with the nutty flavor and buttery aroma of a well-aged Parmesan. Perfect for slicing and shredding, Parrano is an tasty accompaniment to sandwiches, paninis, salads, soups

Two Great Recipes from the Grilled Cheese & Beer Cookbook

Grilled Cheese is near the top of the all time list of North America COMFORT FOODS. It is easy to make, quick, versatile, tasty, and inexpensive. A 7 year old could make one, as well as a money challenged college student, or a cutting edge gastropub chef.

The Grilled Cheese & Beer Cookbook arrives just in time for the renaissance of appreciation for the grilled cheese. The book has a passion for all things grilled cheese and beer, with easy-to-follow instructions that make it perfect for any skill level. It contains over 50 one-of-a-kind grilled cheese sandwich recipes, perfectly paired with craft beers designed to draw out the full flavor of each ingredient.

Some of the recipes in the cookbook include Bacon Me Crazy, Muenster Mash, Dragon Ball Cheese, Revenge of the Swiss, and Not Your Dad’s Fried Bologna.

Here are two two cheesy recipes straight from the cookbook.

Recipe #1: Johnny Apple Cheese

Ingredients:
2 slices whole grain bread
4 slices Adirondack cheddar cheese
1 granny smith apple
3 strips of bacon

Directions: Grease one side of each slice of bread and place in a pan on medium heat, greased side down. Place the cheddar on the bread so that all of the bread is covered. Thinly slice the granny smith apple and place it on one slice of bread so the cheese and bread are completely covered. Add bacon strips to the other slice of bread and cheese. Once the cheese is melted, put the sandwich together and tada! You are all set.

Beer Pairing: This one has a lot to work with for something so simple. A good European-style lager will do well to complement the sharpness of the cheddar and the smoky flavor from the bacon. Heineken and Grolsch would both do fine, but for those looking to accentuate the apple, why not try it with a cider? Although not beer, anyone trying this on a warm sunny day shouldn’t shy away from a nice Angry Orchard or Naked Flock to hit the notes a beer wouldn’t.

 

 

Recipe #2: Ménage à Cinq

Ingredients:
3 slices of sourdough bread
2 slices of cheddar cheese
1 slice mozzarella cheese
1 slice of Muenster cheese
1 slice pepper jack cheese
1 slice provolone cheese
1/4 avocado

Directions: Grease one side of each slice of bread and place in a pan on medium heat, greased side down. Cover all three slices with cheese (in no particular order). Once the cheese is melted, put avocado on two slices. Slap it together and enjoy!

Beer Pairing: This is our ode to one of our favorite show, The League. Except, instead of it being Andre’s swanky wine bar, it’s a delicious sandwich paired with a light refreshing lager—one with some punch behind it. Otter Creek’s Citra Mantra is a pretty good bet if you can find it. If not, the guys on the show always prefer Stella Artois or Bud Light. Old post office boxes are a pretty sweet idea for a bar, though. Right?

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Kevin VanBlarcum is a brewer at Keegan Ales in Kingston, NY. After graduating from the University at Albany, he began pursuing a career in the brewing industry. Born and raised in the Catskill Mountains, Kevin currently resides in Pine Hill, New York. James Edward “Eddie” Davis has honed his skills as a chef from Brooklyn, NY to the Catskills. Eddie fell in love with the culinary arts and began to hone his skills at a local favorite, The Caboose.

 

GRILLED CHEESE & BEER
Written by Kevin VanBlarcum & James Edward Davis
978-1-57826-653-1, $16.95 paperback
978-1-57826-654-8, $12.99 eBook

Find it on Amazon here.

Published by Hatherleigh Press.
Distributed through Penguin Random House.
Available wherever books are sold.
www.hatherleighpress.com

Gift Guide: Global Flavors for the World Traveler

A picture is worth a thousand words, but if you really want to evoke a memory of a distant land, the smells and tastes are sometimes even better. We’ve picked some great foodie gifts for the person in your life (or yourself) who loves to travel.

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