VGS Cooking Club: The Grilled Cheese (Nov. 2023)

[Gloves | 12,591]

Grilled Cheese

Wait, isn't that one guy like, dairy intolerant? Whoops! I hope Daiya tastes good! No but for real, there's the classic way and there's the one that has pears on it for some reason, and a ton of options in between. So let's see everyone's Grilled Cheese! 

This is our inaugural meal, so we'll be playing it a bit loose. If something doesn't work, say so and we can see where adjustments make sense as a group. 

The next thread/meal will start at the beginning of December, but even beyond that if you make a special Grilled Cheese you want to share, no harm in doing so! 

 

 

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Original post contents:

Spoiler

Let's discuss options for the first thing we want to cook/bake, and/or start putting together a list. Let's stick to one suggestion per person for now to give everyone a chance, or maybe give a short list in order of preference (in case your first suggestion isn't picked).

I'll start with a suggestion from me, though by no means do I need to go first:

Nian Gao

It's a traditional Chinese New Year sweet rice cake. Years and years ago when I was but a young lad, we'd go to this Chinese buffet in my hometown called "South China" and they had (I'm pretty sure) this. I spent years casually looking for what it could be, going off memories alone, and was unable to find anything. Finally, I did the smart thing and asked my brother if he knew what I was remembering. Dude sends me a recipe within minutes of messaging him on Discord. Frickin' heck, ,man.

I'm pretty confident that the buffet item was the Cantonese version based on "South China" being the restaurant name, and based on seeing many versions of the food being all pretty different from each other.

If we do this I'd open it to any interpretation (there are a number of ways to make this, and different styles). I personally would aim to do the Cantonese version which is fried and looks like this:

 

You can see a few iterations here: Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Cake): Meaning, Types, Recipe (chinahighlights.com)

 

[BlackVega | 583]

I can already post something related here: Japanese onigiri

[Link | 2,952]

My first suggestion is grilled cheese sandwich.

[Gloves | 12,591]

30 minutes ago, Link said:

My first suggestion is grilled cheese sandwich.

I really like this idea - so many ways to un-simple this simple food.

[fcgamer | 5,136]

For my suggestion down the line, it would be either ramen (not instant noodles) or beef noodles. These are both delicious and everyone has their own special recipe. Another one I'd like to see at some point would be meatloaf as well as Sheppard's/cottage/fish pie.

For a first meal, I'd gladly do grilled cheese and pair it with something (of your choice, I'd likely pair it with tomato soup personally), as it's a simple, non-intimidating way to open things.

[Gloves | 12,591]

Just now, fcgamer said:

For my suggestion down the line, it would be either ramen (not instant noodles) or beef noodles. These are both delicious and everyone has their own special recipe. Another one I'd like to see at some point would be meatloaf as well as Sheppard's/cottage/fish pie.

For a first meal, I'd gladly do grilled cheese and pair it with something (of your choice, I'd likely pair it with tomato soup personally), as it's a simple, non-intimidating way to open things.

Mmmmm meatloaf. I was literally just yesterday watching a video on meatloaf.

[Gloves | 12,591]

1 minute ago, fcgamer said:

For a first meal, I'd gladly do grilled cheese and pair it with something (of your choice, I'd likely pair it with tomato soup personally), as it's a simple, non-intimidating way to open things.

Oh yeah, and to this - I somewhat recently bought a small food processor explicitly to make soups and such. I've been making homemade tomato soup and it's so easy and way better than store-bought.

[fcgamer | 5,136]

Just now, Gloves said:

Mmmmm meatloaf. I was literally just yesterday watching a video on meatloaf.

I have a colleague from Toronto and his claim to fame was going to a meatloaf concert thirty years ago, was the video you were watching on the band or the food?

[fcgamer | 5,136]

1 minute ago, Gloves said:

Oh yeah, and to this - I somewhat recently bought a small food processor explicitly to make soups and such. I've been making homemade tomato soup and it's so easy and way better than store-bought.

Yeah, this was one of my motivations to learn to properly cook, I realized the food tasted better, was generally more healthy, and I felt more satisfied afterwards even if I ate smaller portions.

[Gloves | 12,591]

12 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

I have a colleague from Toronto and his claim to fame was going to a meatloaf concert thirty years ago, was the video you were watching on the band or the food?

The food lol.

[fcgamer | 5,136]

6 minutes ago, Gloves said:

The food lol.

Just had to ask.

[Jeevan | 9,352]

I plan on doing this here thingy Glovesy wovesy started, whether i can or not for a bit remains to be seen, but if the first one is grilled cheese im all in.  Love a good grilled cheese.  On that note, i will suggest some things, but i am busy irl at the moment and will have to look around and get some recipes/suggestions made.  If i were to make a first suggestion, it would be Cornbread, aka Cowboy cornbread known to me.  I think a good cornbread recipe, that is really an all in one meal, would be the way to go, ill share more info. when time comes.  It is more like a "casserole" to an extent.  So don't choose me to be first

[Jeevan | 9,352]

If anything, I can see this as a way to "improve" upon our recipes as a group.  Find different ways to do things, maybe new spices or techniques, i have been watching a lot of cooking shows recently........

[Gloves | 12,591]

Let's do Grilled Cheese, folks!

People seem to agree that it's a solid idea, so we'll call that the first meal. I'll keep a list on the main thread of suggestions so we don't lose 'em. 

For this one I think 3 weeks is plenty of time, so let's aim to all get a grilled cheese meal by the end of the month and share in here. Make sure to take photos, and let us know the process for making what you've made!

• @Gloves
• @Reed Rothchild
• @spacepup
• @Richardhead
• @Link
• @Jeevan
• @fcgamer
• @PII
• @SilverspoonGaming
• @BlackVega

 

If you're not on the list but want to be, lemme know!

@Murray? @Kguillemette?

[Link | 2,952]

15 minutes ago, Gloves said:

I'll keep a list on the main thread of suggestions so we don't lose 'em. 

I’m confused. Which is the main thread? This is now the grilled cheese thread, starting with nian gao? Or should I post a gc thread

[Kguillemette | 1,681]

Let's do it. I'm curious what my kids will eat if we start getting really creative! @Gloves

[Gloves | 12,591]

31 minutes ago, Link said:

I’m confused. Which is the main thread? This is now the grilled cheese thread, starting with nian gao? Or should I post a gc thread

I've not had the time to edit the first post cuz I'm out right now, but I was gonna just edit this thread. 

[doner24 | 1,235]

1 hour ago, Gloves said:

Let's do Grilled Cheese, folks!

People seem to agree that it's a solid idea, so we'll call that the first meal. I'll keep a list on the main thread of suggestions so we don't lose 'em. 

For this one I think 3 weeks is plenty of time, so let's aim to all get a grilled cheese meal by the end of the month and share in here. Make sure to take photos, and let us know the process for making what you've made!

• @Gloves
• @Reed Rothchild
• @spacepup
• @Richardhead
• @Link
• @Jeevan
• @fcgamer
• @PII
• @SilverspoonGaming
• @BlackVega

 

If you're not on the list but want to be, lemme know!

@Murray? @Kguillemette?

I’m in. Still haven’t done a grilled cheese on my Blackstones. 

[doner24 | 1,235]

36 minutes ago, Link said:

I’m confused. Which is the main thread? This is now the grilled cheese thread, starting with nian gao? Or should I post a gc thread

A nian gaorilled cheese 

[Hammerfestus | 4,210]

Aww hell yeah.  When I get home imma whip up a grilled cheese. I tend to add like meat and bacon and stuff so some might argue not grilled cheese but am I really supposed to not put meat on this?

[Gloves | 12,591]

6 minutes ago, Hammerfestus said:

Aww hell yeah.  When I get home imma whip up a grilled cheese. I tend to add like meat and bacon and stuff so some might argue not grilled cheese but am I really supposed to not put meat on this?

It's really however you like it - I'd say even if it's not actually grilled it's fine. Fry 'em up if you prefer!

[Link | 2,952]

54 minutes ago, Hammerfestus said:

am I really supposed to not put meat on this?

lol no

I often put salami in mine. But I’m not going to do that for this entry, I have more ideas.

[a3quit4s | 4,543]

I just made my son a grilled cheese lmao

potato bread, land o lakes yellow American, butter, ~teaspoon of water

i butter the pan not the bread and replace the butter when I flip it so it’s even. I cook it covered and when I flip I put the water on the pan to generate steam which I cover again. This is how you get a good melted cheese grilled cheese

Edited November 10, 2023 by a3quit4s

[Richardhead | 2,997]

1 hour ago, Hammerfestus said:

Aww hell yeah.  When I get home imma whip up a grilled cheese. I tend to add like meat and bacon and stuff so some might argue not grilled cheese but am I really supposed to not put meat on this?

As long as you don’t go posting it on r/grilledcheese you’ll be fine. Those people are savage when someone puts anything other than cheese on a grilled cheese. 

[Kguillemette | 1,681]

Grilled cheese month? Making grilled cheeses my kids eat has been a challenge for a while. They are pretty grilled cheesed out. This will be a fun challenge!