It was one of those days that started off cool and damp and then ended up hot and humid. I couldn’t decide if I wanted a coffee or a glass of wine, so imagine my joy when I stumbled along a coffee infused wine. Café Culture Coffee Mocha is a 2015 pinotage that has a medium ruby red color and has “intense coffee, dark chocolate and smoky aromas, along with flavors of berries.”

Some key words to note are medium bodied and intense coffee aromas. What this translated into for me was actually a rather strong wine with more of an espresso-type aftertaste. As I tend to gravitate towards light and fruity wines, it was a bit strong for me, but anyone who likes a more robust wine will be pleased.

The Maple Dale Caribbean style cheddar cheese I paired it with was a delight and novelty to my taste buds. It was infused with jalapeno peppers and sundried tomatoes. This cheese hails from Plainfield, Ontario, about ten kilometers from the city of Belleville.

Since it had jalapenos, I suspected it would be spicy. At first taste, it’s like a regular, fairly mild cheddar, but as it hits your throat, the spiciness explodes gently with a good little bite. After a few bites, the fire spread to my mouth long enough to prompt another sip of the caffeinated wine.

To my dismay, I realized that I didn’t have any meat product to accompany my little snack. I searched desperately through the fridge, pushing the fruits and veggies aside impatiently and sighing in frustration. I could not snack on cheese alone, I decided, realizing I was far too hungry.

Spying the nice fresh loaf of sliced-bread I’d purchased earlier, a jar of mayonnaise, and the assortment of cheeses, an idea formed and a deluxe grilled cheese sandwich came to fruition as the end result. I sliced into it eagerly and watched the melted blend of cheeses temptingly ooze out before dipping an impatient finger into it and scooping it into my mouth. I eagerly anticipated my first bite….

Cheers my friends,
Judy

The below is a potential recipe for Book 3, Feta and the Fat Bastard. Last week I wrote about the Hungarian grilled cheese. Which recipe should make it into the book? Please feel free to comment.

Deluxe grilled cheese sandwich
-Sliced sandwich bread works best, 2 slices
-mix of your favorite cheeses. I had a slice of processed cheese, as well as thin slices of old cheddar and the Caribbean cheese. I often like to add Feta as well, but didn’t have any on hand. Any cheese that melts well will turn out great.
-mayonnaise (about 2 small teaspoons or less)
Place a non-stick pan on the stove burner set to medium heat. While waiting for it to warm up, spread about a small teaspoon on the side of the bread that will meet the frying pan. Spread evenly so that all parts of the bread are coated and then place in pan. Quickly add your assortment of cheese to that slice, then prepare the 2nd slice of bread as noted above with the mayonnaise. Place that over the cheese layer with mayonnaise side facing the ceiling. Gently checking the bottom of the sandwich every so often, flip once it’s nice and toasted and reaches the color you like. Repeat with the rest of the sandwich, remove from heat, slice and enjoy.