Last Man Standing

Although it's a one-step-forward, two-steps-back process around these parts, Spring is nearly here.

Thank the Maker. Soon, the dead things on this Earth will be gone and replaced by beautiful, living things.

And it is this profound thought that makes me think of my refrigerator.

The latest round of Refrigerator Purge turned up an interesting little jar of Fig Spread. The last man standing from the Christmas Food Basket gift from my parents. The cheese, the meats, the spiced pecans...long since gone. The Fig Jam was all that remained.

Until today. After consulting my Flavor Bible, I decided to do a Fig Jam and Manchego Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

The starting line-up here is quite simple. The long-neglected fig spread, cheese, bread, and butter.

I happen to own one of those really crummy cheap-wire cheese slicer...so naturally, my Manchego was coming off in thin, uneven, janky little pieces...which actually turned out best for sandwich making. I'd recommend thinner pieces as opposed to a thick piece for this particular project.

Butter one side of a piece of bread, spread a layer of jam on the other side. Place bread on a hot griddle, skillet, etc....

Do I really need to spell out how to make a grilled cheese sandwich?

Brown on both sides (two minutes each for my 400 degree griddle).

Cut in half, admire oozy white cheese, shove the entire thing in your mouth.

Done and done.

Repeat as necessary until Fig Spread is gone.

I think the reason the Fig Spread lasted so long in the fridge is because it's shot through with, like, 50 kinds of preservative sugar. It's very sweet and cloying, and that's why the salty, cheesy Manchego is the perfect foil.

Kind of like your favorite melodrama.

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To Thine Own Self, Be Food

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