cheese

I liked but never loved Greek salads until I tried them in Greece. At the height of Summer, even the red onions are so sweet and tame, I could eat chunks of them like apples. I never met a mealy nor sour tomato, just tomatoes so ripe they didn't even need a sprinkle of salt to draw out their perfect flavor. And the feta. Can we stop a second to describe the crumbly, umami-filled feta, sliced ever-so-thinly and sprinkled with the most fragrant oregano that I can't help but imagine the restaurants plucked it from their backyard bushes?

While it has been four years since my last visit to Greece, the memories linger vehemently. I've tried my best to re-create and somewhat American-ize the recipe, so you can enjoy the salad at home.

We've got a new partnership with the recipe, equipment, and product testing gurus at America's Test Kitchen. They'll be sharing some of their time-tested recipes and technical expertise with us weekly. Today, recipe developer and grilled cheese queen Yvonne Ruperti shows us how to make DIY American cheese; consider it an ooey, gooey, cheesy paean to the grilled cheese sandwich.

I'm not afraid to admit that I love American cheese (yes, like Kraft Singles) by itself, on a grilled cheese sandwich, on a cheeseburger, or even just slapped onto a plate until it's nice and gooey (a childhood pleasure that I never outgrew).

But what exactly is American cheese? I have to think it's the answer to that exact question that's given the stuff such a bad rap. The American cheese you find in the supermarket refrigerator case isn't cheese made in the traditional way (milk that's formed into curds and pressed). Instead, it's either a blend of cheese and additives, or it's a highly processed mixture of ingredients such as water, milk, milk fat, protein, whey, food coloring, flavorings, and emulsifiers. The result is a processed cheese with a mild flavor that melts incredibly well. I wanted to get as close as possible to the taste and texture of American cheese using only pantry ingredients and a food processor. A little tinkering proved I didn't need much; the key was quickly melting together a mix of milk, cheese, and a few other ingredients (including plenty of salt), then giving it a chance to set up with the help of a little gelatin.

By making your own American cheese, you will know exactly what went into it, and you can also include add-ins such as black pepper, roasted red peppers . . . you name it. As I concocted my version of American cheese in the test kitchen, not only did I draw a crowd of curious onlookers, I caused all of the snooty foodies to run for the hills. But that's okay with me; they can keep their Époisses and Robiola — I'm completely content eating my perfectly melty, toasted grilled cheese with American cheese any day of the week.

Keep reading for the recipe.

This is quite possibly the fanciest, most insanely good ham and cheese toastie on the planet. The secret ingredient is Humboldt Fog, a surface-ripened, ash-coated goat cheese. The inside tastes chalky and sour like a standard chèvre, but the outside is oozy and silky like brie. Easily spreadable and meltable, it makes one killer grilled cheese sandwich.

Paired with prosciutto (a thinly sliced dry-cured ham) and cinnamon raisin bread, this sandwich will have you wondering why you've been making basic grilled cheeses. Try this for a special morning meal or for a midnight snack. Your taste buds will thank you.

Get the recipe when you keep reading.

I'm rarely inclined to re-create a restaurant dish at home, as they often involve multiple components best executed in a setting where a coterie of chefs and prep cooks can pitch in to their prep. That said, I knew I'd have to break my rule after obsessing over a biscuit topped with pimento cheese, prosciutto, and microgreens at California's Artisan Cheese Festival.

Thankfully, none of the components involved are particularly trying to produce. Pimento cheese involves little more than a few swipes of a grater; drop biscuits are a dump-and-stir operation; the other ingredients are a mere matter of sourcing. Combine these all into a rustic finger food, and the result is a hearty appetizer far greater than the sum of their already dangerously enticing parts. Make them yourself, and I'm sure you'll agree.