Grilled Cheese by Laura Washburn

Crisply toasted bread, gooey melted cheese and flavoursome relishes and pickles – the humble hot cheese sandwich is given the ultimate makeover in this book. 

Use this book to create the toastie with the mostie with the best ever recipe for Classic Grilled Cheese, as well as exciting variations. 

Serve up hearty yet Simple options such as the Montgomery Cheddar with Red Onion Chutney, Gruyère with Leek, and Smoked Provolone with Black Olives. 

Get the best out of your grilled cheese with the finest International flavours the world has to offer. 

Try the classic Croque Monsieur or Manchego with Chorizo and Padron Peppers. Fancy your grilled cheese down and ‘dirty’? 

Try Swiss Cheese with Chilli or Hot Dog with Sauerkraut and Mustard. 

Or bathe your grilled cheese in luxury with Gourmet recipes such as Tartiflette (reblochon and potato gratin with bacon) or Ricotta with Roasted Butternut Squash and Sage. 

Crunchy, golden, gooey and satisfying, Grilled Cheese will keep you warm all winter.

Grilled Cheese by Laura Washburn was published by Ryland, Peters and Small on 14 August 2014.

Hmmm, cheese on toast.  My all-time favourite go-to food, when I'm grumpy, or happy, or sad, or just fancy a nibble. As a child, my Mum would make cheese on toast for us as a special snack and for me, there is nothing quite like that oozy cheese on crunchy bread.  I love cheese, and I love it most when it is melted.

Grilled Cheese is a book that really does make my mouth water, although the title is a little misleading because the beautiful ideas in this book are not in fact grilled, but fried on a pan, making each one of them even more delicious and just a little bit naughty!

So, two slices of bread - any bread, but for me it has to be thick sliced white. Butter each slice and then pile on the inside ingredients, bang it in a pan, butter side down and sizzle until the bread is golden and the cheese is oozingly melted. Result? A fabulously, fantastic delight that cannot be beaten!.

Grilled Cheese takes you through the basics, with tips about what cheese to use, which is the best bread and how a particular frying pan will work so well.  There are so many different ideas for making the humble grilled cheese sandwich into something mouth-wateringly different. Each page is gloriously illustrated with a full colour picture, believe me, you WILL drool!

The ideas for these scrumptious sandwiches are divided up into:

• Simple: including Red Onion, Chutney & Chedder
• Global : including Tandoori Chicken & Mango Chutney with Paneer
• Wicked : including BBQ Ham Hock & Mac N Cheese
• Gourmet : including Pickled Beetroot, Goat's Cheese & Chilli Jam

This really is a fabulous little book.  It's colourful, easy to follow and has some wonderful combinations to try out.

My thanks to Polly from the publisher; Ryland, Peters and Small who sent my copy of Grilled Cheese.

Check out their website www.rylandpeters.com  they have some fabulous titles on offer.

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Laura Washburn was born in Los Angeles but studied at university in Paris. She went on to train at the prestigious Paris cooking school, Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne and work with Patricia Wells, best-selling author of A Food Lover’s Guide to Paris. She is now based in London, where she has recently acquired an MSc in Food Policy and works as a cookery teacher and food writer. For Ryland Peters & Small, she has written Cooking with Apples & Pears, The French Country Table, Home-cooked Comforts, Vegetarian Food for Kids and Tacos, Quesadillas & Burritos.

Follow her blog Bad Vinaigrette  Follow her on Twitter @bad_vinaigrette