A tip of the hat and a turn of the plate

Today I'm writing to show my love for a few of the classic dishes out there. I'm not talking coq au vin here, just good simple food. Emphasis on the "good" part. Case in point, my first dish.

Grilled Cheese.

Something of an American standby, good on its own or beside a big steamy bowl of tomato soup. Now, if you're going to make a tomato soup that requires more than a can opener and a microwave, shouldn't the sandwich match?
Step one to any great sandwich is great bread. I want something that's going to add a lot of it's own flavor. As much as I love good cheese (and believe me, I do love good cheese) simply cheese does not a great sandwich make. So for this, I'm breaking out the sourdough. A couple of nice big slices, I'd say just under half an inch thick.
Of course, you've got to butter your bread for a grilled cheese, but using plain butter just isn't going to cut it here. Flavor is your friend. I'd suggest a nice garlic-herb compound butter. A little garlic, salt and pepper, a bit of oregano... it's really up to you. If you're one who likes a nice crunchy pickle along side your sandwich, you might consider some dill in there.
Before the cheese hits, we need a spread. Today that spread is mustard. Good mustard. I'm a big fan of a nice dijon myself, and a good stone ground wouldn't go wanting either.
And now the finale... the cheese (thought it'd never come, didn't you?). If I had my way, one side would get fresh mozzarella and the other some good provolone. The middle layer would be some shavings of fresh parmesan (it won't take much, that stuff is pretty potent).

Throw both sides down over medium heat until the cheese is good and melted and the bread is beautiful and brown, then slap them together. Give it just enough time that the two halves start to melt together and make friendly, then move it to a plate and serve.

Next up, a dish that's a bit more fine-dining friendly (not that I wouldn't serve that grilled cheese at a nice place). Caprese salad - traditionally a salad of fresh mozzarella, plum tomatoes, and fresh basil - is an italian classic. Now, hand me a plate of fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, true fresh mozzarella cheese, and good fresh basil that was picked earlier that day and I will say nothing but "thank you". That said, I do like to play with my food... so here's my take on it.

Toasted Caprese (yeah, it's a sandwich).

This round we're starting off with a nice french baguette. Does it seem odd to combine french bread and italian ingredients? Maybe, but it tastes pretty awesome, so I'm not going to stop.
Here again a toasted sandwich means buttered bread, and here again we're not going to settle for just plain butter. A bit simpler this time, I suggest a nice garlic butter (I don't want to take away from the fresh basil by adding a bunch of other herbs).
Different bread, same spread. Give this one a bit of mustard (dijon is great) just like before.
And now the fun begins. Once again we're going to throw both slices of bread down over medium heat. One side gets fresh mozzarella and a nice slice of good ripe tomato. The other gets provolone and some whole pitted olives (I like a mix of black and green).
Same as before let the cheese get melty and the bread get golden-delicious. Just before you bring the two halves together into a beautiful case of culinary matrimony, throw down some fresh basil leaves. As soon as the greenery goes down, you want to get it out of the pan as soon as you can (no one wants wilty herbs). So grab it out, grab a plate, and get ready to enjoy.

Classics can be found anywhere from the finest restaurants to our fondest childhood memories. Some may not be thought of as fine dining fare, but if you give it a little love and some good ingredients, just about anything can be made to grace the best of tables.

But hey, this is coming from someone who eats half of his meals while sitting on his bed and playing on his computer. I may not have the best linens, but that doesn't mean I can't have the best food.