I have been eating a fairly insane amount of grilled cheese sandwiches lately. I was eating them regularly before Ian went away for a week, when he left I ate them for at least 80% of all meals (or pickles in a mug, hummus with a spoon out of the container, etc.) The thing is, it’s pretty difficult to make a terrible grilled cheese, they’re always at least moderately delicious and you can make them out of any end pieces of cheese you might have lying around in your fridge drawer. There are times, however, when you feel like making a grilled cheese that is luxuriously, meltingly, oozingly perfect and this is a fine example of such a grilled cheese specimen.  Terra Breads in Vancouver makes this quadruple cheese sandwich and serves it with a house made ketchup, since I don’t ever have the foresight to make homemade grilled cheese condiments I eat mine with super vinegary cornichons and Heinz ketchup. I think that this sandwich works best with airy white bread, the bread and cheese seem to become a single unified heavenly substance when exposed to some gentle heat and a pat of butter.

terra breads inspired grilled cheese sandwich:

(makes enough for one grilled cheese sandwich)

2 slices of soft white Italian or French bread

Butter (salted or unsalted, depending on how salty you like your sandwiches to be)

1 thick slice of raclette cheese (Terra Breads uses a local company named Little Qualicum’s raclette cheese but Swiss raclette can be used interchangeably)

1 slice of plain mild Havarti

1 slice of an aged cheddar, I used a 3 year old from Quebec because anything older than this will be hard to slice without it crumbling

About 2 Tbsp. shredded aged Asiago cheese

Any condiments you might like with a delicious grilled cheese sandwich

1. Begin by heating a skillet over medium heat. Butter each side of the bread before layering the 4 cheeses on top (the order is entirely up to you.) Either melt a small amount of butter in the skillet or use non-stick spray if this is beginning to sound like slight butter overload.

2. Place the sandwich directly onto the hot skillet and press down lightly with a spatula or pot lid. Allow the sandwich to cook for a few minutes or until golden brown before flipping over and cooking until the second side matches the first. Serve immediately, preferably to yourself and with a good book as an accompaniment.

I am fascinated by songs with a completely different beginning and end, especially when they begin rather melancholic and shift suddenly into songs that have one dancing about their kitchen while making grilled cheese sandwiches. I love this band so much, even when they’re sad they sound happy. The potentially hectic combination of world music, 80s synth and twee pop is actually quite brilliant and seamless as each song moves in and out of musical direction; simply put this whole album, with this song in particular, makes me feel overwhelmingly happy to be alive in the springtime.

The Ruby Suns – Morning Sun