Tommy Guns - Sartori Pastorale, Salami, and Arugula Grilled Cheese

When you move to New York, certain things change. Things that you once didn't think twice about become things that you loathe, things that you question, and things that you might just be slightly horrified by. You can no longer buy a bunch of groceries and shove them in the back of your car that your parents paid for and drive home in the air conditioning without sweating your ass off. Using the word y'all directly indicates that you're not from around these parts. And getting your hair did is not something that was once a cheap and relaxing alternate route to happiness. No, these things, among others, aren't that important but really do take some getting used to.

The hair thing though, man, that was tough. Highlighting my hair used to be a quick, no-questions-asked way to perk me up and make me feel better about myself. Take the following scenarios for example: Breakup with a boy - get your hair dyed! Fail an exam - get your hair dyed! Crash that car that your parents paid for - get your hair dyed! Why? I have no idea, but I do know that this remedy was probably a lot better than the tanning craze that most of my fellow Floridian idiots were completely obsessed with plagued by. So this little vanity addiction, for me, was A-OK. 

But when I moved up here and brutally realized that a quick little visit to the salon was about 4 times the price compared to down South, I quickly decided that I might not be able to afford being a blonde anymore. So with that, the mission to find my real hair color began. Sounds exciting, huh? Yeah, not at all. My real hair color is a murky dishwater blonde that profoundly resembles the color of a sun bleached raccoon. I hate it and when I go back to Florida it's an easy marker for my old buds to guage how sick, unhealthy, and overworked I look.

But ya know what? I'm getting my hair dyed blonde today! I can't take it anymore, and I just made a bunch of money making grilled cheeses for Wisconsin Cheese at the IACP convention a few weeks back, so I'm doing it. And I'm doing it right. I'm going to Tommy Guns and tossing them my money without looking back. So quick, don't look back, make this sandwich and do it right! It's got some awesome paprika-dusted cheese, fresh arugula, dried salami, and rosemary infused olive oil. It pairs perfectly with a nice IPA or a fruity Sangria.

Get yourself some of this 'ish...

 Ingredients:

- 2 slices of multigrain bread
- 1 small handful of arugula
- 1 cup of Sartori Pastorale cheese, shredded
- 1 tbs of dried salami (cacciatorini)
- 1 tbs of olive oil
- 1 sprig of rosemary

First things first, plop down half of the grated cheese.

To be completely honest, out of all the cheese I got from Wisconsin, this one is my absolute favorite. It's made with sweet curds using a combination of sheep and cow milk and it's da bomb.com. It basically melts in your mouth and contrasts beautifully with some salty cured meat and peppery arugula. I dig it and I'm bummed that it's a limited time cheese. Wah wah.  So you bes' get yourself some soon before they run out.

Now add the meat! I used cacciatorni which is a small, dried stick of salami. It's sort of like beef jerky... only if beef jerky were soaked in a pool of ecstasy and crack. I only say this because it's super addicting, not because it gets you high or has any effect on the body other than satiation. At least mine didn't. Let me know if you find some that does.

Now add the rest of the cheese. See how simple this grilled cheese is? I love it. Just stack it all up. 

Throw on the top piece of bread and turn your burner to medium.

Drizzle some olive oil around the pan and add some broken up rosemary leaves. Place the sandwich in and wait patiently for about 4 minutes or until it gets all crispy and brown.

You can even put a press on it if you have one. It'll make the cheese melt faster and more evenly.  AND it will make it super flat, which is nice, if you're into that sort of thing.

Oh, and make sure to flip it to cook the other side.

 See? It's coming along nicely since you waited so politely. Gahhh!

Then when it's like that on both sides, take it off the grill and gently open it up. Place a small handful of arugula on top of the melted cheese and press it closed.

I didn't put the arugula on the sandwich pre-grill-time because I don't like the texture when it starts to cook. Some people are into t
hat though, some weird, weird people that you shouldn't look in the eyes.

You don't even have to wait to eat this little sammie! Go ahead, scarf it down right away.

And you've gotta get yourself an aggressive IPA to drink with this sweet and salty grilled cheese.

My buddy, fellow Thailand traveler, and Beer Guru Ale Sharpton says, "Athens, GA.'s own Terrapin Brewery unleashed the 12th edition of their prized double IPA, Hopzilla. At 10.8 percent ABV, this potent, fire-breathin' terror has a malty backbone of sweetness to balance out 110 IBUs (International Bitterness Units) of gangster hoppiness, plus fruity tasting notes including apricot and pineapple! With an ale this complex, I am sure you, MacKenzie the Grilled Cheese Queen, will have a ball finding the right cheeses and bread to pair with it! Let's dance!"

So yeah, I done did it, yo! And this is what you should do, too.

Besides, who doesn't want to get wasted and eat grilled cheese sandwiches ALL NIGHT LONG?

xoxo,

GCS