Trinculo's Cafe: Exploring the Epicurean with The Stray Gourmet

You're going to get mighty frazzled with all the holiday cooking and baking coming up, so we'd like to share a quartet of recipes that are no-fuss, foolproof people-pleasers. Great for lunch with a salad or a casual dinner with salad and some homemade soup, you'll be rewarded with big smiles as your family and friends bite into these hearty beauties!

Vampire-Proof Grilled Cheese 8 thick slices of sourdough rye bread 6 cloves garlic, halved ź lb. thinly sliced sharp cheddar ź cup chopped fresh chives or green onion ź lb. thinly sliced or shredded white melting cheese such as Jack, Muenster or mild Asiago. Preheat the broiler. Lightly toast the bread on a baking sheet under the broiler. Rub both sides with garlic. Chop any leftover garlic and set it aside for a moment. Lay the cheddar over the top of the garlic-rubbed toasts, sprinkle with leftover chopped garlic, then with chives, and top with the second cheese. Broil until the cheese melts and sizzles, lightly browning in spots, and the edges of the toast are crisp and brown. Serve right away, hot and oozing. French Grill ź lb. Gruyére cheese, grated 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon (or ž tsp dried) ˝ stick (4 TBSP) softened butter 8 slices sturdy potato bread ź lb. sliced Black Forest Ham 4 TBSP Dijon mustard In a small bowl, mix together the cheese and tarragon. Set aside. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place 4 slices on your work surface, buttered side down. Scatter the cheese mixture evenly over the 4 slices. Cover the cheese with the ham, folding it to fit if necessary. Spread the mustard on the remaining 4 bread slices and places them on top of the ham, mustard side down. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Put the sandwiches in the skillet - two at a time, if necessary - cover, and cook for 2 minutes or until the undersides are golden brown and the cheese has begun to melt. Uncover, and turn the sandwiches with a spatula, pressing firmly to flatten them slightly. Cook for 1 minute or until the undersides are golden brown. Turn the sandwiches again, press with the spatula and cook for 30 seconds or until the cheese has melted completely. Serve immediately, with extra mustard on the side. Grilled Ham & Cheddar with Apple ˝ stick (4 TBSP) softened butter 8 slices sourdough bread ź pound Virginia ham, cut into 4 slices 1 small peeled Granny Smith apple, grated ˝ lb. medium or sharp Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place four slices on your work surface, buttered side down. Place a slice of ham on each bread slice. Top with grated apple followed by the cheese. Place the remaining four bread slices on top, buttered side up. Press down to compress sandwich. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Put the sandwiches in the skillet - two at a time, if necessary - cover, and cook for 2 minutes or until the undersides are golden brown and the cheese has begun to melt. Uncover, and turn the sandwiches with a spatula, pressing firmly to flatten them slightly. Cook for 1 minute or until the undersides are golden brown. Turn the sandwiches again, press with the spatula and cook for 30 seconds or until the cheese has melted completely. Serve immediately, with extra mustard on the side. Grilled Dill Surprise 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 cup cooked, chopped spinach, drained and squeezed dry 8 slices multigrain bread ź lb. dill Havarti cheese, sliced In a heavy nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, warm the garlic in one tablespoon of the olive oil, then add the spinach and cook together 1 minute to warm through. On four slices of the bread arrange the cheese, then top with the spinach and a second piece of bread. Press together to seal well, then lightly brush the outside of the sandwiches with the remaining olive oil. Brown the sandwiches in the skillet, pressing down on them. Cook until lightly crisped and golden on one side, then turn and brown the second side. When cheese is melted the sandwich is ready. Cut diagonally and serve right away.