On Mon 23 Feb 2009 10:54:44a, notbob told us...

> I have a friend (hard to believe, I know!) who opened a combo coffee
> cafe and chocolate shop. He's anal about coffee and his wife is the
> chocolatier. As with most new businesses, it's hard to build a rep and
> get started. Fortunately, he's hit upon a niche food that seem to be
> attracting the otherwise non-attracted student population (college
> town), the lowly grilled cheese sandwich. He's so surprised by the
> success of this simple food offering, he muses he'd have been better off
> opening a grilled cheese sandwich shop.
>
> Anyway, howzabout we explore ....one more time!.... the subtleties of
> this classic American invention. I've discovered I love the basic
> grilled cheese of Kraft American cheese on two slices of multigrain
> bread, buttered on the outside and some kinda mustard on one interiour
> slice. I've also tried variations, including swiss or other cheeses
> with sriracha chili sauce or horse radish, or some really hot mustards.
>
> You?
>
> nb
>

Most times I prefer the traditional white bread with Kraft American or
Kraft Cheddar sliced cheese, buttered on the outside. On occasion I will
add cooked bacon or a thin slice of tomato inside. I generally don't put
condiments inside the sandwich, although I might dip the outside edge of
the sandwich in mustard as I eat it.

My favorite combination is a grilled cheese sandwich (as above) with a bowl
of cream of tomato soup.

--
Wayne Boatwright

"One man's meat is another man's poison"
- Oswald Dykes, English writer, 1709.

On 2009-02-23, Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

> My favorite combination is a grilled cheese sandwich (as above) with a bowl
> of cream of tomato soup.

A classic combination. Maybe we can explore homemade tomato soup, next.

nb

On Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:21:19 GMT, notbob > wrote:

>On 2009-02-23, Wayne Boatwright > wrote:
>
>> My favorite combination is a grilled cheese sandwich (as above) with a bowl
>> of cream of tomato soup.
>
>A classic combination. Maybe we can explore homemade tomato soup, next.

I'll sure pay attention to that in lurker mode !!

Lou

On Mon 23 Feb 2009 12:29:48p, Lou Decruss told us...

> On Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:21:19 GMT, notbob > wrote:
>
>>On 2009-02-23, Wayne Boatwright > wrote:
>>
>>> My favorite combination is a grilled cheese sandwich (as above) with a
>>> bowl of cream of tomato soup.
>>
>>A classic combination. Maybe we can explore homemade tomato soup, next.
>>
>
> I'll sure pay attention to that in lurker mode !!
>
> Lou
>

Lou, this isn't homemade, but I like to take a can of stewed tomatoes and
puree in the food processor, then stir in half-and-half or heavy cream and
heat to serving temperature.

--
Wayne Boatwright

"One man's meat is another man's poison"
- Oswald Dykes, English writer, 1709.

In article 7>,
Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

> On Mon 23 Feb 2009 12:29:48p, Lou Decruss told us...
>
> > On Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:21:19 GMT, notbob > wrote:
> >
> >>On 2009-02-23, Wayne Boatwright > wrote:
> >>
> >>> My favorite combination is a grilled cheese sandwich (as above) with a
> >>> bowl of cream of tomato soup.
> >>
> >>A classic combination. Maybe we can explore homemade tomato soup, next.
> >>
> >
> > I'll sure pay attention to that in lurker mode !!
> >
> > Lou
> >
>
> Lou, this isn't homemade, but I like to take a can of stewed tomatoes and
> puree in the food processor, then stir in half-and-half or heavy cream and
> heat to serving temperature.

I most often cheat and use tomato paste...
--
Peace! Om

I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe. -- Dalai Lama

On Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:18:44 GMT, "l, not -l" > wrote:

>
>On 23-Feb-2009, Wayne Boatwright > wrote:
>
>> Lou, this isn't homemade, but I like to take a can of stewed tomatoes and
>> puree in the food processor, then stir in half-and-half or heavy cream
>> and
>> heat to serving temperature.
>
>Before reitiring in '04, I spent 10 years in a job that required 40-50% of
>my workdays on the road, to only a handful of cities. One of them was
>Charlotte NC, where I often ate at a restaurant that had the most delicious
>tomato soup I have ever had, Smokey Tomato. Since I no longer have the
>occasion to travel to Charlotte, I have resorted to trying to make my own;
>after several attempts, I have come close to duplicating the taste I
>remember.
>
>I halve and hickory smoke Roma tomatoes in my Cameron StoveTop Smoker; after
>they cool enough to handle, I slip the skins off and remove the seeds.
>Then, puree the tomatoes, add a small can of tomato paste and heavy cream to
>thicken.
>
>Might be pretty tasty with a grilled cheese; but, a heartier cheese than
>American, perhaps sharp cheddar, would probably be needed to go with the
>smokey tomato.


What is the restaurant? We are not too far from Charlotte and when we
get there again I may try it.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

l, not -l wrote:


> It was either Capital Grille or Bistro 100; those were my two most
> frequented restaurants when in Charlotte. The most memorable dishes were
> the Smokey Tomato soup and the Braised Beef Cheeks (those were definitely at
> Bistro 100). I've not found a source for beef cheeks here (STL) to try my
> hand at making that dish.
>
> Of course, the last time I was there was Octover 2004; in the restraurant
> business, that could be a lifetime. The menus could be totally different or
> the restaurants gone; given Charlotte's economy being so heavily dependent
> on banking, I'm sure expense-account and bonus-pay dining has declined.

Capital Grille is a fairly large and well respected chain and they still
have a restaurant in Charlotte. I didn't see your Smokey Tomato soup on
their posted menu (doesn't mean they don't or won't serve it) but it
sure sounds like a recipe I'd want to try.

Doing mussels tonight in a rich broth -- it's one of those "soupy" days
here.

--Lin

On Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:18:44 GMT, l, not -l wrote:
>
> Before reitiring in '04, I spent 10 years in a job that required 40-50% of
> my workdays on the road, to only a handful of cities. One of them was
> Charlotte NC, where I often ate at a restaurant that had the most delicious
> tomato soup I have ever had, Smokey Tomato. Since I no longer have the
> occasion to travel to Charlotte, I have resorted to trying to make my own;
> after several attempts, I have come close to duplicating the taste I
> remember.
>
> I halve and hickory smoke Roma tomatoes in my Cameron StoveTop Smoker; after
> they cool enough to handle, I slip the skins off and remove the seeds.

i'd be interesting in hearing what other uses you put the stove-top smoker
to, l.

your pal,
blake

l, not -l wrote:
>>
>> Before reitiring in '04, I spent 10 years in a job that required 40-50%
>> of
>> my workdays on the road, to only a handful of cities. One of them was
>> Charlotte NC, where I often ate at a restaurant that had the most
>> delicious
>> tomato soup I have ever had, Smokey Tomato. Since I no longer have the
>> occasion to travel to Charlotte, I have resorted to trying to make my
>> own;
>> after several attempts, I have come close to duplicating the taste I
>> remember.
>>
>> I halve and hickory smoke Roma tomatoes in my Cameron StoveTop Smoker;
>> after
>> they cool enough to handle, I slip the skins off and remove the seeds.
>
>

A lot of effort for nothing... no restaurant is gonna be smoking, peeling,
and seeding... that's ye olde southern greezy spoon recipe, slowly simmer
each #10 tin of tomato soup with a couple tube steak.

On Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:12:20 GMT, "l, not -l" > wrote:

>
>On 24-Feb-2009, blake murphy > wrote:
>
>> i'd be interesting in hearing what other uses you put the stove-top smoker
>> to, l.
>>
>> your pal,
>> blake
>
>Just about anything that will fit in it, and a few things that don't fit
>well; I am cooking for two, so don't need large quantities. Over the past
>few months, I have used it with a slab of St. Louis style ribs (hickory),
>small pork shoulder (mesquite) for carnitas, Boston Butt sliced into steaks
>(hickory), flank steak (mesquite) for fajitas, brisket (hickory), boneless
>country-style pork ribs (applewood). I have done chicken quarter before,
>quite a long time ago, as well as spatchcocked Cornish hens.
>
>For items requiring long cooking times, I do the initial smoking on the
>stovetop (20-30 minutes), then move the whole smoker into the oven and
>finish cooking for however long is necessary.

How much smoke/smell gets into the room air?

Lou

On Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:34:45 GMT, l, not -l wrote:

> On 24-Feb-2009, Lou Decruss > wrote:
>
>>>> i'd be interesting in hearing what other uses you put the stove-top
>>>> smoker
>>>> to, l.
>>>>
>>>> your pal,
>>>> blake
>>>
>>>Just about anything that will fit in it, and a few things that don't fit
>>>well; I am cooking for two, so don't need large quantities. Over the
>>>past
>>>few months, I have used it with a slab of St. Louis style ribs (hickory),
>>>small pork shoulder (mesquite) for carnitas, Boston Butt sliced into
>>>steaks
>>>(hickory), flank steak (mesquite) for fajitas, brisket (hickory),
>>>boneless
>>>country-style pork ribs (applewood). I have done chicken quarter
>>>before,
>>>quite a long time ago, as well as spatchcocked Cornish hens.
>>>
>>>For items requiring long cooking times, I do the initial smoking on the
>>>stovetop (20-30 minutes), then move the whole smoker into the oven and
>>>finish cooking for however long is necessary.
>>
>> How much smoke/smell gets into the room air?
>>
>> Lou
>
> I get a very mild smell of the smoke pretty much throughout the house
> (1400sft); but, not enough to be unpleasant, about the level of intensity a
> baking cake would give off. There is a smoke detector in the room adjacent
> to the kitchen that has never gone off while the smoker is in use, though it
> always goes off when something spills-over in the oven.
>
> I would liken it to the same smell I get when a neighbor fires up a smoker
> in their yard in spring, when I have windows open.

i was wondering about the smoke detector thing, too. thanks for this and
your other response, l.

your pal,
blake

On Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:34:45 GMT, "l, not -l" > wrote:

>
>On 24-Feb-2009, Lou Decruss > wrote:

>> How much smoke/smell gets into the room air?
>>
>> Lou
>
>I get a very mild smell of the smoke pretty much throughout the house
>(1400sft); but, not enough to be unpleasant, about the level of intensity a
>baking cake would give off. There is a smoke detector in the room adjacent
>to the kitchen that has never gone off while the smoker is in use, though it
>always goes off when something spills-over in the oven.
>
>I would liken it to the same smell I get when a neighbor fires up a smoker
>in their yard in spring, when I have windows open.

Thanks for the info. I was just curious. I have a smoker and
sometime for smaller items I use the weber kettle and my clothes
always stink big time when I'm using them. I'll change clothes before
I eat if possible. The stove top smokers always sounded odd but it
doesn't sound that bad I guess.

Lou

On Mon 23 Feb 2009 12:21:19p, notbob told us...

> On 2009-02-23, Wayne Boatwright > wrote:
>
>> My favorite combination is a grilled cheese sandwich (as above) with a
>> bowl of cream of tomato soup.
>
> A classic combination. Maybe we can explore homemade tomato soup, next.
>
>
> nb

Along the sandwich line, I should have added that I like to make a grilled
cheese with seeded rye and either Swiss, Gruyere, or Emanthaler, grilled in
the same fashion. Good served with dark German mustard.

--
Wayne Boatwright

"One man's meat is another man's poison"
- Oswald Dykes, English writer, 1709.

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

>
> My favorite combination is a grilled cheese sandwich (as above) with a bowl
> of cream of tomato soup.
>

Yes!

Wayne Boatwright wrote:


> My favorite combination is a grilled cheese sandwich (as above) with a bowl
> of cream of tomato soup.
>
When I think back to my childhood lunches, grilled cheese sandwiches
with tomato soup stands out. I can no longer stomach Campbells soups,
but a nice tomato or cream of tomato might still be in order.

On Feb 23, 3:09*pm, Dave Smith > wrote:
> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> > My favorite combination is a grilled cheese sandwich (as above) with a bowl
> > of cream of tomato soup.
>
> When I think back to my childhood lunches, grilled cheese sandwiches
> with tomato soup stands out. *I can no longer stomach Campbells soups,
> but a nice tomato or cream of tomato might still be in order.

Campbell's Tomato Bisque made with whole milk or half & half is really
very nice. Especially with a sprinkle of basil.
Lynn in Fargo

"Lynn from Fargo Ografmorffig" > wrote in message
...
On Feb 23, 3:09 pm, Dave Smith > wrote:
> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> > My favorite combination is a grilled cheese sandwich (as above) with a
> > bowl
> > of cream of tomato soup.
>
> When I think back to my childhood lunches, grilled cheese sandwiches
> with tomato soup stands out. I can no longer stomach Campbells soups,
> but a nice tomato or cream of tomato might still be in order.

Campbell's Tomato Bisque made with whole milk or half & half is really
very nice. Especially with a sprinkle of basil.
Lynn in Fargo
>
I don't like cream-of soups...tomato eggdrop.