my life, as told in grilled-cheese flashbacks

Today, I took 148 pictures of grilled cheese. Is that ridiculous or what? I was trying to get the best angle. That is my excuse, anyhow. I have been in love with grilled cheese since I was five. I have many memories tied up with this most perfect of sandwiches, including almost burning down our house when I was in fifth grade.

I'd walked home from school that day to make myself a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. (They let you leave school for lunch back then: this was before the wheel was invented.) The fire wasn't about the sandwich, it started from the candle I'd lit in my bedroom. (I write this with a candle burning beside me, so, apparently I learned nothing from this escapade.) Don't ask my why I ran up to my bedroom to light a candle then forget about it when I was only home for thirty minutes before I had to dash back to school. Even though the fire was not from the grilled cheese, I still associate the two. Don't worry, a neighbor saw the smoke pouring out of my window and called the fire truck. It came in time to save the house, though my room was ruined, along with all my stuffed animals, which I thought of as family members.

Another grilled cheese memory was a road trip I made with my great aunt Ruth when I was twelve. We were going from Pittsburgh, PA to Lake Temagami, Ontario: a twelve-hour drive, though with Ruth it was a twenty-hour drive, as she was an exceedingly cautious driver, who liked to drive comfortably below the speed limit. It was a major coup that I got to go by car with her, when my sisters, cousins and grandmother all had to go by Greyhound bus. We were going to spend the summer at my grandmother's cabin up there. I got to ride in style (a Gremlin hatchback) because I'd broken my leg in four places trying to slide down a wet, grassy hill and couldn't easily get on or off the bus with my huge cast and crutches. Being a klutz occasionally has its advantages.

Anyhow, Ruth's and my trip spanned two full days. Every time we stopped for a meal, I got grilled cheese and water, that being the cheapest choice, and thrifty me having to buy my own food with the babysitting money I'd saved. By dinner on day two, Aunt Ruth forbid me to get another grilled cheese, saying I had to get a regular meal for my health. I got a pork chop. Of course, I had to pay for it, as Ruth was even thriftier than I was. Oh well, I still had fun riding up there with her.

When I was twenty-three, my mom died. She was already in a coma, but that morning, I felt her leaving as I was driving to work. It was a strange feeling, which I've only ever felt that one time, like my heart skipped a beat and a force field passed over me. I instantly knew what had happened, and turned around to head back to the apartment. I called my sister to confirm the news. I spent the afternoon packing up the car for the long drive across several states as soon as QG could get home from work. I didn't have much of an appetite, but made myself a grilled cheese for lunch and sat out on our tiny porch to eat it in the May sunshine. Somehow, it was comforting eating that sandwich and listening to the birds as I awaited our drive through the night.

All this brings me to today's grilled cheese recipe. It's a very exciting combo, which I recommend you try. Here's how to make it:

Fruity Irish Grilled Cheese

Irish Cheddar, cut into thin slices (I used Kerrygold)
2 slices bread (I used whole wheat, but fresh-baked crusty bread would also be a great choice)
several paper-thin slivers of sliced onion
Orange marmalade, or you could use raspberry jam, fig jam or whatever other kind you like
yellow mustard (optional)

Lay a slice of the bread down, put the cheese slices on it to cover, then the onions. Slather the marmalade on the other slice to coat well, but not heaping. Sandwich the two together and cook over medium to medium-low heat in a fry pan with a little melted butter, turning when golden brown to cook both sides. I like to add mustard before eating the sandwich for the perfect combination of tastes, but this is optional depending on your preference. Enjoy!