Cheese

Heaven is a place in a deep well of melted cheese (that you're totally going to serve at your next dinner party).

You know when cheese gets so hot and melty that it stretches? Food stylists call that a "cheese pull," and we think it's gorgeous.

We’ll be spreading membrillo (quince paste) inside bread for grilled cheese from now on. This recipe is from Morcilla, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

The aromatic sweetness of the vanilla complements the sharp blue cheese and smoky-spicy sausage, and, since we doubt you’re curing your own chorizo, it’s the single handmade element on this tapas plate. This recipe is from Morcilla, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

Topping this modern tartare with groats adds an earthy note, but they’re mostly there for texture. A coarse toasted breadcrumb can be subbed. This recipe is from Wildair, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

Like cheesy grits. Really, really, really, really cheesy grits. This recipe, which puts a southern twist (that’s the grits, y’all) on very French aligot (mashed potatoes blended with melted cheese), is from Buxton Hall, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

This ingenious way to prepare sweet potatoes will make you take back every bad word you ever said about them. This recipe is from Lord Stanley, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

Persimmons stand in for ripe tomato in this caprese-ish salad, and if you haven’t had them before, they’re worth trying. Before you buy, things to know: The squat fuyu persimmon lacks the tannins that define their pointy-bottomed counterpart, the hachiya variety. While fuyus can be eaten when slightly underripe (they’ll be crunchy), the hachiya needs to be dead ripe or else it will be insufferably bitter. This recipe is from Wildair, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

Set this up on Sunday and have tapas at home when you get back from work, all week long. This recipe is from Morcilla, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

You can finish this carbonara with other seasonal vegetables, such as shredded brussels sprouts or Napa cabbage. This recipe is from Oberlin, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

This sandwich can be lunch, a snack, or a late-night thing. Eat it with potato chips and lemonade; it's also great with a simple green salad for dinner.

There is no better beach or picnic sandwich than the muffuletta. Here's why.

To prep this salad ahead, hold beets and scallions in a bowl of cold water with a splash of vinegar, which both seasons them and maintains crunch.

Once you get hooked on fresh chiles, you'll want to pack them into everything you cook—including your antipasto.

Progression of a tomato sandwich: On buttered bread with salt; on bread with mayo and cheddar; seasoned and grilled with cheddar and mayo. They’re all pretty perfect, but we’ll take the advanced version, thanks.

There is no better beach, picnic, or party sandwich: It feeds a crowd, gets better as it sits, and is a hearty meal built inside a loaf of bread. 

We like sandwiches that send juices running down to our elbows, which is why we insist on dressing the lettuce. 

This recipe is such a basic go-to, you can use it on just about anything, from salads to sandwiches, buffalo wings to buffalo hot dogs, and so much more.

This corn salsa, along with mayonnaise and tomatillos, helps make up the Elote Dog.

Because would it really be a barbecue without grilled corn?

Literally grilled cheese. We love the squeaky texture and salty bite. It goes perfectly with our Grilled Brined Vegetables.

The more particular you are when building the layers in the loaf pan, the more neat and tidy this will look when sliced. 

We’ve included Gyngell’s recipe for pizza dough, but if you prefer to use store-bought, we promise not to tell.

This high-summer salad hits every note on the sweet (red pepper), sour (tomato), salty (ricotta and anchovy), and bitter (olive) scale.