Big Cheese Squeeze

Introduction:
     Although there are many variations, cheese is made in seven steps, coagulation, cutting, cooking, draining/knitting, pressing, salting, and aging.  There are two types of protein in milk: casein and whey.  Rennet is often used to remove the hairy coat of casein, and bacteria that create lactic acid change the electrical charge as well in order to coagulate the milk.  The curd is then cut to remove the whey. The curd is then heated and stirred and are left to drain.  During this process the caseins begin to knit together, creating a solid mass.  Weight is then applied to cheese giving the cheese the final shape.  Salt is then either sprinkled onto the cheese or it is soaked in brine to aid in preservation and increase flavor.  Depending o the type of cheese, it is either aged for hours or years.
     This recipe will demonstrate cheese as an ingredient used on a panini sandwich.

Materials:
2 slices of wheat bread
1 teaspoon of smooth Dijon mustard
3 ounces of grated cheese
Black pepper
1 ounce of unsalted butter
2 10-inch cast-iron skillets over high heat for 5 minutes
1 flat metal spatula
1 stove

Methods:
1. Place two 10-inch cast-iron skillets over high heat for 5 minutes.
2. Spread mustard on one slice of bread. Distribute cheese evenly over mustard, add pepper, and top with second slice of bread.
3. Spread butter on the slice of bread that is facing up.
4. When the pans are hot, turn off the heat and place the sandwich top side down in the middle of skillet #1. Brush the newly exposed bread face with butter and lay the bottom of skillet #2 right down on the top of the sandwich.
5. Wait 3-5 minutes and remove the skillet.
6. Use a flat metal spatula to remove the sandwich. Cool for 60 seconds.

Results:

1. Place two 10-inch cast-iron skillets over high heat for 5 minutes.

2. Spread mustard on one slice of bread. Distribute cheese evenly over mustard, add pepper, and top with second slice of bread.

3. Spread butter on the slice of bread that is facing up.

4. When the pans are hot, turn off the heat and place the sandwich top side down in the middle of skillet #1. Brush the newly exposed bread face with butter and lay the bottom of skillet #2 right down on the top of the sandwich.

5. Wait 3-5 minutes and remove the skillet.

6. Use a flat metal spatula to remove the sandwich. Cool for 60 seconds.

Discussion:
    The purpose of this recipe was to demonstrate cheese as an ingredient in many foods.  This was done by placing the cheese inside bread and cooking it on a pan and creating a panini by placing another pan on top of the sandwich.  The use of grated cheese caused the cheese to fall out onto the pan and it began to burn.  Also, when I removed the second skillet on top of the sandwich, the bread stuck to the skillet breaking apart the sandwich.  In order to prevent this from happening in the future I will use more butter on top of the bread. The hydrophobic properties of butter should prevent the bread from sticking to the pan. Next time I also preform the recipe I will also use a slice of cheese, so it will not spill out when I flip the sandwich. The wheat bread I used also caused the cheese to melt slightly.  In the future I will also try to use bread that is thinner it will be easier to determine when the cheese is melted.

Citation:
Brown, Alton. Good Eats: the Early Years. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2009. Print.