There are few things I treasured more growing up than bread and cheese. A golden toasted piece of sourdough and sharp cheddar were the remedy to all ails, a guaranteed good feeling. To combine the two into a crunchy, just-the-right-amount-oily, melty, cheesy sandwich (A Grilled Cheese) was to achieve nirvana. I perfected my technique to achieve this enlightenment-level sandwich over the years, but one afternoon sometime in 2020 I craved a degree of variation to my tried and true. It was the dead of winter, so a mealy tomato would not suffice. I picked around my refrigerator; clambering through glass jars and random condiments with expiration dates that no one paid attention to, until my eyes fell on the electric red and white jar of kimchi. Kimchi: the Korean dish of salted, spiced, and fermented vegetables – typically napa cabbage or daikon/radish.
In the months before quarantine – early 2020 – the grocery store at the end of my block changed owners, and became a Korean-owned franchise called Bogopa, which marketed itself as an “international” grocer, carrying imported goods and ingredients from places that are underrepresented in American grocery stores. According to their website, the name Bogopa was chosen as the corporate parent name because it means “Yearning for You” in Korean.
“This phrase embodies the essence of our commitment to serving the very unique needs of our customers, many of whom are minorities or immigrants who have not forgotten their roots.”
I am not Korean, nor do I have Korean family. And though I had grown up with kimchi in the door of my refrigerator, this change over in the grocery store-owner increased our kimchi selection ten-fold. Its addition to my grilled cheese provided the right level of brightness, acidity, spice, and crunch. I chose the Kim-cheese for my recipe because it felt representative of the complex cultural exchange that takes place in New York City, and the US at large.
Ingredients:
- 2 slices sourdough bread
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- ¼ cup kimchi
- ¾ cup Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, thinly sliced or shredded
- Take two slices of (preferably) sourdough bread and spread an even layer of mayonnaise on one side of each slice.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, place one piece of bread, mayo side down, in the pan and place your cheddar on top.
- Once the cheese is slightly melted, layer on your kimchi and cover with the remaining slice of bread, mayo side up.
- Cook for 2–3 minutes, until the bottom slice of bread is perfectly golden brown and crispy to the touch. The flip the sandwich, using a spatula, and cook for 3–5 minutes on the other side, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is completely melted. Remove from the pan and let rest for 1 minute before slicing.
- Slice the sandwich diagonally, and serve.
