My Favorite Lunch

I’ve had broken arms, legs, and noses on top of swine flu, mono, infected gal bladder, and concussions. A younger Jane was known for being hurt or sick. This led to many days home recovering, snuggled on the couch watching my favorite shows and movies. My parents were both working every day when I should have been at school, so most days my grandma Barbie would come to stay with me and take care of me.

Every day for lunch I would ask for the same thing, a grilled cheese, a side of pickles, and potato chips. This wasn’t your craft single American cheese on a piece of white wonder bread, no sir. There were no Lays ruffles and especially no bread and butter pickles. This lunch was a labor of love. It transcended any other lunch so much in fact that I still ask for it anytime I go over to my grandma’s house.

My family owns a cider mill in Cooperstown, New York that expanded into selling many goods from all over New York. This includes the cave-aged, extra sharp cheddar cheese. Grandma Barbie keeps it at room temperature on her countertop and slices it extra thick. On a medium heat pan, she places two well-buttered Sara Lee pieces of bread and then adds the cheddar. The proper technique for this grilled cheese is the smash. Once both pieces are toasted to a golden brown, she smashes them down as hard as she can. This traps the perfectly melted cheese ready to burst as you slice into it. Once sliced, Barbie places about five homemade dill pickles and a heaping handful of Utz ridged potato chips. No nutritional value made an appearance in this place, but I didn’t care because it was my favorite lunch in the world.

She is famous for them! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXzAmwU66VY&t=6s