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Ingredients
- Wine Pairing 2011 Charly Thevénet Régnié Grain & Granit, Beaujolais
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 pinch white pepper
- 8 slice French bread
- 8 slice ham (thinly sliced)
- 3 ounce grated Jarlsberg cheese (or other Swiss style cheese such as Gruyère)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
View Full Recipe at Sippity Sup-Serious Fun Food
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.%20As%20I%20said%20I%E2%80%99m%20too%20busy%20with%20poolside%20activities%20to%20give%20cooking%20my%20full%20attention.%20This%20isn%E2%80%99t%20to%20say%20I%20won%E2%80%99t%20cook%20during%20the%20summer.%20I%20just%20prefer%20it%20be%20simple%20and%20go%20with%20whatever%20I%20happen%20to%20be%20drinking.%20Which%20makes%20Croque%20Monsieur%20an%20example%20of%20simple%20summer%20dining.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAre%20your%20eyebrows%20raised?%20A%20gooey,%20cheesy%20Croque%20Monsieur%20is%20certainly%20wintertime,%20fireside%20food%E2%80%93%20right?%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWell%20yes%E2%80%A6%20and%20no.%20It%20just%20depends%20on%20what%20you%E2%80%99re%20drinking.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhen%20I%20was%20younger%20I%20used%20to%20drink%20vodka%20mixed%20with%20something%20sweet%20and%20fruity%20enough%20to%20mask%20the%20fact%20that%20I%20was%20drinking.%20Vodka%20is%20what%20non-drinkers%20drink.%20But%20let%E2%80%99s%20face%20it,%20fruity%20vodka%20highballs%20may%20look%20pretty%20and%20pink%20in%20a%20frosted%20glass,%20but%20you%20can%E2%80%99t%20actually%20drink%20them%20with%20food%20(at%20least%20food%20you%20want%20to%20taste).%20So%20when%20it%20comes%20to%20simple%20mixed-drinks%20I%20switched%20to%20bourbon%20decades%20ago%20(yes,%20I%E2%80%99ve%20been%20known%20to%20exaggerate).%20However,%20as%20friendly%20as%20bourbon%20is%20with%20food,%20it%20takes%20a%20lot%20of%20talent%20to%20turn%20it%20into%20a%20warm%20weather%20quaff.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhite%20wine%20is%20weather%20friendly%20and%20seems%20a%20natural%20this%20time%20of%20year.%20But%20too%20many%20hosts%20rely%20on%20crowd%20pleasing%20varietals%20lacking%20in%20enough%20character%20to%20stand%20next%20to%20food.%20While%20it%E2%80%99s%20true%20mass%20market%20Pinot%20Grigio%20goes%20down%20like%20water%20(only%20happier)%20it%20will%20never%20be%20a%20fine%20food%20wine.%20As%20I%20said,%20when%20the%20thermometer%20rises,%20I%20prefer%20to%20eat%20whatever%20goes%20with%20what%20I%E2%80%99m%20drinking.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWine%20Pairing%202011%20Charly%20Thev%C3%A9net%20R%C3%A9gni%C3%A9%20Grain%20&%20Granit,%20Beaujolais%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ECharly%20Thev%C3%A9net%20R%C3%A9gni%C3%A9%20Grain%20&%20Granit%20One%20of%20my%20classmates%20in%20the%20UCLA%20Extension%20Wine%20Certificate%20program%20would%20always%20turn%20his%20nose%20up%20(yes,%20that%E2%80%99s%20a%20pun)%20at%20Beaujolais.%20He%20thought%20the%20varietal%20was%20one-note,%20mass%20produced%20and%20somehow%20beneath%20him.%20Well,%20Michael,%20I%E2%80%99ve%20got%20news%20for%20you.%20Small%20production,%20micro%20terroir,%20old%20vine,%20biodynamically%20[%E2%80%A6]%20Ken%20Eskenazi%20Price%20$26%20Pairs%20well%20with%20duck%20confit,%20cassoulet,%20croque%20monsieur,%20cheese%20fondue%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ELemonade%20and%20boiled%20peanuts.%20Ros%C3%A9%20wine%20and%20grilled%20vegetables.%20Beer%20and%20just%20about%20anything%20salty%20and%20crunchy.%20Something%20like%20a%20Croque%20Monsieur.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20see%20I%20haven%E2%80%99t%20convinced%20you.%20Maybe%20that%E2%80%99s%20because%20you%E2%80%99ve%20never%20had%20a%20proper%20Croque%20Monsieur.%20Which%20I%20understand.%20Many%20(most)%20of%20them%20are%20just%20pale%20excuses%20for%20dispatching%20stale%20bread%20without%20sacrificing%20too%20much%20ham%20or%20cheese.%20The%20combination%20is%20only%20made%20worse%20when%20it%E2%80%99s%20fried%20up%20in%20a%20skillet%20that%20tastes%20like%20old%20eggs.%20Besides,%20most%20of%20them%20weigh%20at%20least%20a%20half%20a%20pound%20and%20take%20two%20hands%20to%20eat.%20These%20type%20of%20monstrosities%20are%20sure%20to%20dribble%20greasy%20cheese%20onto%20your%20poolside%20kaftan.%20That%E2%80%99s%20unacceptable%20summer%20behavior.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThere%20is%20another%20way%20to%20go%20when%20it%20comes%20to%20summertime%20Croque%20Monsieur%20however.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EA%20good%20Croque%20has%20a%20crunch%20that%20comes%20from%20the%20crackling%20edges%20and%20corners.%20The%20cheese%20is%20important,%20but%20it%E2%80%99s%20also%20important%20to%20remember%20that%20a%20Croque%20Monsieur%20is%20not%20a%20cheese%20sandwich.%20So%20don%E2%80%99t%20over%20stuff%20it.%20The%20cheese%20won%E2%80%99t%20melt%20properly%20and%20the%20edges%20will%20get%20soggy.%20Instead%20allow%20the%20b%C3%A9chamel%20layered%20with%20ham%20stand%20out.%20Ideally,%20the%20sandwich%20should%20also%20be%20toasted%20quick%20and%20hot%20under%20a%20salamander.%20But%20a%20super%20hot%20oven,%20and%20a%20bit%20more%20time,%20seems%20to%20be%20the%20best%20way%20for%20a%20home%20cook%20to%20achieve%20success%20(even%20better%20than%20the%20broiler%20which%20usually%20lacks%20enough%20ambient%20heat%20to%20get%20the%20job%20done).%20Also,%20and%20this%20may%20sound%20like%20sacrilege,%20I%20prefer%20Jarlsberg%20in%20my%20Croque%20Monsieur.%20I%20know%20Gru%C3%A8yre%20is%20traditional%20(and%20delicious),%20but%20Jarlsberg%20is%20less%20greasy%20when%20it%20melts.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAs%20I%20said,%20Croque%20Monsieur%20is%20perfect%20with%20ice%20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