Food

By Food & Wine

The best grilled cheese sandwich is the gooiest grilled cheese, says Laura Werlin, the James Beard Award-winning cookbook author behind Grilled Cheese, Please! "After you bite into it, the cheese should stretch out past your face as far as your arm will reach. Otherwise, it's just not right." While it's easy to achieve some level of crunchy, buttery excellence at home, chefs and restaurateurs are creating exceptional grilled cheese sandwiches across the country. Here, Food & Wine presents the Best Grilled Cheese in the U.S.

Grahamwich
Chicago, IL
Graham Elliot Bowles is known for playful cuisine at Graham Elliot, and the sandwiches at his take-out joint, Grahamwich, are equally inventive. The grilled cheese on sliced Pullman loaf features Wisconsin cheddar, prosciutto, tomato marmalade and cheese curds, which, when melted, add an extra soft, gooey effect.

When the weather gets cold, folks tend toward standby comfort foods like macaroni and cheese, chili and pot pies. Rather than go with a trendy riff on an original, why not look around to other cultures and countries, who have their own versions of comfort food. From Mexico to Greece and beyond, this is the food that fuels recovery from hangovers, breakups, cold snaps and whatever else ails you. Remember: we all pile up our plates in the same language.

Related: More comfort food recipes »

Ginger Fried Rice
Get familiar with this easy yet sophisticated ginger fried rice recipe from Anthony Ricco, Chef de Cuisine at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Spice Market. Topped with garlic and ginger-crusted fried eggs, fried rice has never looked so fierce.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1/2 cup peanut oil
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, minced
2 cups leeks, thinly sliced, washed and dried
4 cups day-old cooked rice (preferably

Cook up dishes that pay homage to our favorite movies set in the diverse landscapes of the West.

Chinatown: Chinese Scallops
Chinatown: Chinese Scallops
Roman Polanski's multi-layered, neo-noir mystery explores corruption in early 20th-century California politics and dysfunctional family dynamics, with classic performances by Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston.
Savor this tasty dish as you do your best imitation of the film's famous last line: "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."
> Get the recipe

The Shining: Pumpkin Bourbon Shakes
The Shining: Pumpkin Bourbon Shakes
Stanley Kubrick's creep-tastic adaptation of the Stephen King novel features Jack Nicholson in the unforgettable role of a Colorado hotel caretaker driven to madness by the spirits haunting the place. All work and no play make Jack go crazy, so he occasionally takes a break at the hotel bar, where his chats with the (ghostly) bartender lead him to murderous violence (um, worst bartender ever!).
Our bourbon-laced milkshake provides sweet solace during those harrowing

Learn how to make the tastiest cookie dough everWiping a cookie dough-covered spoon clean or sticking a finger in the batter when no one's looking are two great perks of making cookies. In fact, one could argue that the dough can be better than the finished product. A friend, who shall remain nameless, used to sneak packages of raw cookie dough into his bed at night as a child, only to have the empty wrappers discovered by his mother the next day… Ah, how far we go for love (and good food).

Click here to see the classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

The chocolate chip cookie is a classic, one that has been done over and over again, nearly to perfection, depending on personal preferences for crispness, chewiness, and thickness. But nailing down the process of making a perfect cookie dough comes with skills and a little know-how. To iron down this technique, we turned to David Crofton of Brooklyn's One Girl Cookies, who also recently authored a cookbook by the same title.

Slideshow: What's Making You Fat?

He shares his classic recipe

Dinner on a budget? We've got you covered. Here are 12 tasty recipes that fit the bill.

And that bill is exactly $5 a person (or less). Saving a dime never tasted so good.

World's Easiest Falafel and Tzatziki by marisab67

World's Easiest Falafel

Sausage and Kale Dinner Tart by My Pantry Shelf

Sausage and Kale Dinner Tart

Roasted Carrot Soup by Reeve

Roasted Carrot Soup