hot bubbling cheese

the first "original dish" i ever "cooked" was melted cheddar cheese in a cup. pretty gourmet, i know. when i was 7 or 8 years old it occurred to me that melting cheese on crackers made the crackers soggy, so i thought, lets leave the crackers out. innovation. my parents immediately gave me credit for the dish to boost my confidence and i, up until about my 10th birthday, claimed to have invented it.

i admit, it was not then nor will it be my finest culinary achievement. but i was onto something. there is something so addictive and comforting about melted cheese. its simple and wonderful. everyone seems to love it. jazz it up just a little bit, use some different cheeses, maybe add an ingredient or two, and one can very easily elevate the dish to even greater heights. take for example this goat cheese "queso fundido" we tried at Mesa Grill, Las Vegas. dressed up with some roasted peppers and the goat cheese it was still bubbling in its cast iron pan when it came to the table. pretty basic but so good. a slightly fancier version of my original "melted cheese in cup". i'd like to take credit, but no...