A building blog about Grilled Cheese

[CarrieSnarf]

So, my friends and I are building a mobile 50's styled kitchen that dispenses grilled cheese sandwiches. It's called The Sammie Wagon. Some of our friends requested that we use this new fangled thing called the interwebs to keep them updated on our progress. So I've started a blog about it. Not much on there yet, but I expect hilarity and blood shed any day now.
Should you care to watch us work:
http://thesammiewagon.blogspot.com/

xoxo
'Snarf

[carefactornil]

As a cheese lover (my playa (and sometimes non-playa) name is Cheese Simon), I applaud this project to make a dream reality. I hope to bump into you and feel free to pitch up at our wedding! We'll have our own supplies of cheese there too.

There were 2 cheese vehicles/art cars in 2010 I saw too - hope you bump into them as well.

[SquirrelHead]

Will there be bacon on the grilled cheese?

[Dr. Pyro]

Only if you want it done correctly.

[carefactornil]

It's your project and I don't want to dictate how you should run it, but I LOVE the idea of a big menu of nothing but grilled cheese items. Just cheese, cheese & bacon, cheese & chilli... Potentially even with a choice of cheese. Heck, this is making me drool just thinking about it...

[Drawingablank]

So you are basically doing another Dust City Diner?
http://www.dustcitydiner.com/photos.html

[Eric]

I think the Sammie Wagon is a peddle-powered one, unlike Dust City. Honestly though, does it matter- as long as people get to be surprised by tasty-treats being served up somewhere it's more than welcome! Asking if it's going to be like another project place is like saying "oh, are you going to be serving alcohol like that other bar?"

[Dr. Pyro]

I think Eric makes a pretty reasonable point. It's sort of like Saturday night after the burn when we haul out Barbie's Mobile Whorehouse, complete with fire cannon, and cook up 300+ hot dogs for the hungry masses on the open playa. You get them how they're served: over cooked (as often as not) on the outside, under cooked on the inside, on white bread buns. No, we don't have onions, or tomatoes, or pickles. We have mustard and katchup. This ain't Burger King. You don't get it your way. You get it our way and if you don't like it, though shit.

[Drawingablank]

Well I asked out of curiousity not to be snarky, but as you pointed out it really doesn't matter and perhaps I should have phrased it better. I love both grilled cheese and 50's retro - especially if it's really kitschy.

[CarrieSnarf]

We are definitely peddle powered (and none of us is a triathelete), so weight is an issue. We are pondering a few side items for the grilled cheese- bacon and pickles are popular choices. My husband wanted to serve cups of tomato soup- but that means utensils and cups and different cooking, so I think that's a no go- we're just seeing how complicated it gets with the whole food establishment permit thing too. We are very much following the KISS principle here. I would rather do one awesome thing well than expand to rapidly and fail before we start.

I'm kind of amused with the idea of a menu with just one item on it. You can have grilled cheese, or grilled cheese. Oh and then there's the special. Grilled cheese. Cooked my way... because it's my kitchen. You don't like it, go eat Doritos in your tent.

Re: Dust City Diner. I have heard of them, but never had the pleasure. They are more a sassy diner, we are more a mom fixin' you something to eat and asking how was your day at school. Similar menu, different execution. Kitschy, silly and over the top are gauranteed.

I'm stalking the UPS guy so hard he's probably going to file a restraining order. Our bike trailer base and propane griddle come any day now.

[catinthefunnyhat]

It's your project and I don't want to dictate how you should run it, but I LOVE the idea of a big menu of nothing but grilled cheese items. Just cheese, cheese & bacon, cheese & chilli... Potentially even with a choice of cheese. Heck, this is making me drool just thinking about it...

Like the spam sketch, but with cheese?

Cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese, toast, bacon, and cheese.
Cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese, chili, cheese, fries, cheese, and cheese.
Cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, cheese, peppers, cheese, cheese, and cheese. Only we're out of lettuce, tomatoes, and peppers.


Cue the singing Vikings...

(I'm not actually suggesting this. Cheese Simon's post just kinda led me down this path... into this dark alley... full of cheese...)

[Savannah]

I'm kind of amused with the idea of a menu with just one item on it. You can have grilled cheese, or grilled cheese. Oh and then there's the special. Grilled cheese. Cooked my way... because it's my kitchen. You don't like it, go eat Doritos in your tent.

I'm very amused by that. You could have a mini bistro chalkboard.

1. GRILLED CHEESE . . . FREE
2. GRILLED CHEESE . . . FREE
3. GRILLED CHEESE . . . FREE
4. POKE IN THE EYE . . . FREE
5. GRILLED CHEESE . . . FREE

A gratuity of 0% will be added to parties of six or more.

[lemur]

My husband wanted to serve cups of tomato soup- but that means utensils and cups and different cooking, so I think that's a no go- we're just seeing how complicated it gets with the whole food establishment permit thing too.

ive had a 1000+ sq ft kitchen go through the inspection/permit process out there before..we werent open to the general public but were serving 225+ people full meals daily..different food every day... while stressful and fearing the worst before it happened..after the inspection was done myself and most ive known go through it get the idea that theyre just looking to be sure youve read the documentation, and have made good faith efforts to meet the requirements... if something isnt right, theyll do their best to help you to make it right..

theyll want to see that you:
can show that you have a way to wash yer hands
can sanitize utensils/cooking surfaces..
can keep cold uncooked food at a safe temperature (with a termometer to let ya know its at a good temp)
can store cooked food before serving at a safe temp
and can keep stored food stuff off of the ground on shelves/some other way

if you can do that stuff...youre well on your way...... well over a hundred food operations do it each year

it might seem daunting, but it really isnt...... get a fridge thermometer or two, get a bottle of bleach and some rags with a bowl to put them in.. get a water container with a spigot for washing hands.. some hand soap and paper towels... and have a cooler well stocked with ice for your cold food...... and either dont store hot food at all, or serve it/trash it before 4 hours has elapsed (if you havnt kept it above 160F while storing)


if you have questions before the event ask em.. i think some others around here have done the health dept inspection.. ive read through the nevada health dept food establishment code a few times (beyond what a burning man kitchen reall needs to do) ..and can help if i know the stuff but really.. it aint all that bad.

just have an idea of the menu youll be serving before the event, fill out the application for a permit.. send it along with payment.. .. study the self inspection sheet.. and treat it like youd hope people treat you when serving you in public... i.e. with your safety in mind.

[Eric]

I'm kind of amused with the idea of a menu with just one item on it. You can have grilled cheese, or grilled cheese. Oh and then there's the special. Grilled cheese. Cooked my way... because it's my kitchen. You don't like it, go eat Doritos in your tent.

The perfect playa menu, IMHO

[Simon of the Playa]

theres a CHEESE SIMON?



we must have tea and discuss all things simony.

[CarrieSnarf]

Hey Lemur, Thanks for your experience on the permit. I suspect like most things, the anticipation is worse than the reality.

I've read the documents twice now- I think all of it sounds reasonable. Use utensils, don't let food sit out, keep cold things cold. Wash your hands, don't touch food with your nasty hands anyway, clean stuff with dilute bleach. The only part I'm a little concerned about is the "handwashing station" on my tiny cart- I was hoping to skirt around this with hand sanitizer and gloves, but they specifically say that's not enough. I wonder if a solar shower, some soap and a bucket for grey water would be enough- does anyone know?


Thanks
'Snarf

[Savannah]

Hey Lemur, Thanks for your experience on the permit. I suspect like most things, the anticipation is worse than the reality.

I've read the documents twice now- I think all of it sounds reasonable. Use utensils, don't let food sit out, keep cold things cold. Wash your hands, don't touch food with your nasty hands anyway, clean stuff with dilute bleach. The only part I'm a little concerned about is the "handwashing station" on my tiny cart- I was hoping to skirt around this with hand sanitizer and gloves, but they specifically say that's not enough. I wonder if a solar shower, some soap and a bucket for grey water would be enough- does anyone know?


Thanks
'Snarf

A solar shower might work, although one has to hang them high. What about a 2.5 gallon water "suitcase"? They have a handle and spigot. (If you punch a hole in the top with a jackknife, the water flows out more easily.) Getting it closed would require sandwiching it between your elbows to keep from losing all water, however, without compromising your newly clean hands. Hmm.

Those tall cylindrical receptacles used to serve coffee at buffets . . . man, a nice sterile one as a handwashing station might be awesome, because you only have to use a little pressure to get liquid and when you stop pressing it, it shuts off.

I wonder if a garden sprayer or something else that sprays could work.

[lemur]

The only part I'm a little concerned about is the "handwashing station" on my tiny cart- I was hoping to skirt around this with hand sanitizer and gloves, but they specifically say that's not enough. I wonder if a solar shower, some soap and a bucket for grey water would be enough- does anyone know?

this is the first thing they look for.. so it is important to them..

the main thing they want is some kind of device, any device, that has a water spigot which you turn on and that pours an open flow of water without you needing to hold down a button (i.e. so you can wash both hands at once as the water pours over them).. i think these are referred to as a freeflow spigot

it doesnt have to be huge, just enough to make sure you can keep your hands clean.. ..they want you to use a new papertowel for every hand washing.. a single drying rag wont do.

a small catch bucket for waste water is a good idea...


we use two of these for our wash station:



but this works too!.. you can find them in the water storage jug of camping supply places like REI.. or amazon.com



see the free flowing spigot ? just turn the knob and it spits out...... ones that are like on a coffee maker would work too..

[wh..sh]

I'm kind of amused with the idea of a menu with just one item on it. You can have grilled cheese, or grilled cheese. Oh and then there's the special. Grilled cheese. Cooked my way... because it's my kitchen. You don't like it, go eat Doritos in your tent.

I'm very amused by that. You could have a mini bistro chalkboard.

1. GRILLED CHEESE . . . FREE
2. GRILLED CHEESE . . . FREE
3. GRILLED CHEESE . . . FREE
4. POKE IN THE EYE . . . FREE
5. GRILLED CHEESE . . . FREE

A gratuity of 0% will be added to parties of six or more.

I have a menu chalkboard in my kitchen and it says

[Savannah]

see the free flowing spigot ? just turn the knob and it spits out...... ones that are like on a coffee maker would work too..

Yes, that's the kind I mean--that last pressure-sensitive spigot you could rest your elbow/forearm on, while putting the opposite hand under! Then swap. Soap up. Then rinse, pressing with the forearm, again one hand at a time. Maybe a box of pop-up paper towels or those tear-a-size paper towels on a spindle (would need an anti-wind measure).

It wouldn't make sense to use something requiring lots of force or fingers to use . . . i.e., touch knobs with dirty hands, soap up, and then have to wrench it closed again, re-dirtying the hands.

[lemur]

thats where papertowels can be good!

for closing the knob again!

[Savannah]

thats where papertowels can be good!

for closing the knob again!

True! That's how I escape most restrooms.

[theCryptofishist]

thats where papertowels can be good!

for closing the knob again!

True! That's how I escape most restrooms.

*sigh* It doesn't matter. I have no way to get between the bowl and the sink without using my hands. So far, I don't think I've been sick because of it...

[CarrieSnarf]

thats where papertowels can be good!

for closing the knob again!

True! That's how I escape most restrooms.

*sigh* It doesn't matter. I have no way to get between the bowl and the sink without using my hands. So far, I don't think I've been sick because of it...

I have to laugh at silly public restroom handwashing. In my real life I do a bit of surgery now and again. Before said past time, I wash my hands for 9 continuous minutes with a brush while my my arms are held up and away from my body- every surface gets scrubbed at least ten times. try it, guarantee you'll be sore. The 10 second wash you do in the restroom doesn't really do anything more than get your hands wet. But it's a social nicety and people think you are a nasty filthy hippy if you don't do it, so carry on.

[lemur]

CDC recommendations:

http://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/Guidelines.html

(hooray for your tax dollars in action!)


2. Hand-hygiene technique

A. When decontaminating hands with an alcohol-based hand rub, apply product to palm of one hand and rub hands together, covering all surfaces of hands and fingers, until hands are dry (IB) (288,410). Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding the volume of product to use.

B. When washing hands with soap and water, wet hands first with water, apply an amount of product recommended by the manufacturer to hands, and rub hands together vigorously for at least 15 seconds, covering all surfaces of the hands and fingers. Rinse hands with water and dry thoroughly with a disposable towel. Use towel to turn off the faucet (IB) (90-92,94,411). Avoid using hot water, because repeated exposure to hot water may increase the risk of dermatitis (IB) (254,255).

C. Liquid, bar, leaflet or powdered forms of plain soap are acceptable when washing hands with a non- antimicrobial soap and water. When bar soap is used, soap racks that facilitate drainage and small bars of soap should be used (II) (412-415).

D. Multiple-use cloth towels of the hanging or roll type are not recommended for use in health-care settings
(II) (137,300).


Alcohol-based hand rub. An alcohol-containing preparation designed for application to the hands for reducing the num- ber of viable microorganisms on the hands. In the United States, such preparations usually contain 60%–95% ethanol or isopropanol.

Antimicrobial soap. Soap (i.e., detergent) containing an antiseptic agent.

Decontaminate hands. To Reduce bacterial counts on hands by performing antiseptic hand rub or antiseptic handwash.

Hand hygiene. A general term that applies to either handwashing, antiseptic handwash, antiseptic hand rub, or surgical hand antisepsis.

Handwashing. Washing hands with plain (i.e., non-antimi- crobial) soap and water.

Plain soap. Plain soap refers to detergents that do not contain antimicrobial agents or contain low concentrations of antimicrobial agents that are effective solely as preservatives.

[lemur]

from the same document..

Surgical staff have been traditionally required to scrub their hands for 10 minutes preoperatively, which frequently leads to skin damage. Several studies have demonstrated that scrubbing for 5 minutes reduces bacterial counts as effectively as a 10-minute scrub (117,238,239). In other studies, scrubbing for 2 or 3 minutes reduced bacterial counts to acceptable levels (156,205,207,240,241).

Studies have indicated that a two-stage surgical scrub using an antiseptic detergent, followed by application of an alcohol containing preparation, is effective. For example, an initial 1- or 2-minute scrub with 4% chlorhexidine gluconate or povidone-iodine followed by application of an alcohol-based product has been as effective as a 5-minute scrub with an antiseptic detergent (114,242).

Surgical hand-antisepsis protocols have required personnel to scrub with a brush. But this practice can damage the skin of personnel and result in increased shedding of bacteria from the hands (95,243). Scrubbing with a disposable sponge or combination sponge-brush has reduced bacterial counts on the hands as effectively as scrubbing with a brush (244–246). However, several studies indicate that neither a brush nor a sponge is necessary to reduce bacterial counts on the hands of surgical personnel to acceptable levels


anyways.. interesting distraction...

back to grilled cheezes.

[lemur]

since we are talkin about the grilled cheezes.. i will share..

This is where i learned to make grilled cheese:



I learned how to do it from an 82 yr old pro..who worked with his wife, she took the orders and served and he was doing most of the cooking on the late night shift that they traditionally did..cookin for the truckers and late night chicago kids ... they did it for most of their lives.....and this is how i learned to do it (with pictorial examples!!)

1 tablespoon of salted butter per sammich total,..cut up in pre-prepared pads...using half a tablespoon per side of sammich.... regular white sammich bread.. and deli cut american cheese so no messing about with plastic wrappers is needed



cook over LOW heat.. so the bread 'toasts' ..and isnt soggy 30 seconds after its done


put pad of butter in pan


spread it around... and put bread on top.. ..this will keep the bread from being squished and save you from wasting time buttering bread


cook over low 4-5 mins a side.. until golden brown.. cut down middle


put a little bit of butter between the bread..


stand sammiches up on their ends in the melted butter so that the cut open part cooks and gets crunchy as the cheeze melts.. cook for about 1 minute


serve with pickle and ask customer if they want some of the pickle juice drizzled on..


(i dont like pickles)

congrats!! you just made a cooked on 6 sides grilled cheeze!!!

[Savannah]

Oo. I never thought to stand 'em up on their ends like that.

[Elliot]

Sounds wondermuss!

One clarification: Apparently, you will peddle (to sell, hawk) the sammishes out of your pedal-powered mobile kitchen.

Now... what was the grilled cheese kitchen on 4:30 in 2007?

There cannot be too many such kitchens!

[lemur]

that was Black Rock Diner if i recall correctly.