Grill

A classic grilled cheese—comfort foods’ most ubiquitous musing—is one way to stave off the seasonal sullied spirits during the punishing winter months. But for me, a Trinidad & Tobago native, a luscious grilled cheese isn’t enough. I need the upbeat fare of my Caribbean to shine though literally everything I eat, even if it’s by the smallest measure. Here, the inclusion of coconut butter lifts this grilled cheese to a place where I can tangibly taste and see the vim and vigor of the islands. And that’s an important consideration when there are inches of snow on the ground. <br /> <br />Unlike coconut oil, which is made from the extracted fat of coconut meat, coconut butter incorporates the fiber-rich coconut meat, however, in dried form. Exacting this goodness isn’t an arduous task but does require, just a pinch of patience and a twenty-minute commitment to your food processor or Vitamix. The blood orange vinaigrette is a triumph to winter citrus season. And the salad as whole cuts the fat of the cheeses while offering a crisp, tart, toothsome bite. The end result is a very simple yet beautifully balanced meal, with a nod to the islands. <br /> <br />For tips on how to segment citrus, see <a href="https://food52.com/blog/12126-how-to-segment-citrus-like-a-pro">this post</a>.

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