Full Fontina

We all know the feeling.

Work is a war zone. The car is on the blink. Traffic is at carmageddon levels. A friend isn’t talking to you. Even the neighborhood stray cat hates you.

For me, this is a time when only a grilled cheese sandwich will do.

See, grilled cheese doesn’t judge you. Doesn’t yell at you for doing something wrong. It doesn’t care that you are wearing tracksuit pants where the elastic is broken.

It’s warm, gooey, non-judgemental goodness.

This little number, made recently on a cool and wet Doha night, features fontina cheese, walnut bread and some sneaky ham.

Fontina cheese has been made in the Aosta Valley, in the Alps since the 12th century. It has a milk fat content of around 45 percent. Italian Fontina has a natural rind due to aging, which is usually tan to orange-brown.

This Italian version (it can also be made in France and Switzerland) has a slightly pungent smell and melts like a dream. It’s often paired with sage in dishes.

I could barely restrain myself and these photos were taken in a rush.

And you know what, it was the perfect, non-judgmental midweek treat. Perhaps I should start making these as peace offerings.