Grilled cheese day needs no introduction and for Rudy - and a lot of others - can rival some of the best days of the year. This is a time to show off your ability to dig fingernails into a Toastilla and pull apart. This is a day when warm cheese dripping off your tongue is not only acceptable, but also appreciated. Yes, for cheese lovers around the world - everyone - this is a day to play with cheese. ​

To celebrate grilled cheese day here is one of Rudy’s favorite grilled cheese Toastillas! The cheese and pan-fried kielbasa provides an amazing toasted and salty flavor and the addition of Sriracha adds a tiny bit of sweetness and of course that bite of burn. This is one of those recipes that helps provide some much needed energy late in the day, and offers the same relaxation you savor in comfort food. ​

Depending on the amount of Sriracha you use, these can pack a lot of flavor and just as much heat. These work well as a dinner option, but can also work as a nice afternoon snack. Although, this is also one of those recipes we like to bring out during get-togethers, especially if you’re talking big sporting events like the Superbowl or the seventh inning stretch of a baseball game. ​

To celebrate World Empanada Day we are digging into southern roots and offering up an easy peazy recipe you can enjoy with the family. ​

In a frying pan brown the ground beef on medium heat until fully cooked. Then add carrots, celery and garlic for five minutes. Add the beans for another five minutes making sure to constantly stir to prevent burning. Add Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. ​

Okay, so Kristin let me write this post today. It’s because she’s my sweetie and probably because I begged - a lot! Today we’re talking about one of my favorite sweets - Caramel! And actually in a couple days, April 5, around the country people will be celebrating caramel day. Or, at least they should be. ​

So, I did think of ranking my favorite caramel treats, but when I started it became apparent that was an impossible task. Each of these candies and treats is a favorite for a different reason. One might be a nostalgic memory of my childhood and another is a way to fend off hunger as it quietly melts away in my mouth over time. But, out of dozens of caramel candies and treats I could find these eight are so great! And yes, I picked eight so I could rhyme them in the last sentence. ​

Our friends Phineas Fogg and Passepartout are back. They landed in Suez, Egypt on schedule, but their voyage to India has potential to slow things down. What will happen? Will they be on time, or will they be weeks late? 

From steamer and train to elephant, Phineas and Passepartout realize their adventure is really only beginning as Fogg is mistaken for a criminal to saving an Indian woman from being burned alive, do you think you can keep up with the adventure?

Todays 80 Days Around the World Recipe hails from the exotic Bombay, India. While India can burn your tongue, today’s recipe will take advantage of potatoes and a variety of spices and herbs. This recipe is vegetarian and will awaken your sense. Enjoy!

This recipe is great in or out of a Toastilla, but of course, we prefer in. This is one of those recipes you can double or triple in size and refrigerate or freeze for later use. We like to freeze the recipe, so we can enjoy it as a Toastilla after school or after work snack for weeks. 

What we like about this dish is has the flavorful variety known in Indian food, with a little creaminess from the yogurt. It’s kind of an eye-popping event to eat one of these Toastillas. But, if you are exhausted on your trip to Bombay from Suez like Phineas and Passepartout you will need a kick to keep you moving forward. 

​But, be careful how many of these you eat, while Phineas and Passepartout are leaving Bombay, they still have a stop in Calcutta and who knows what’s going to happen then!

No, we’re not going for the morbid in this post. In fact, we’ve been having a little fun with our series on “80 Days Around the World,” so Rudy came up with a great idea of opening another series based on unique events in history. You won’t find the signing of the Declaration of Independence, The Hindenburg Disaster or D-Day. But, you will find lesser known events that whether you know it or not affected you and the world around you. 

Today we look at the death of John DeLorean. Well, so okay we’re not going to look at his death as much as the legacy he left behind—the fabled DeLorean. And while everyone’s favorite time- travelling car didn’t exactly sell out of car lots, what it did do is change the way we look at the world, past, present and future. From a hover board to flying cars. From armored bullet-stopping chest plates to self-drying clothes. The DeLorean brought us through time to see what was and what could be. Interestingly enough, the “Back to the Future” trilogy weren’t too far off in their predictions. After all, if you are within a decade of a real Cubs World Series Victory then you aren’t doing too bad. Still though, where the heck is my hover board? We were promised!

While we can’t rehydrate a pizza in the Toastilla, what we can do is give you a pretty quick “Back to The Future Pizza” to take with you while you invent that hoverboard in your garage. Seen in “Back to the Future 2” the green and red rehydrating pizza reminded viewers of what they can look forward to in the future. We want to remind you what you can look forward to in a couple minutes!

Directions:
With an order like this we just like to mix everything together, except the pepperoni and let the sauce and cheese ooze through the cracks.
Much like a lasagna, layer the mixture on the tortilla, then layer pepperoni, add more mixture and the pepperoni, topped with the remaining mixture.

Phileas Fogg and his companion Passepartout left the fish and chips behind in London and started their world-wide adventure by rail, catching a ride on the renowned Orient Express. Across the French Alps, and to Venice then to Brindisi where they catch a steamer across the Mediterranean Sea. You can image waking up to the stunning view of Suez, Egypt and here is where Phileas decides a walk through the markets shopping for authentic Egyptian food might do the trick. Of course, Passepartout carries with him the only essential in their bags—Toastilla. 

Koshary is a popular dish in Egypt, made of pasta, rice tomato sauce and a variety of other beans and veggies. It may have a lot of ingredients, but it is inexpensive, aromatic and delicious. Wrapped in a Toastilla Fogg and Passepartout have the opportunity to explore more than they had planned. 

For this recipe we recommend you make Koshary ahead of time and add it to your Toastilla as a mid-day snack.

Directions:

• Cook macaroni; set aside.
• Put lentils and 4 cups water into a 2-qt. saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, 20 minutes. Season lentils with salt, drain, and transfer to a bowl along with rice and chickpeas; set aside.

​We like to dip the Koshary Toastilla into plain yogurt which evens out some of the flavor of the Koshary and adds a bit of tang. If you thought Fogg’s trip to Egypt was full of flavor, just wait until he lands in Bombay and the world of curries. 

I’d consider myself more a kid of the ‘90s than the ‘80s, but there is no denying that we all faced the manic Mondays. Whether you were heading off to another day of school or pounding the pavement on your way to work. So, when the Bangles came out with their hit song, “Manic Monday” in 1986 at least you had something to listen to on the radio or pop into your Walkman. 

But, did you know that it was actually the pop-star Prince who write the song and it was never intended for the Bangles? It’s true! Prince wrote the song in 1984 for the group Apollonia 6 to sing with him as a duet, but later pulled the song from the album. Two years later, impressed with the Bangles first album, Prince offered the song to them. 

So, with respect for Prince, The Bangles and of course those Manic Mondays we offer you a little Manic Monday twist on breakfast. 

Leaving the relaxation of Sunday can be difficult. But, with a little coffee and a sweet breakfast, you can liven your mood on the way to work or school. Were going to lay it all out there and let you know that your personal trainer is not going to advocate this breakfast. But, when you need to get up and get moving, this is the kind of breakfast you need. 

Directions:

1. We prefer to break up the Biscoff cookies first and layer the center of the tortilla.
2. In a bowl, mix the blueberries with the cream cheese. We like to gently press the blueberries just enough to let some of the juices out and mix with the other ingredients.
3. Add the honey for a bit of added sweetness and stir these all together.
4. Then fill, fold and toast.

​This Manic Monday Toastilla is sweet and will help awaken your senses to prepare you for the upcoming day. And while we call them blueberries, everyone knows blueberries are purple—and obvious tribute to the everlasting Prince. R.I.P.

Yes, you are in the right place, and no, we haven’t gotten into the bookselling business—at least not yet. Rudy and I have been talking for awhile now about introducing a few series to our blog that might be an interesting way to explore the world. 

I can’t recall how exactly, but the Jules Verne classic, Around the World in 80 Days popped into the conversation. Sadly, neither of us had read the book, but as anyone interested in knowledge, we began reading about the book. But, just because we hadn’t read the book didn’t mean we didn’t have an idea what it was about. In fact, ask most people in Europe or the United States and they can give you a pretty good idea of the story. 

So, how does this 1873 French novel fit into our plans at Toastilla? Well, glad you asked! We plan on following Phileas Fogg from London and across the rest of the world, as if Phileas Fogg had with him a Toastilla. While we may not be offering a 20,000 pound wager for the adventure, we will offer you some tasty meals to try out in your Toastilla. 

First stop, London. 

Who doesn’t love fish and chips? Well, today we are going to look at a modern way to look at fish and chips, as well as introduce you to an interesting way to use your Toastilla. 

​Directions:
One thing that many people don’t realize is how well your Toastilla can cook frozen foods such as fish sticks, tater tots, and pizza rolls. The trick to cooking frozen foods is to run the food through two toaster cycles.
With this recipe you can use either potato chips or tater tots for the “chips.” We recommend that you make a side of mayo and vinegar mixed to your tangy liking and chill before adding to the Toastilla. 

​It’s a simple recipe, and if you want to authenticate it a bit you can grab a sheet of newspaper instead of a napkin and do it up all fancy like. 

​Follow us in a few days to see if Phileas Fogg makes it to his next destination—Egypt. 

​Last week we featured a blog post on flour tortillas. While we were looking into the history of tortillas we never thought about how interesting it is that unique civilizations throughout the world seemed to have all discovered their own version of a flat bread. In fact, while flat breads are all similar, they also have unique attributes that lend their selves to a specific cuisine. 

So, Rudy, the kids and I decided we would make a little game out of it by seeing who could name the most flat-breads and accurately guess where those flat breads are from. The winner gets to choose their favorite Toastilla for dinner. Sound fun? We thought so. 

​What was interesting about our game is the number and variety of flatbreads. In fact, each of us had several that the others didn’t. And parents, just so you know, your kids are way worldlier than you were at their age. But, you probably already knew that. 

Below is our ultimate family night list of world flatbreads. What you do with this list is up to you, but we recommend a little research and having some fun in the kitchen, because this list will cause your tummy to grumble. 

​Can I see a show of virtual hands for anyone out there who doesn’t love meatballs? Okay, so vegetarians get a free-pass on this. Or, do they? Today, March 9th, we celebrate meat—and meat-less balls. You need to thank the Italians for a lot of culinary ventures over the centuries. Parmesan cheese, Chianti, pizza, gelato, spaghetti and of course meatballs. 

One of the great things we find about meatballs is how well they can be sliced, doused in marinara, and layered with a strong cheese to make delicious calzone-inspired Toastillas. “But, Kristen, where do we get the meatballs,” you ask? I think you know the answer to that question—you make them!

​Today we will give you a great meatball recipe as well as a meat-less recipe made from spinach. Both are amazing and to be completely transparent, I think I lean a little to the spinach, while Rudy sits across the table from me popping another meatball Toastilla into the toaster. With our house divided on the issue, and without further ado here are today's meatball and meatless ball recipes!

Great restaurants are renowned for signature dishes and while we investigated great meatball recipes, one restaurant continually popped up in our research. Rao’s in East Harlem. It may be hard to find a seat at the New York joint, so if you’re in town you can also try Vegas and L.A. where they’ve recently opened satellite restaurants. 

While grandmothers across the states have been rolling ground beef for decades, what separates a good meatball from a great meatball is the use of three ground meats: beef, pork and veal. Don’t believe us, you have to give it a try, although you might have to find a local butcher for the ground veal it is well worth it!

Our favorite way to serve these meatballs is to slice and layer the meatballs and sauce on a tomato puree tortilla, and then cut thin slices of Romano or Parmesan cheese before folding and toasting.

​The meatballs can be sealed in the refrigerator for the next couple days or even frozen for future use. But, in our house, they rarely make it that long. ​

​While there are a lot of great spinach ball recipes out there, it did take us a little longer to find one befitting of the tortilla wrap we would eventually put it in. Lucky for us, The Food Network has “Party Line with the Hearty Boys.” These spinach balls pack a little punch but are evened out with the saltiness of Parmesan and flavor of garlic. Unlike meatballs which are often fried, spinach balls are baked in the oven, but are equally as flavorful as our carnivorous recipe. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

​With spinach balls you can either stir into a marinara sauce for a few minutes or add the sauce over them as you lay the spinach balls into the Toastilla. From the Parmesan and garlic to the herbed-bread crumbs this recipe will become a staple for your parties and Italian night dinners.