I know this post doesn't have an actual recipe, but does have some pressing food issues I've had on my mind.

For starters, did anyone know that in England food processors are called "blitzers"? That's what the really hot English chef on the Food Network said. How cool is that? I think we should get that to catch on in the U.S.

I know this I'm way out of the loop, but can someone explain the Top Chef phenomenon? I've caught a handful of episodes here and there, and I watched the premiere last week. Now I'm hooked. Even thought I abhorr reality television (don't hate, but I don't even watch Project Runway any more), this show is awesome. So what have I missed? Big moments, bitchy fights, funny quotes, intense challenges --- fill me in!

Ok here's some actual recipes. I also found a great salad recipe, called Insalata Pomodoro. It's like a salad carbanora --a warm salad of mixed greens with scrambled eggs on top. (I know...another recipe that sounds weird, but stick with me here.) It's a perfect salad for cold weather because its warm and filling, but still healthy. I used proscuitto instead of pancetta, and it tasted great. Proscuitto is Italian ham, and pancetta is italian bacon. I love pancetta because sometimes proscuitto is too salty for me, but it worked great for this. As a side note, DailyCandy.com emails are lots of fun. They send you information on new stores, restaurants and events in the big city of your choice and also have an "everywhere" edition with online fun.

On to my other new food obsession -- grilled cheese. This weekend, I came home late Saturday night starving and made myself the best grilled cheese sandwich ever (outside of Chealsea's, of course). I didn't have the classic cheddar/white bread combo on hand, but I used some sourdough bread (that's practically all they eat in the Bay Area, and I'm learning to love it) and fresh mozzarella cheese (the kind that comes in balls and is super soft). I spread butter, black pepper on the bread and grilled it as usual and...wow. Make sure you slice the sourdough relatively thin, or it will overpower the cheese. The fresh mozzarella melts beautifully---very stringy and buttery. It sounds like a weird combo with the sourdough, but trust me -- it's incredible. Grilled cheese and glass of white wine at the end of a Saturday night out -- what more could you want? Except maybe Cane's. I hate to admit it, but I miss that stuff.

My midnight grilled cheese got me thinking on what other good variations would be. I found a few recipes that I'm curious to try -- Emeril Lagasse's Fontina, Mushroom, Proscuitto and Truffle Grilled Cheese (tres gourmet, no?) and my beloved Tyler Florence's version with cheddar, bacon and green apple because everything is just better with bacon, right?

So what are your favorite versions of grilled cheese? Any crazy variations or no-fail tricks?

So that's all I got for now. What have yall been cooking lately? Thoughts, recipes, sugggestions?

-Sarah