Sock-it-to-Me Halloumi

Dear Reader,

The fine people at CSN Stores asked if I would be kind enough to review some of the products they have on offer.  The answer, of course, was yes, I am kind enough!  About a week later this All-Clad Grill Pan arrived. 

I am a fan of All-Clad, though it doesn't look like that in the photo.  The pan is sturdy, pleasing to the eye, seemingly capable of grilling up the meatiest brontosaurus rump roast.  But what about something more delicate?  I put this grill pan to the test with Halloumi, the salty Cypriot cheese of my dreams.  I marinated the Halloumi in a little lemon, garlic and olive oil then tossed, not really tossed, more like gingerly placed, the cheese in the hot pan.  Then I took some sliced baguette, anointed with olive oil, and thunked that down in there, too.  The cheese was delicious, and my husband suggested it should be served, "with a cucumber," which inspired me to create a lovely little cucumber and tomato salad to go alongside.

But what to serve for the rest of the meal?  For me, cheese and bread is the ideal meal, but perhaps not for most.  I settled on a recipe that had been torn from the New York Times about five years ago and stuffed inside one of my cookbooks.   Turkish Bride Soup.  Yes, I know that Greece and Turkey don't really get along, by why can't they at my dinner table?  After all, I'm not 100% sure I really know where Macedonia even is, or what all the fuss was about in the first place.  The soup called for bulgar, but I don't really want a box of that stuff clogging up my cupboards, so I used basmati instead.

Delish.