Kitchen Corner by Hall Monitor home economist Henrietta Starr

Vive la cuisine francaise!

INGREDIENTS White bread, 8 slices Cheese, one cup grated Cooked ham 4 slices Spicy mustard for spreading: as required Salad leaves: as required Parsley sprigs: as required Unsalted butter for spreading: as required Potato chips: as required METHOD 1.Butter one side of the slice bread, top with grated cheese, ham slice and spread a little mustard. 2.Cover the ham with the remaining cheese, then cover with the other bread slice. 3.Toast the sandwiches on both sides until bread turns light brown and the cheese melts.

Late last month, only days after returning from Europe, Kevin called me positively gushing about the fabulous food and drink he had the pleasure of sampling on the Mother Continent. From the rich and varied rijstafel of Amsterdam to the simple yet delicious chocolate croissants of France, it had become clear that Kevin was beginning to appreciate what I, a respected home economist and dedicated Europhile, had known for years. Americans eat to live, while Europeans live to eat. The more I chatted with Kevin, the more two strange words kept popping up: croque monsieur . Flashing back to my high school French class, I knew this translated roughly to "crunchy mister", and I quickly dismissed it as something having to do with Kevin's sexual forays into the sleezy bowels of France's gay neighborhoods. It was only when he asked me if I had a recipe for it that I realized I was totally off track. "Describe it for me," I asked. "It's a grilled sandwich filled with cheese and ham," was his answer. "A grilled ham and cheese?" I responded. "NO WAY! Croques monsieur!" was the determined reply. After a little research (and more than a few kitchen proofs and test runs on my children and husband), I created a recipe which, Kevin had to admit, rivaled the results his favorite cafes de Paris. I hope you enjoy my personal twist on a classic Franch favorite as much as Kevin does! HENRIETTA'S HINT: Kevin told me he loves making my delicious croques monsieurs on his George Foreman grill. I tried it myself, and believe me it works like magic and shaves minutes off your prep time! Enjoy!