"Things that shouldn't be together, they actually work out great."
Right?! That can apply to so many things -- relationships, furniture, scarves in summer, and, heck - liquor. But what Pom Moongauklang is referring to is her rock star menu of presses that you won't find anywhere else.
"It's just beautiful," she said, looking down at the cross-section of her Seasonal Berry Melt she'd made us.
Beautiful and memorable, because her melts kinda "hit" your taste buds from multiple directions.
Pom is the owner of Pom Pom's Teahouse and Sandwicheria (67 N. Bumby Ave. in Orlando and (opening August) 2950 Central Ave. in St Petersburg). Best known for her Mama Ling Ling's Thanksgiving (as noted by a wall o' awards proudly displayed in her restaurant), we asked her to demo two of her "sexiest" melts.
The result? The Seasonal Berry Melt and a Smoked Salmon BLT.
The latter is for more grown-up palettes, but the Berry Melt is like a cousin of PB&J and grilled cheese -- all in one.
Let's press!
Smoked Salmon BLT
Ingredients:
Smoked salmon
Bacon
Watercress
Tomato
Cream cheese
Lemon Caper Aioli
Directions:
Spread the cream cheese on one slice of bread, making sure to go all the way to the edges. Top with tomatoes.
On the other piece of bread, stack cheese so that it sticks out over the sides of the bread. This will create a cheesy crust when melted. Top with bacon, watercress, and lemon caper aioli.
Put in a sandwich press. If you don't have a press, put a heavy pan on top of the sandwich over heat. Once cheese melts, enjoy!
Seasonal Berry Melt
Ingredients:
Ripe seasonal berries
Brie
Red onions
Honey mustard
Black Russian Pumpernickel bread
Directions:
Cover two pieces of bread with Brie cheese. Top one piece with red onions and berry trio. Top the other with honey mustard. Form a sandwich.
Put it in a sandwich press. If you don't have a press, put a heavy pan on top of the sandwich over heat. Once Brie melts (starts getting clear), enjoy!