Sunday, January 8, 2012

Opa! The science of flaming saganaki?

Yesterday I was at a "Grecian Cafe" in Ann Arbor hungry for something hot like a grilled cheese sandwich.  Few things seemed as hot as flaming fried cheese, so I ordered the saganaki dish, which is flambe'ed in many Coney Islands and Grecian Cafes throughout the U.S. (but particularly in Southeast Michigan).  [Side note:  I think Ann Arbor needs a Coney Island that's open for 24 hours.  If any entrepreneurs read this and do so, I'd gladly become a patron, but I hope I'll get some of the profits, a discount, or a free dish]

Then I wondered:  what in the world makes it so flammable?
Perhaps it's alcohol of some sort, but then I thought--what if there's a certain gas that the cheese releases?  Hmmm!  That would be even more interesting.

Unfortunately, a quick search about the internet suggests a few table spoons of brandy is the real fuel for the flames.

My last pondering about this dish:  why is there never enough bread to go with the cheese?

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