Free Southern California Cooking from the Cottage by Jane Stern Page A

side of the remaining 4 slices of bread. Place on top of the sun-dried tomatoes and cut the sandwich diagonally.
    MAKES 4 SERVINGS

CRAB MELT SANDWICH
    C ustomers go crazy for the Cottage’s Crab Melt Sandwich. It is another fine example of Southern California cooking, especially if you can find really fresh rock crabmeat. If you are using canned crab, rinse it well and drain all the excess water.
    1 pound rock crabmeat
    1 cup diced red bell pepper
    1 cup mayonnaise
    1 stick butter, softened
    Â½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
    8 slices sourdough bread
    4 slices Cheddar cheese
    1 avocado, sliced
    Â½ cup red onion rings
    4 large lettuce leaves
    2 large tomatoes, sliced
    In a medium mixing bowl combine the crab, red pepper, and mayonnaise. In a small mixing bowl blend the butter and Parmesan cheese. Spread the mixture on one side of each slice of bread. Place the slices under the broiler until the cheese begins to bubble and the bread is slightly toasted. Set aside 4 slices.
    On each of the remaining 4 slices, scoop some of the crabmeat mixture on top of the non-grilled side. Add a slice of cheese to the 4 slices of bread and broil until the cheese has melted. Top with the avocado slices, onion rings, lettuce, and tomato. Top with the reserved pieces of bread. Cut in half and enjoy.
    MAKES 4 SERVINGS

COTTAGE PATTY MELT
    W ho doesn’t like a Patty Melt?! We give a twist to the classic recipe by grilling the bread with Parmesan cheese.
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 cup grilled onion
    2 pounds ground sirloin
    1 stick butter, softened
    Â½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
    8 slices thickly cut sourdough bread
    4 tablespoons Thousand Island Dressing (page 117)
    8 slices Cheddar cheese
    Heat the grill to medium-high. In a small sauté pan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook slowly until browned. Shape the sirloin into patties and grill to desired degree of doneness. While the burgers are cooking, in a small bowl combine the butter and Parmesan cheese. Spread the butter mixture on one side of each piece of bread. Grill or broil the buttered side for 1 minute or until toasted. Spread Thousand Island dressing on the non-toasted side of 4 slices of bread. On the remaining 4 slices, place 2 slices of cheese on the non-toasted side and broil until the cheese melts. Place the burger patty on top of the cheese. Top with the grilled onion and the remaining bread slices, toasted side up. Serve with additional Thousand Island Dressing.
    MAKES 4 SERVINGS

THE BUNGALOW
    L a Jolla today is known for some of the priciest real estate and most elegant homes in America. A hundred years ago, it was nothing but $250 cottages, none more than 1,000 square feet. Fresh water was scarce in old La Jolla, and only one of these original abodes had the luxury of a bathtub. It was the home of musician Anna Held, and local lore says that Ms. Held was so unwilling to relinquish her beautiful view while bathing that she cut a large hole in her bathroom wall so she could gaze out and admire the surf during her ablutions.
    The humble bungalow-style home was an architectural revolution in early twentieth century America, and it was especially prevalent in California, where land was cheap and plentiful. The bungalow represented the same ideals once epitomized by the Golden State itself: opportunity, a fresh start, and a good life that was simple and elegant and accessible to all with a will to live it. Technically defined as a one-story or one-and-a-half story home with no staircase, it is a style described by American Bungalow magazine as a “fulfillment of the American dream” for those of modest means. “The bungalow was practical, and it symbolized for many the best of the good life. On its own plot of land, with a garden, however small, and a car parked out front, a bungalow provided privacy and independence. To their builders and owners, bungalows meant living close to nature, but also with true style.”
    That is how the