OK, so my good friend Laura mocked me for this concoction, but I'm sharing it anyway because it's that good. These little "sandwiches" are a spin on my (and Laura's) favorite dish at Hopleaf, where we typically have to wait 2 solid hours for a table. Thankfully there are enough varities of Belgium brews here to keep us entertained.

By the time we are finally seated at Hopleaf, we're more than a little flushed and we don't even care that it takes a few flights of stairs to find the washroom or that the tables are crammed together like a traffic jam on Lakeshore Drive. None of this matters because we know we're only moments away from the CB&J sandwich-- undoubtedly the most comforting plate of food in Chicago

Think peanut butter and jelly on crack; a hearty slab of cashew butter followed by fig preserves and a thick slice of melty morbier cheese on toasted bread. This warm gooey delight is served up with a side of stilton mac n' cheese and homemade chips. No doubt, it's a heart attack in waiting, but I promise you'll still be grinning after the convulsions.

I told Laura that I wanted to make this in my own kitchen and she advised me not to mess with a good thing. But I rarely heed warnings.

Stinky little toasts