Important cheese alert

I love to grill cheese. What is better than cheese seared to a crisp on the outside and oozy on the inside? Which is why I've been a fan for ages of the Cypriot cheese halloumi.

Grilled quickly in a hot cast iron skillet and topped with a cilantro mojo or, as Sophie and I enjoyed at a Greek festival this spring, a vinaigrette with sliced tomatoes, capers, and fresh mint, it's a great appetizer or small side dish.

The only drawback is that the brand I usually buy is sort of expensive—almost $10 a container.

But check out what I found at Trader Joe's last week:

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's not exactly the same—not as soft, perhaps a little rubbery; not quite as briny—as traditional halloumi. But at a fraction of the cost and with a good topping, I can live with this. Halloumi can go right into the heated pan; I found a light coating of olive oil on the pan surface helped this detach a little better.

Tossed with several colors of miniature tomatoes, cilantro, a little olive oil, and a few squeezes of fresh lime, this mixture was a nice alternative with chips to a traditional salsa as an appetizer for our Mexican-themed Sunday dinner.

Grilled cheese AND saved money. Does it get any better than that?