If you like cheese, and to be honest, it makes me sick, you should click on this link to the Austin regional heat of the Grilled Cheese Invitational and register right now. I clicked on the link a few years back and it changed my life. AND I DON’T EVEN EAT CHEESE!
“I am a futher-mocking grilled cheese champion.” This was the upshot of a phone call I received while back at home with my infant daughter a few years ago after competing in the contest and running off home before judging was complete.
My partner in cheese was being handed a giant trophy and a ticket to Los Angeles to compete in the International Grilled Cheese Invitational after acing the Austin event.
To be fair, Kristine did all of the work. I was more the cheese carrying assistant to her Norwegian chef. She got sponsorship from a cheese farm, came up with the recipe, did the cooking and held things together while I was busy with my firstborn.
But to Los Angeles we went with two more dazzling assistants – Treg and Nathan. My wife stayed at home and at work and tended to the wee one while I was flying across America on a mission to the big cheese-a-palooza. After which Nathan decided to hi-jack someone’s gallery opening to inform all and sundry about the benefits of cheese in the community, as seen below.
It was a perfect antidote to having been thrust into the often serious business of parenting. Winning the Austin gave me a chance to sleep in a warehouse, meet the organizers of the contest and to compete at an international level. And to wear an apron and get photographed with strangers.
So if you actually eat Grilled Cheese (and why aren’t they called Fried Cheese?), or think you can make a mean sammie, spread your bread wings and get thee to registering right now for the Austin competition. It’s on March 26th.