Saving Money in the Kitchen: We’re Back to Grilled Cheese
We had forgotten how great it can be Last week was really rough. A couple of unexpected expenses cropped up and we had no choice but to pay; the bank account was running on empty and all my cards were at the limit. Three days to go to payday and very little in the fridge. In a last ditch search I spied a loaf of bread at the back of the freezer and a packet of cheese at the back of the fridge. That’s it, I thought, I’ll make grilled cheese for dinner.
Easy It was the ultimate easy-to-make sandwich. As I chomped, my mind began working and I dreamed up a few variations. This week, with my salary in the bank I headed for the supermarket and I bought some items to experiment with. I remembered reading about banana bread slices filled with ricotta. That started me off and I headed for the internet where I soon found the annual Grilled Cheese Invitational, which attracts fans eager to display novel takes on the ultimate American comfort food.
A grilled-cheese renaissance The event is a testament to the nation’s grilled-cheese renaissance. That the humble gooey sandwich has gone gourmet is evidenced by trendy grilled-cheese trucks that tweet their whereabouts, the advent of top chefs divining grilled-cheese creations and the appearance of cookbooks devoted entirely to grilled-cheese recipes. The L.A. invitational has spawned regional competitions across the country.
The Grilled Cheese Invitational What started in a living room eight years ago as a dare among friends has become an annual affair and migrated to ever-larger venues. This year’s event, held in a studio lot in downtown L.A., drew 221 contestants and 8,000 spectators. Creations bore such names as “Charlie’s Sheenwich” and “Jake the Snake,” after the pro wrestler. Contestants could prepare sandwiches in categories ranging from only white bread, butter and cheese, to dessert grilled-cheese sandwiches.
Samples In 50-minute heats, they grilled 20 samples, delivered by “cheese runners” to “spectator judges,” members of the public who paid $12 to attend, and “executive judges,” who included food critics, restaurant owners and cheese connoisseur Laura Werlin, who just published her second grilled-cheese cookbook.
The whole Enchilada Guillermo Macias, captain of the “Cheesy Nerdz” team, built the “Whole Enchilada,” a grilled cheese, enchilada-style. He pressed minced chicken, mild and pepper jack cheddar between two potato-bread slices. Over the grilled sandwich, he added a dash of chives, olives and crumbled Mexican cheese, as well as a squirt of secret enchilada sauce.
Other entries Computer repairman Matt LaForest, decked out in a rubber-cheese crown and robe, prepared a sandwich of enriched white bread, three Kraft singles and butter. “If you don’t like this, you’re not American,” he said. His team, all residents of an apartment complex in Hollywood, christened the entry “Your Mom”. Nearby, Maria Dimakos, who is of Greek descent, led a team called “My Big Fat Cheese Kitchen” that grilled a heart-shaped American-style sandwich.
It’s back to grilled cheese And I’m sold on it.
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