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lasfs
Grilled Cheese Award goes to LASFS Member!
Last Saturday, the evening of the 19th, saw over fifteen hunderd cheese loving angelenos gathered in Griffith Park to witness history: The 6th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational!
For all but the first year of it's run, local fans have braved the harsh reality of grilling before a prickly and picky audience, prepared to taste and scathingly judge their gustatory creations.
This year was no exception, but with added flair and circumstance (no pomp, pomp is not allowed on city property), mere mortals took up the challenge and call of; "Bread, Butter, Cheese, Victory!" Among those mortals were returning fannish participants; Christian B. McGuire, well known volunteer and fan voted most likely to chair a table, and Scott Beckstead, digital duelist and gourmet chef. Both are also known for reading books, an exception in any lasfs crowd.
These 2 stalwarts enjoyed the able assistance of Theatrix Extraordinaire Cathy Beckstead as their runner, bean counter and chief bottle washer, whilst Michele Pincus made up the lone fannish observer of these Grilling Goliaths. No other fan had braved the comfortable afternoon weather, either to participate or to watch and partake of the grilled cheese.
There had been due cause for alarm when regulars learned that Kraft Singles(tm) had chosen to sponser the event and privide 2,000 grilled cheese sandwiches as back-up to the expected starving masses, and the change in venue from the downtown warehouse which gave earlier incarnations an alt-cultural vibe, to the mild green environs of Griffith Park. Kraft Singles(tm) was joined by last minute addition, Izzie(tm) drinks, who provided a matching 2,000 cans of their fruity-carbonated-energy drinks. Neither the wholesome environment nor the sponsorship and prduct placement detracted from the grandeur of this spectacle.
The removal to Griffith Park turned out to be a HUGE boon to the Grilling Contestants as the roped off cooking area was the very generously apportioned, Silver Springs picnic area. The energy and camraderie shared amongst the participants could truly be called stinky. Scott, Cathy, and Christian were continually amazed that the open venue and the lite breeze could never disipate the aroma of scores of different cheeses and numberless combinations of spices.
Your fellow lasfs members, Scott and Christian both chose to compete in the Missionary Category, the most difficult category of them all, which is limited to the absolute basics of grilled cheese creation: cheese, bread & butter. Both received ovations and attaboys for their grilling masterpieces, but it was Scott Beckstead who was called forth during the award ceremonies to receive his trophy for perfection in Grilled Cheese manifestation.
In the end the presence of Kraft Singles(tm) turned out to be a welcome boon. The leaders of the Kraft Singles(tm) Team were cheered for their cheesy contributions and fun attitudes to the festivities. We hope they join us again.
Scott Victorious, Cathy Admiringly, and Christian glad-to-have-been-a-participant strode into the ether certain of having left their mark, and more certain still, that next year would be another challenge to be faced with Artistry, Boldness and Cheesy Goodness. Scott, his trophy held high, shouted with pride: "I am a Grilled Cheese Champion!"
Pictures will eventually be posted and a url added here:
YOU need to be there next year. If any event held in Los Angeles not run by LASFSians* can be called fannish, its the Grilled Cheese Invitational.
*Costumes, fan publications, tchotcky's, people blocking all effective exits while conversing, slathering hordes of locusts eating everything in sight, and filking (people were invited to invent verse (mostly haiku) to be read over the loudspeakers, and one person, a priest with a handly guitar ,was moved to compose and perform a song, a damn good song, too!).
For all but the first year of it's run, local fans have braved the harsh reality of grilling before a prickly and picky audience, prepared to taste and scathingly judge their gustatory creations.
This year was no exception, but with added flair and circumstance (no pomp, pomp is not allowed on city property), mere mortals took up the challenge and call of; "Bread, Butter, Cheese, Victory!" Among those mortals were returning fannish participants; Christian B. McGuire, well known volunteer and fan voted most likely to chair a table, and Scott Beckstead, digital duelist and gourmet chef. Both are also known for reading books, an exception in any lasfs crowd.
These 2 stalwarts enjoyed the able assistance of Theatrix Extraordinaire Cathy Beckstead as their runner, bean counter and chief bottle washer, whilst Michele Pincus made up the lone fannish observer of these Grilling Goliaths. No other fan had braved the comfortable afternoon weather, either to participate or to watch and partake of the grilled cheese.
There had been due cause for alarm when regulars learned that Kraft Singles(tm) had chosen to sponser the event and privide 2,000 grilled cheese sandwiches as back-up to the expected starving masses, and the change in venue from the downtown warehouse which gave earlier incarnations an alt-cultural vibe, to the mild green environs of Griffith Park. Kraft Singles(tm) was joined by last minute addition, Izzie(tm) drinks, who provided a matching 2,000 cans of their fruity-carbonated-energy drinks. Neither the wholesome environment nor the sponsorship and prduct placement detracted from the grandeur of this spectacle.
The removal to Griffith Park turned out to be a HUGE boon to the Grilling Contestants as the roped off cooking area was the very generously apportioned, Silver Springs picnic area. The energy and camraderie shared amongst the participants could truly be called stinky. Scott, Cathy, and Christian were continually amazed that the open venue and the lite breeze could never disipate the aroma of scores of different cheeses and numberless combinations of spices.
Your fellow lasfs members, Scott and Christian both chose to compete in the Missionary Category, the most difficult category of them all, which is limited to the absolute basics of grilled cheese creation: cheese, bread & butter. Both received ovations and attaboys for their grilling masterpieces, but it was Scott Beckstead who was called forth during the award ceremonies to receive his trophy for perfection in Grilled Cheese manifestation.
In the end the presence of Kraft Singles(tm) turned out to be a welcome boon. The leaders of the Kraft Singles(tm) Team were cheered for their cheesy contributions and fun attitudes to the festivities. We hope they join us again.
Scott Victorious, Cathy Admiringly, and Christian glad-to-have-been-a-participant strode into the ether certain of having left their mark, and more certain still, that next year would be another challenge to be faced with Artistry, Boldness and Cheesy Goodness. Scott, his trophy held high, shouted with pride: "I am a Grilled Cheese Champion!"
Pictures will eventually be posted and a url added here:
YOU need to be there next year. If any event held in Los Angeles not run by LASFSians* can be called fannish, its the Grilled Cheese Invitational.
*Costumes, fan publications, tchotcky's, people blocking all effective exits while conversing, slathering hordes of locusts eating everything in sight, and filking (people were invited to invent verse (mostly haiku) to be read over the loudspeakers, and one person, a priest with a handly guitar ,was moved to compose and perform a song, a damn good song, too!).