Second place. Two years in a row.

I’ll take it. There was some incredible competition this year.

This was my recipe.

Queso a la Plancha del Diablo

Ingredients:
Something Natural Portuguese bread
olive oil
salt, pepper
tomato paste
chipotles in adobo sauce
agave nectar
Manchego cheese
Gruyere cheese
sharp cheddar cheese
parmesan cheese
milk
eggs, beaten
flour
cornmeal
tomatillos
red onions, sliced thin
cilantro

Process:
Cut the tomatillos a little less than a half inch slices, salt them, and put them in between paper towels to sit and dry out for about 15 minutes. Make the spread. 6 oz can of tomato paste, 3 tblsp of chopped chipotles, with some of the sauce, and 1 tbslp agave nectar, processed until smooth in the food processor. Dip the tomatillo slices into milk, into flour, into the egg, and then in to a mix of cornmeal, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Fry them just until brown and crispy in about 1/4″ of peanut oil at medium heat. Set up to drain on paper. Pre-warm a cast iron skillet to a low-medium heat. Assemble the sandwich as such: olive oil on one side, and the tomato-pepper spread on the inside, place a piece oil-side down in the skillet; then working quickly, add a handful of the above cheeses (less the parmesan, grated and mixed), two slices of tomatillo, a few slivers of onions and chopped cilantro leaves, more cheese, then another piece of bread, similarly coated on the inside with the spread, and oiled on the outside. Cover (because it helps the cheese to melt more quickly) and cook until the bottom side is browned as you like. Carefully flip and do the same for the other side. Cut in half and serve with a sweet or bread-and-butter pickle.

Here are some pictures from today’s event:

Renee Bistany won the Wicked Fancy category, and People’s Choice with a grilled asiago cheese, with oven-roasted tomatoes, pancetta chips, & baby arugula on portuguese bread crusted with truffle butter, parmesan cheese and fresh rosemary. Served with a balsamic roasted-tomato soup for dipping! Yep. It was good.

The Winners:

Plain & Simple:
1: Dave Berry
2: Liliana Dugan

Wicked Fancy:
1: Renee Bistany
2:Greg Hinson
3:Dave Berry

Professional:
1: Neil Hudson
2: Barbara Gookin
3: Liliana Dugan

People’s Choice: Renee Bistany

Special Category: “Spirit Award”
Bob and Donna (Don’t have their last name yet)