~~~Originally appearing on ProfressionGal.com~~~
It’s really weird to think that my love of the grilled cheese sandwich has helped launch a legit career for myself. Sheesh, it actually blows my mind. Just a few years ago I was in grad school at Columbia University for psychology, and I was completely miserable. Like so sad, mad, and bent out of shape that even my parents were on board for me dipping out early. But I didn’t quit because eff that. The cost of that ridiculous tuition was way too pricey for a student like me to leave after just one year. So like some chick with a death wish, I stuck through it.
pp But I wasn’t just going to passively finish that last year–I decided that I needed to start my own thing. My own thing that could help me escape from the overly dry, super sterile, and completely mind melting style of writing that I was doing to get stupid credits for a class that I didn’t care about.
So that’s where the sandwiches came in. You see, the idea of starting a grilled cheese blog always seemed like a fun idea. But I didn’t want my blog to be some mediocre site that just got passed around solely to my Mom and her friends. Nah, I wanted it to have attitude, spunk, questionable content and of course – some good old-fashioned sass that girls like me could relate to.
Seriously, think about it; How boring is it to read about some chick’s pearly Lilly Pulitzer Life? Ya know, the who lives with her hot ass fiancé, has perfectly shiny hair, and has never “had” to floss her teeth with her hair before. Eck. That’s definitely not my cup of tea.
Seriously, think about it; How boring is it to read about some chick’s pearly Lilly Pulitzer Life? Ya know, the who lives with her hot ass fiancé, has perfectly shiny hair, and has never “had” to floss her teeth with her hair before. Eck. That’s definitely not my cup of tea.
I’m the type of babe that likes the mess, the dirt, the grime, and the darkness. The struggles, the long nights, the uncertainty–all of it drives me and motivates me to work harder. And being able to share these sometimes-ridiculous stories with chicks like you makes me feel like a real human. And fortunately for me, this little baby is now 4 years old and I’m proud to say that this is quickly becoming my career. Shit, I’m even thinking about hiring an intern (paid in cheese of course) to help me. And we all know that hiring an intern means you’ve made it in this day of age, right? Hah. Right.
But ya know what, maybe I’m just in a really good mood about today because my favorite holiday in the whole wide world is this weekend–National Grilled Cheese Day! And talk about shit poppin’ off the chain… ooohhweeee! That’s my world right now. I’ve got pop-ups, a TV appearance, and a radio slot this weekend. And It feels really good because this is the first year that I decided that I was going to actively pursue Grilled Cheese Social as a new form of income. And it’s all working. I’m reaching out, people are pitching to me, and we’re all working together to make some amazing shit happen.
And I know that we’re all different… doi…obvi… but I think we can all relate to what it’s like to be young women in society today. We’ve all probably barely made it out of our latest midlife crisis. We’ve all probably eaten way too many midnight tortas from a shady taco truck in the middle of nowhere. We’ve all probably made out with some creeper at the bar because “WE FELT LIKE!”. And I truly think this is because we’re the kind of girls that are living the life. We’re taking chances and following our deepest desires and unstoppable dreams. And weather it’s glamorous or not–we’re having fun and making things happen. So before we go any further, I’d like for y’all to check out these sandwiches that I think are fitting for all you different types of badass babes. Let’s go!
BOSSGAL
You’re the HBIC, so you need a bold sandwich. Something that’s spicy, creative, and flavorful. Something to match your drive and attitude and willingness to do whatever it takes to make it work. If you’re this type of gal, I’d go for The KimCheese Kick–it fuses spicy kimchee with tart cream cheese, buttery cheddar, and thick texas toast to make one powerful sandwich. Oh, and did I mention that it’s also got pineapple? Yeah, that’s for your extra spunk that can come out once you realize that something’s not going right.
CORPGAL
As a CorpGal, you know what it’s like to work for the masses. You get that things need to be a certain way for something to run… at the workplace… but you also understand that sometimes you gotta get a little wild or else you’ll lose your shit. That’s why I think “The As If”, which is a new play on the classic tuna melt, is perfect for you. The flavors from high-end yellowfin tuna filets, (because hey, let’s be real–you don’t work a corp job to eat the canned stuff) meld with black garlic mayo while spicy peppadews, and mellow celery play off of the seeded everything bagel style bread that you found yourself at the local bakery. And the cheese? Well nutty swiss and gruyere are the perfect compliment to those feelings you get when you’re stuck in your cubicle too long.
GOODGAL
As the GoodGal, you like to keep your priorities straight and you like doing things the proper way. Volunteering at your local shelter? Definitely. Mentoring underserved kids at your local library? Duh. Your heart and passion for helping others is straight-forward and is out there in the open. That’s why you need a grilled cheese that focuses on the good stuff. Something true–something not influenced by some trend or other buzz food that will fade out next week. This classic is your calling–it features amazing cheeses like gruyere, comte, and ossau iraty. Oh and this sandwich is called the #1 Dormmate because I’m guessing that’s what you probably were.
GRADGAL
You’re busy. You don’t have time to play around, let alone spend hours cooking up some ingredients that you can’t even afford. You also need something comforting because sleeping in the library for 4 nights in a row isn’t very settling… especially when all your other friends finished exams like 2 years ago and never looked back. So here–I think you would totally dig The Slow Dance. It features BACON (duh), brocolli, and a mustard seed cheddar that is almost makes you feel like you’re a little kid back at home. It will keep you full for hours because we all know that you seriously need that extra 30 minutes to highlight the last chapter of your class notes.
INTERNGAL
Girlfriend, you’re killing it. Sure, you may not be making any money (like at all) but you will one day. And your ability to push through the thousands of jobs you commited to makes you a trooper. So take a break, kick your heals off, and get comfy–you’re not going anywhere tonight. Indulge with The (Fun)Employment Special. With poundcake (yes as the bread), creamy brie, fig jam, and rosemary butter this sandwich is a surefire way to take the edge off. So c’mon InterGal, dig in. You deserve it.
MODGAL
The ModGal won’t settle for any regular old Grilled Cheese. C’mon who are we kidding. Among the other dozen crowns she wears, this foodie has been buying gourmet cheese from her local monger for years and has even made out with him (or her). And yeah, you’ve probably never heard of her favorite lactose treat, but that’s ok. You will soon because she’s probably already started a social media campaign to support her favorite cheesemaker’s kickstarter. Since only she has access to this amazing morel and leek studded jack cheese, she also is the only one that even knows about candied garlic. So it’s only natural that she’d pair it with local roasted baby heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced goat salami, and a pretzel roll that she picked up at the Farmer’s Market. It’s The Pleasure Pasture for this gal.
MOMGAL
The MomGal does not fuck around. Not because she doesn’t want to, but because ain’t nobody got time for that. She’s got daily life routines down to a pat, and she’s most definitely got the family meals on lock. That’s why she wants something that even the kids and hubby will like. But this sloppy joe grilled cheese isn’t the old run of the mystery meat sandwich that always freaked us out a kids–Nope. This family favorite is kicked up a notch from the spicy zing of dill pickle chips, the buttery goodness of a brioche roll, and the crispy exterior and creamy interior created when she used the best cheddar cheese she could find. Moms and Dads, meet The Osceola.
Want to snag the recipes and hear more of MacKenzie’s hilarious stories? Duh. Check out Grilled Cheese Social…ya dig?
Nicole
I <3 the real talk of this whole thing. Congrats on living life and figuring it out along the way - you bettah post some videos from these shindigs! <3 a Looooongtime Faithful Reader