Tag Archives: cooking

Queso Diego April Meeting Announcement

April is National Grilled Cheese Month, and every year, Queso Diego celebrates it with a Grilled Cheese Extravaganza, which will be our meeting on Tuesday, April 16 at AleSmith at 6:30pm!  It is one of my favorite meetings every year, where we bring equipment and ingredients, and make & share the most amazing Grilled Cheese creations you’ve ever tried!  A couple things to highlight… the exact location inside AleSmith is being finalized and will be announced in the next day or so.  If you have equipment to bring for this meeting (folding table, grill, etc.), please, please bring it.  Cooking equipment must be non-electric.  If you don’t, there are always people willing to share.  Everyone should definitely bring a lawn chair.  Pro tip: For you grilled cheese concoction, it’s recommended to prep anything you can prep the night before (shredding, cutting, chopping, slicing, marinating, pre-cooking, etc.)… Now, read on for details about the Grilled Cheese Extravaganza!

Grilled Cheese EXTRAVAGANZA!

If you were at the March Meeting, we previewed this, and that information/presentation is on our website (www.quesodiego.org) under Meeting Notes.  Here’s the link: https://quesodiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/QD-Grilled-Cheese-Extravaganza.pdf

The Grilled Cheese Extravaganza (our April Meeting) is on Tuesday, April 16 at 6:30pm at AleSmith (exact location inside of AleSmith will be announced soon).  We will NOT have our traditional potluck at this meeting.  If you’re not planning on making grilled cheese, you can consider bringing something that might go well with Grilled Cheese.  Remember that we can bring homemade alcohol (non-commercial) only, or better yet, enjoy an AleSmith beer (Queso Diego gets a 10% discount).

In broad strokes, plan on bringing the equipment and ingredients to make 2-3 Grilled Cheeses, and cut into 6-8 or so bite-sized pieces to share.  You’re welcome to work with others on this.  Perhaps make a sandwich, wander around to taste other samples, and come back and make another sandwich.  Cooks can rotate; not everyone may have all the equipment, and some people are always willing to share.  If you do have the equipment, please bring it.

Choose your Grilled Cheese recipe/concoction.  If you’ve never been to this before, you will be absolutely amazed at the creativity in the creations.  We’re not purists (except Larry), so your interpretation of a Grilled Cheese sandwich is your interpretation and is welcome!  Make sure your cheese will melt (avoid high moisture, low/no fat and too acidic cheeses).  Cheeses that won’t melt include Halloumi, Feta, Cotija, Ricotta, Queso Fresco…

Equipment to bring:

  • Folding table
  • Camping stove with Propane (or chafing dish)… as long as it’s non-electric
  • Lighter
  • LAWN CHAIR

Cooking stuff to bring:

  • Pan (with lid) or griddle
  • Spatula
  • Sharp knife/Bread Knife/Pizza cutter to cut into bite-sized samples
  • Paper towels
  • Couple paper plates are helpful
  • Cutting board
  • Any plasticware or utensils you might need to prepare, move or cut with
  • And your Ingredients!

Meeting Schedule:

  • 6:30: Arrive, check in at the check-in table, grab a label and stand to label what you’re making
  • Set up your “workstation” (table, grill, etc.), get organized and label what you’re making.  BUT DON’T START COOKING YET.
  • 7:00: We’ll have a very short meeting with announcements, followed by a shotgun start, LET THE COOKING COMMENCE!
  • Cook a sandwich, cut up into bite-sized pieces, wander around and sample, and repeat!  (I will be gathering some samples to take up front to AleSmith’s staff).

Pro Tips:

  • I can’t stress this one enough: Prep/cook/chop/cut/shred/mix/marinate in advance.  Do anything you can in advance.  I will already have my bread cut, and cheese shredded the night before.
  • When you leave your home to come to the meeting, don’t worry about putting cheese in a cooler, you’re want your cheese at room temp
  • Non-stick pans work well
  • Butter (or mayo) the outsides of your bread, not the insides!
  • Cook at a low-med or medium heat, so you don’t burn bread while waiting for the cheese to melt (a lid to your pan helps trap the heat and melt the cheese)
  • You may remove the rind if using something like a Brie

Resources:

You can check out these resources to get the creative juices flowing:

Queso Diego April Meeting Announcement – Grilled Cheese!

April Queso Diego Meeting
April 18th 2023, 6:30 PM
AleSmith Brewery
9990 AleSmith Ct.
San Diego, CA 92126

The meeting is “Grilled Cheese Making Extravaganza”

This is our annual Grilled Cheese making and sharing party. An event not to be missed. Create your best grilled cheese sandwich or whatever side you would like to share with the club.

It is best to bring your food prepared to be cooked. Members in the past have brought camp stoves, chafing dishes and other non electric apparatus to warm your food, if you don’t have anything, I am sure there will be people to share theirs. Small folding tables work well for this so if you have one, it would be beneficial to bring it.

Finally, Members, if you need anything from the Library of Cheesemaking, please request prior to any upcoming meeting for delivery at the meeting. Be sure to check the list of offerings and send an email to QD-Library-Request@googlegroups.com.

Please remember to bring a chair and homemade beers, ciders, meads and wine are always welcome. Looking forward to seeing you then!

Queso Diego April Grilled Cheese Meeting Announcement

Dear Queso Diegans,

Just a reminder that one of our most popular meetings of the year is coming up next Tuesday 4/19 – the Grilled Cheese meeting! Also a note about an upcoming event that might be of interest.

We will meet as usual at Alesmith Brewery, 9990 Alesmith Ct. off of Miramar Road. 6:30 p.m. Other than a few announcements we will jump right in to grilling sandwiches.

We ask that you bring ingredients and prep/cooking supplies to cook 2-4+ sandwiches. Cooks will be rotating, so that once you’ve finished grilling, please allow someone else to use your cooking space.

Cook 2-4 sandwiches and cut into 6+ pieces each, depending on the size/structure – You won’t be slaving over the stove all night, so don’t be afraid to jump in! The smaller you can cut them, the more people will be able to sample.

Please prep beforehand as much as possible (chopping, mixing, marinating) and bring extra – caramelized onions, roasted peppers, sliced cheeses, meats, sliced fruits/veggies, spices, etc.

Propane / butane cooking apparatus are required, as we do not have electrical outlets available. We need as many propane/butane stoves/grills as possible. We will have some tables for serving and other snacks, but you should plan on trying to bring your own table for prep. If you have a portable table, please bring it – we need as many surfaces as we can!

If you don’t plan to cook, please bring food to share or ingredients for the cooks to use. Non-members and Guests are allowed. We ask that non-members and guests consider joining. It’s only $20/year.

As a reminder, please bring a chair and we are welcome to bring homemade alcoholic beverages, nothing commercial per Alesmith’s license.

Also, the Liquid City cheese event is happening on Sunday, May 1. Queso Diegans are invited to the Industry Night at Alesmith on Saturday night, April 30. Please see Curt’s previous email for more information.

Queso Diego August Grilled Cheese Meeting

Queso Diego Monthly Meeting
Tuesday, August 17, 2021 – 6:30 PM
AleSmith Brewing Co.

The Grilled Cheese Meeting, Redux
Somehow, virtual grilled cheese just did not cut it, so it’s time to do this for real!

(Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, we will be unable to accommodate Zoom attendees this meeting.)

Please read this message in its entirety.

Alesmith Brewery is located just off of Miramar Rd. between I-805 and I-15.
9990 Alesmith Ct.
San Diego, CA 92126

The meeting is held in the Barrel Room
Enter through the doors at the end of the hall to the left of the bar.

There will be no formal meeting. We will setup and start with announcements at 6:30 PM. We will then proceed directly to the main event:

GRILLED CHEESE

Please bring your own folding chair. One with an attached side table is convenient if you have one.

Tables will be needed for cooking and serving.
If you are cooking and serving grilled cheese, please bring your own table.

If you are making grilled cheese, please prepare the components of your grilled cheese prior to the meeting so that only minimal assembly and cooking are required. You DO NOT need to make enough Grilled Cheese for everyone. Plan to cut grilled cheese sandwiches into bite sized pieces. Everyone will want to taste everything.

Also, please bring all of the items needed for the preparation and cooking of your offering , a skillet or griddle, utensils, spatulas, serving dishes, etc. Eating utensils, plates and napkins will be provided by the club.

Please bring a Propane Stove or share with someone else. Electrical connections are very limited and needed for AV equipment.

Stoves and skillets can be shared and used in shifts. If you have a dessert grilled cheese, consider asking someone making a savory sandwich to share their cooking station.

Please help with cleanup. This is a messy event and will require everyone to do their part in leaving the meeting space as we found it.

As always, ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MUST BE HOMEMADE. Fantastic AleSmith beer will be available for purchase from the brewery.

Guests and new members are welcome but please plan to contribute something to the meal.
We request that everyone sign in at the desk as they enter the meeting.

Please wear a mask and maintain physical distance if you are unvaccinated.
All are encouraged to wear a mask except when eating or drinking to protect yourself and others.
We are fortunate to use a very large room with a partially open roof.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact us at officers@quesodiego.org

Queso Diego April Meeting Announcement

April is Grilled Cheese Month and we’ll be celebrating with our annual Grilled Cheese Meeting on April 16! You won’t want to miss this delicious event!

Annual Grilled Cheese Meeting
Tuesday, April 16 @ 6:30PM
AleSmith Brewery
9990 AleSmith Court
San Diego, CA 92126

We will be in the barrel room area that can be accessed by going down the hallway to the left of the main bar in the tasting room. We have been in this space for the last couple meetings, but were in a different location prior to that.

Please adhere to the following guidelines to accommodate our new space:

Propane / butane cooking apparatus are required, as we do not have electrical outlets available.
We need as many propane/butane stoves/grills as possible, please indicate in the RSVP if you can bring yours (with fuel included)

We will have some tables for serving and other snacks, but you should plan on trying to bring your own table for prep.
If you have a portable table, please bring it – we need as many surfaces as we can!

We ask that you bring ingredients and prep/cooking supplies to cook 2-4+ sandwiches
Cooks will be rotating, so that once you’ve finished grilling, please allow someone else to use your cooking space
Cook 2-4 sandwiches and cut into 6+ pieces each, depending on the size/structure – You won’t be slaving over the stove all night, so don’t be afraid to jump in! The smaller you can cut them, the more people will be able to sample.
Please prep beforehand as much as possible (chopping, mixing, marinating) and bring extra – caramelized onions, roasted peppers, sliced cheeses, meats, sliced fruits/veggies, spices, etc.

If you don’t plan to cook, please bring food to share or ingredients for the cooks to use
Non-members and Guests are allowed. We ask that non-members and guests consider joining. It’s only $20/year

Please RSVP below to let us know the food and supplies you can bring. We are permitted to bring homemade alcoholic beverages, but AleSmith’s license does not permit outside commercial alcohol.

Please RSVP using this form as soon as possible so that we can get an accurate head count and plan logistics.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScoXE72LhWhb1DATmywcqyDPL9rhQI3RHpIE1p24T7GU1–FA/viewform

Queso Diego February Meeting Announcement

The February meeting of Queso Diego will focus on Whey Cheeses and Cooking with Whey. If you have or can make any whey cheeses to share, please bring them.The meeting will be held at 6:30pm on Tues, Feb. 21 at Curds and Wine (http://www.curdsandwine.com/). The Red Oven Pizza food truck will be on site for those wishing to purchase dinner.

Seating is limited, so please bring your own folding chair if possible.

Agenda:

  • Sharing of cheeses
  • Club business – updates, future meetings, etc.
  • SD Reader article recap
  • Featured presentation on Whey Cheeses and Cooking with Whey – Anna Kearns

What to bring:

  • Cheese to share, if you can. Whey cheese are encouraged
  • (optional) Food and beverages to share
  • Cash for food from food truck, if desired
  • A folding chair if you have one, as seating is limited.

Summary:

  • Tuesday, February 21st
  • 6:30pm
  • Curds and Wine
  • Topic: Whey Cheeses and Cooking with Whey