I’ve always thought I was special.  Not just the “Jesus loves you” kind of special but the “destined for fame” kind of special.  I think it may have started when my grandmother told me I could be a model because I was tall and had long legs.  Little did she know that my Greek genes would catch up with me, blessing me with “thunder thighs” and boobs much too big to be a model.  Although this dream ended as quickly as it began, I knew I would be discovered someday for something.  The only thing I knew for sure was that I wasn’t ordinary.  As Mena Suvari’s character, Angela, says in my favorite film, American Beauty, “I don’t think there’s anything worse than being ordinary.”  I can actually think of a few things that are worse than being ordinary but I did identify with this particular quote each of the 27 times I’ve heard it.

There are some who may consider me arrogant or even narcissistic, especially if you’ve looked through my middle school photo album or had the opportunity to be photographed with me.  I’m the one in the picture who is posing like a model.  I realized much later in life that people just didn’t have the courage to tell me I looked ridiculous. What they didn’t know was that when no one was looking, I was starring in my own movie.  The world was my stage and everyone was watching.  Our family room was my own private production studio for shooting videos for my favorite songs that I would play on our console stereo, complete with FM Radio, turn table and 8-track tape player.  As the music played, I danced, and someone somewhere had a camera pointed on me shouting, “Keep going, this is amazing!”

The streets between the Clinton Theater and my house on Burton Street were the filming location of the latest Bond movie as I ran those 4 blocks home in the dark with my hands folded together tightly in the shape of a gun.  I was prepared to shoot anyone who jumped out from behind the hedge-lined house on the corner of Litchfield and Burton.  The camera was on me and they would only get one take because I don’t think I have ever run that fast in my life since.

Well, as you can see, I’m not famous…yet.  The closest I’ve gotten to any kind of fame is being a feature story in a 1997 University of Michigan football program.  I’m still trying.  Until I’m discovered, I’ll keep pretending and thinking about who would be the best actress to play me in a movie about my life.  As of now, Drew Barrymore would be chosen for the role. 

This grilled cheese sandwich is as far from ordinary as I am.  I discovered this “fancy” grilled cheese on Rachel Ray’s, 30 Minute Meals and it was an instant hit with my fans.  There are several characteristics that separate this grilled cheese from the ordinary, meaning of no special quality or interest; commonplace.  The first is the kind of bread used to hold the gooey cheese in.  No ordinary sandwich bread here.  Instead, use a crusty Italian bread, sliced thick.  Instead of conventional butter or margarine, the outside of each bread slice is brushed with an extraordinarily and perfectly melted combination of extra-virgin olive oil, butter and fresh garlic.  But the cheese, oh the cheese, is the star of this grilled cheese sandwich.  With an amazing blend of shredded Provolone, Mozzarella, Romano, and Asiago, this one earns a star on my Walk of Fame of sandwiches for sure.  I promise that you’ll get rave reviews with this one, even from your toughest critics.  As you’re enjoying the 83rd Annual Academy Awards this year on February 27th, be sure to take a closer look at the amazingly talented actors gracing The Red Carpet.  You may just see yourself in one of them as you never did before.

Grilled 4 Cheese Sandwich: Photograph by Andrea Karapas

Grilled 4 Cheese Sandwiches
Ingredients
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs butter
1 clove garlic, cracked away from the skin
8 slices crusty, Italian bread
1 cup shredded Provolone
1 cup shredded Mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or Romano
1 cup shredded Asiago
Instructions
In a small sauce pan over medium low heat, combine oil, butter and garlic.  Cook garlic in butter and oil gently for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove garlic butter mixture from heat.
Place a large nonstick skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Using a pastry brush, brush 1 side of 4 slices of bread with garlic oil and place buttered side down in skillet.  Top each slice with equal amounts of the 4 cheeses, distributing them equaly over the 4 slices.  Top each sandwich with another slice of bread brushed with garlic butter, buttered side up.  Flip the grilled cheese sandwiches a few times until cheeses are melted and gooey and bread is toasty and golden.  Cut grilled 4 cheese sandwiches from corner to corner and serve.