Smoldering Crème Brûlée

In 2001 I entered Tabasco’s Nationwide Cook and Ladder Competition and was lucky enough to win second place, which was $5,000—$2,500 for me and $2,500 for my firehouse. I had a great time and definitely would have entered again in 2002, but this time Tabasco determined that I wasn’t eligible because I’d had “previous culinary experience.” The dish I had made, Shrimp Cordon Bleu with Mushroom, Cognac, and Tabasco Sauce, was so complicated that total strangers were calling me at home to vent