If you were reading this blog a little over a year ago, you may remember that I traveled to Portland, Maine to be a judge in the Hood New England Dairy Cook-Off. It was exciting to be a judge in a cooking competition, and delicious to taste local food made by New England chefs, not to mention a lot of fun to spend the day and night in Portland. On a random, personal note, the trip happened two days after I quit my job, and I had pneumonia, but somehow I made it!
This year, I will be in California during the cook-off, which is November 6, but the awesome people at Hood are allowing me to give away a pair of tickets to the event (travel and accommodations not included). If you are going to be in Portland, ME or need a reason to be, just leave a comment below letting me know your favorite dairy product (if you eat dairy) and how you like to eat it. I’ll choose a winner this weekend so that person can get started planning!
More information about the Hood New England Dairy Cook-Off
Annual Hood® New England Dairy Cook-Off®
Celebrity Chef Tom Pizzica Among 2011 Judges
LYNNFIELD, MA (October 17, 2011) – HP Hood today announced the 30
semifinalists who will compete for the $10,000 grand prize in the 3rd Annual Hood®
New England Dairy Cook-Off® presented by Hood Sour Cream. Judges for the 2011
event include Tom Pizzica, star of Food Network’s “Outrageous Food” and finalist
on “The Next Food Network Star.” Pizzica will join a panel of four other food experts
to judge the final round of the competition.
The Hood New England Dairy Cook-Off gives amateur cooks from across New
England the chance to compete in a head-to-head cook-off at the Ocean Gateway
Terminal in Portland, Maine, on November 6th, 2011. All recipes are original and
include at least one Hood dairy product in the following five categories: breakfast/
brunch; soups/chowders; appetizers/side dishes; lunch/dinner (entrée); and
dessert.
The additional final round judges include Patti Woods, an award-winning journalist
and food blogger; J. Desmond Keefe III CEC, CCE, Culinary Instructor, Southern New
Hampshire University; Peggy Poole, Vice President of Quality Systems & Regulatory
Affairs, HP Hood; and Amy Traverso, Senior Lifestyle Editor from Yankee Magazine.
Judges will select the winning dish based on taste appeal, presentation/appearance,
and creativity/originality.
CONNECTICUT
Veronica Callaghan, Glastonbury – Banana-Chai French Toast with Creamy Maple-
Walnut Syrup(Breakfast/Brunch)
Erika Fuery, Colchester – Roasted Butternut Squash and Salami Soup(Soups/
Chowders)
Lisa Keys, Middlebury – Pan Roasted Tomato Pie with Garlic Cream
Drizzle(Appetizers/Side Dishes)
Alli Masse, East Windsor – In Da “Hood” Chicken and Cheese Casserole(Lunch/
Dinner)
Marie Connor, Mystic – Mystic Magic Chocolate Tart(Dessert)
MAINE
Lisa Caruso, South Portland – Noggy Berry-Buckle(Breakfast/Brunch)
Mary Lou Dahle, Durham – Creamy Fresh Tomato-Arugula Soup with Cheese and
Basil Crostini(Soups/Chowders)
Mary K. Blenk, Cumberland – Pan-Roasted Bacon Salmon Cakes with Creamy
Velvet Cheese Sauce(Appetizers/Side Dishes)
Jessie Grearson, Falmouth – Tandoori Express Chicken Naanwiches with Sour
Cream Raita and Buttermilk Mango Lassi(Lunch/Dinner)
Kimberly Parsons, Hampden – Rhubarb Spiced Baby Cakes(Dessert)
MASSACHUSETTS
Elinor Ives, Fiskdale – Edgartown Crab Hash Benedicts with Lemon Dill
Sauce(Breakfast/Brunch)
Paulette Di Angi, Osterville – Madagascar Corn Soup with Cilantro-Chili Oil and
Polenta Flatbread(Soups/Chowders)
Sophia Pattas, Northborough – New England Style Clam Chowder Rangoons with
Creamy Chowder Dipping Sauce(Appetizers/Side Dishes)
Maureen Donovan, Lynn – Seafood Pasta(Lunch/Dinner)
Scott Cohen, Charlestown – Cognac Cocoa Custard(Dessert)
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Holly Campbell, New Boston – Fruity Brickle Breakfast Biscuit Blintzes(Breakfast/
Brunch)
Julie Sgroi, Exeter – Caribbean Chicken Chowder(Soups/Chowders)
Kevin Towle, Gonic – Mini Feta Basil Cheesecake with Sun Dried
Tomatoes(Appetizers/Side Dishes)
Joan Churchill, Exeter – Pan Roasted Pears and Pork with Leek Coulis in a Cream-
Pear Reduction with an Herb-Crusted Pear and Pork Dice(Lunch/Dinner)
Denise LaRoche, Hudson – Caramelized Raspberry White Chocolate Bread
Pudding(Dessert)
RHODE ISLAND
Mary Jo Fletcher LaRocco, North Kingston – Oatmeal Shortcakes with Fresh
Cranberry-Blueberry Sauce and Cinnamon Maple Cream(Breakfast/Brunch)
Corinne Dillingham, Westerly – Decadent Seafood & Corn Soup(Soups/Chowders)
Dan Rinaldi, Cranston – Surf and Turf Sliders with Maine Lobster
Sauce(Appetizers/Side Dishes)
Zan Nordlund, Cranston – Tempura Waffles(Lunch/Dinner)
Patricia Dilorio, Cranston – Maple Mini Rice Pies(Dessert)
VERMONT
Joanna Scott, Milton – Taste of Fall Savory Crepes(Breakfast/Brunch)
Ellen Stark, Williston – YaYa’s Spring Time Soup(Soups/Chowders)
Thomas Young, Swanton – “Eggplantainini Sensation” – Heaven for the
Vegetarian(Appetizers/Side Dishes)
Carolyn Wheel, Fairfax – Poached Scallops in Saffron Cream Sauce(Lunch/Dinner)
Beth Gary, Milton – Velvet “Noodles” in Lemon Cream(Dessert)
“Hood is committed to providing home and professional cooks with the very
best dairy ingredients for all of their recipes,” said Chris Ross, Vice President of
Marketing, HP Hood. “In the three years we’ve held the Hood New England Dairy
Cook-Off, we’ve been impressed by the creativity of our entrants, their passion for
cooking and their loyalty to Hood products. We look forward to another exciting
competition.”
Each of the 30 semifinalists selected to attend the Cook-Off will receive a prize of
$100. One winner from each category will advance to the finals for the $10,000
grand prize. Finalists who do not win the grand prize will each receive $500.
For more information on the Hood New England Dairy Cook-Off, please log onto
HoodCookOff.com. For more information on Hood, please visit Hood.com or become
a fan of Hood at Facebook.com/HoodCookOff.
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