October 2004 “Cooking Tips” Winner —
Barbara Simone

Each summer I grow an abundance of sweet basil in large pots. In mid-September I harvest the basil leaves and make pesto in my food processor. I put spoonfuls of pesto into plastic ice cube trays and freeze them. A few hour later, I pop out the "pesto cubes" into small freezer bags and have a fresh supply of pesto all winter long in my freezer.

I use one or two cubes to add flavor to sauces and pizza. I let my creativity flow by defrosting a few in the microwave to make quick pasta dishes using pesto, shrimp, and sundried tomatoes. Also adding a little bit of pesto in the final minutes of roasted potatoes adds a special flavor. I have been being doing this for years and I can't imagine being without my supply of delicious basil pesto!

Barbara Simone

Prize:

• Cooking tips:
  French Sumatra Coffee Beans
  Mountanos Brothers

October 2004“Cooking Disasters” Winner —
Shirley Kellar

I was so excited to learn that two members of a gourmet club had accepted our dinner invitation. I wanted desperately to be a member of their monthly dinners! My specialty at that time was sauerbraten. I proceeded to marinate the beef for several days and prepared all the proper accompaniments (red cabbage, potato dumplings, etc.) On the day of the dinner, I began to cook my roast.

When I removed it from the oven, it just didn't smell right.

My husband had purchased a corned eye of the round! I was frantic. My husband came to the rescue with a profound apology to our guests and then got up and made a delicious mustard and horseradish sauce and charmed our guests with his finesse! Yes, we were invited to join the gourmet club. Such fun.

Shirley Kellar

Prize:

• Cooking Disasters:
  Lauren’s Blend Coffee Beans
  Mountanos Brothers

Previous Winners

Click here to see our previous "Cooking Tips" and "Cooking Disasters" contest winners!