September 2004 “Cooking Tips” Winner —
Claudette Flanigan

I have many cookbooks. My tip is to write in these books. When I make a new dish I like to make notations if I have changed or left something out. If we are having guests I will mark a note near the recipe about who came to dinner and what the occasion was. Sometimes my family will laugh at some things I have written. Such as near a recipe for a stew that used fresh cranberries, I wrote in the margin ..."Ryan said this smelled like potpourri". I hope to hand down my favorite cookbooks to my children someday and know they will stir up fond memories.

Claudette Flanigan

Prize:

• Cooking tips:
  Chipotle Cha Cha Cha Salsa
  The El Paso Chile Company

September 2004“Cooking Disasters” Winner —
Lisa Workman

Once when I first started cooking, I was trying to make grasshopper pie and I did not have any creme de menthe. So I decided to substitute the same amount of peppermint extract. That ended up being four TABLESPOONS of peppermint extract in one pie! Needless to say, it was horrible! I certainly learned the power of extracts after that disaster.

Lisa Workman

Prize:

• Cooking Disasters:
  Truffle & Porcini Pasta
  Cuisine Perel

Previous Winners

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