Gourmandise
Janice Okun
Who makes the best Irish Soda Bread in Western New York? The Buffalo Irish Center is attempting to find out in its sixth annual Soda Bread Competition to be held, not surprisingly, on St. Patrick’s Day.
Just bring your plastic-wrapped entry to the Irish Center Library, 245 Abbott Road, between 9 and 10 a. m. March 17, making sure that it has a removable label attached stating name, address and telephone number of the baker.
Bridget English, pastry chef at E. B. Green’s restaurant, will judge the breads on appearance, taste and texture. Winners will be notified by phone later that day.
First, second and third prizes from the Tara Shoppe will be awarded.
Community cookbooks
Some of the most important culinary texts published every year are community cookbooks, often published by local nonprofit organizations. They play a big role in chronicling and preserving food traditions.
In recognition of that fact, the McIlhenny Company has been awarding the Tabasco Community Cook-book award for the past 20 years. During that time the awards have honored more than 250 cookbooks.
Entries for community books published in 2008 and 2009 will be accepted until Sept. 25. Winners will receive contributions to their charities in the following amounts: first place, $2,500; second place, $1,000; and third place, $750. Six regional winners will each receive $500.
In addition, cookbooks that have sold more than 100,000 copies, regardless of when they were first published, are eligible for induction into the Walter S. McIlhenny Hall of Fame. So far, 64 books have been awarded this distinction.
Official entry forms and awards rules are available at www.tabasco.com or by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Tabasco Community Cookbook Awards, c/o Hunter Public Relations, 41 Madison Ave., 5th Floor, New York, N. Y. 10010. A big, bright spiral-bound collection of simple recipes can be found in the newly published “Back of the Box Cooking: 500 Delicious, Easy-to- Prepare Recipes from America’s Best-Loved Brands” edited by Barbara Greenman and published by Black Dog & Leventhal, $22.95.
In addition to the staples that we all know like Lipton’s Souperior Meat Loaf, Baker’s Fudge Brownie Deluxe, Campbell’s Green Bean Casserole and the Original Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies, there are some new “best of the
Backof thebox
best” from each food company, as well as many back-of the-box recipes using organic foods.
Hot Grape-Nuts Pecan Crunch, anyone?
The dialysis diet
In observation of World Kidney Day, the National Kidney Foundation has partnered with Tops Markets to present Kidney-Friendly Cooking Classes on Thursday at 3980 Maple Road, Amherst, (515- 2000) or at 355 Orchard Park Road, West Seneca (517-3006).
The cost is $25 per person. Please register for
the class of your choice as soon as possible.
Quotable…
Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.” —Mark Twain
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