Raw Deal: No Finalists In Bake-Off
Not to ruin your New Year or anything, but nobody in our immediate area is going to become a millionaire in the 1996 Pillsbury Bake-Off.
In fact, no one from Idaho and only one person from Washington (Woodinville) are among the 100 finalists for the doughiest of all cooking contests, with its $1 million grand prize.
The three Montana finalists include prolific contest entrant Edwina Gadsby of Great Falls, whose prize-winning essay from the Claussen Pickle Challenge (pickles on the Christmas tree, remember?) was reprinted here last week.
Margarine of error
Speaking of last week, a grinch stole the quantity of butter out of the Puffed Eggnog Pancake recipe in many newspapers. It should be 1/4 pound. Sorry for the inconvenience. Big App-bills
If you think your New Year’s Eve out on the town is going to cost a pretty penny, be thankful you’re not in New York City. According to Zagat, per-person prices at some of the hottest spots include $375 to see Barbara Cook at the “21” Club, $400 for Tommy Tune at the Rainbow Room and $450 for Bobby Short at Cafe Carlyle.
Brut force
And speaking of champagne, a few fun facts from Freixenet:
Just over one-third of all the sparkling wine consumed in the United States is drunk during December.
French legend has it that the original flat champagne glass was modeled after Marie Antoinette’s breast.
There are about 44 million bubbles in one bottle of sparkling wine.
The cork can come out at up to 40 mph.
Annual imbibing of the bubbly is highest by far in the District of Columbia, at 244.3 9-liter cases per 1,000 adults. Happy Newt Year!
About that raise …
Among the Distilled Spirit Council’s Top 10 Reasons to Host a Holiday Cocktail Party: “You’d like to invite your boss over to get a glimpse of your life.” Hic!
Safe sips Seriously, of course, it’s not smart to overindulge in alcohol at holiday gatherings. And it’s even dumber to drink and drive.
Anheuser-Busch recommends that hosts serve food along with drinks, offer non-alcoholic alternatives (see Laura Carnie’s column inside for some ideas) and close the bar at least an hour before the party ends. And if someone is still too drunk to drive, call them a cab - or put them to bed. , DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Drawing
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