Wins Prove Spice Is Right

It may not have been the Pillsbury Bake-Off, but congratulations are in order to a spicy pair of area winners in recent food competitions.

No Joke hot sauce, produced by the Zavala family of Zavala’s Place restaurant in Othello, took top honors in its category at the recent Albuquerque Fiery Foods Show - the largest such show in the country, where it previously placed second.

The mouth-watering (not to mention eye-watering) No Joke also was the winner at the Dallas Hot Food Show last summer. Look for it at Mango ‘n Chili and Harry O’s Fresh Market in Spokane, and at Spencer’s in Post Falls.

And Elvira Melendez-Dietz of Spokane was the first-place finisher in the Penn Cove Mussel Festival recipe contest at the Captain Whidbey Inn in Coupeville, Wash.

Her Mexican mussel stew mixed the mollusks with the likes of fish stock, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, celery, Spanish olives, Anaheim, ancho and jalapeno chili peppers, garlic, onion, basil, cumin, oregano and cilantro. Say, isn’t it about time for lunch?

Bake-Off book offer

Speaking of the Pillsbury contest, there was a lot more to it than the guy who won the record $1 million grand prize with his Macadamia Fudge Torte.

Earning $10,000 each were the winners of the 30-Minute Main Dishes category, for Cowboy Steak ‘n Veggie Soup; Quick Treats and Snacks, for Quick Apple Cranberry Pear Muffins, and Special Side Dishes and Simple Breads, for Orange-Glazed Tropical Fruit Scones.

Recipes from all 100 finalists, complete with color photos, are available in the new Bake-Off cookbook. Look for it at supermarkets and newsstands, or send $4.50 (includes postage and handling) to: Pillsbury Publications, Dept. 8077, P.O. Box 400863, Des Moines, IA 50340.

All the marble(d)s

The entry deadline is fast approaching for one of the country’s other top recipe contests, the National Beef Cook-Off.

Original recipes must be postmarked by June 1. The first-place winner among Washington entrants will compete against other state champions in the national showdown in Tampa, Fla., in September 1997.

Grand prize is $25,000, plus a set of appliances. For a copy of the contest rules, call (206) 464-7403.

Cold turkey?

You might want to wait until tomorrow to test those beef recipes, because today is the annual Great American Meatout, which encourages consumers to “kick the meat habit, at least for the day.” For information, call 1-800-MEATOUT.

, DataTimes