This year’s eight finalists in the 33rd Annual Great Garlic
Cook-Off amateur cooking competition flaunt a playful propensity
for tantalizing, near-tongue twisting titles that look enticing
even on paper. Full article
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Garlic-Covered Pork and Pork-Covered Garlic, with Roman Gnocchi and Paprika Cream Sauce, Tomato Glazed Veal Chops with Roasted Garlic & Sage Spatezle, Garlic & Lobster Curry Corn Chowder with Sweet Potato Bites & Thai Garlic & Hot Chili Swirl.
Like 2010’s reigning recipe for Warm Weather Watermelon Crabmeat Kissed South Seas Soup, this year’s eight finalists in the 33rd Annual Great Garlic Cook-Off amateur cooking competition flaunt a playful propensity for tantalizing, near-tongue twisting titles that look enticing even on paper.
“A lot of these people are so talented – they’re almost professional garlic contestants, if there is such a thing,” said Wendy Brodie, festival judge of eight years and food consultant with Art of Food TV. In the event of a tiebreaker, Brodie picks the winning dish.
She lauded the group of top chefs whose names and creations were officially released Monday morning by the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association, highlighting the “beautiful selection of recipes” received by the May 1 deadline.
It sounds divine – belonging to the privileged few charged with savoring choice concoctions where one glorious ingredient levels the playing field.
But then again, Brodie and her discerning team of “foodie” festival officials don’t exactly have an easy task.
“We received about 170 submissions this year,” estimated Recipe Committee Chairwoman Deanna Franklin, who forwarded the initial cut of 60 to Brodie for further downsizing.
Top contenders were subsequently sniffed out during the course of two days last week when Brodie and a select group of Garlic Festival Association committee members met in Carmel. Each person was charged with cooking up two of 10 dishes in Brodie’s own kitchen facilities before a final list of eight – including two alternates – was narrowed down and agreed upon.
In addition to being prepared and presented to a panel of six judges in a two-hour time frame, criteria mandates original recipes must include a minimum of six cloves of fresh garlic or three teaspoons of chopped or minced garlic,
“I was kind of shocked. I sent my recipe so many months ago I’ve kind of forgotten about it,” said finalist Wendy Hector, 34, a freelance writer who recently moved to Sacramento from the East Coast.
Hector has no professional training. She’s never entered a recipe contest or attended the Garlic Festival, and got involved on a whim after reading about the competition online. She joins three other finalists from California, the other half hailing from Bloomington, Ind.; Charlotte, N.C.; Ada, Okla.; and Milton, Wash.
While Hector’s recipe was perfected after cooking it just twice prior to submission, her Garlic-Covered Pork and Pork-Covered Garlic – a savory combination of pancetta-wrapped garlic fried in oil, pork tenderloins smeared with garlic paste and Roman gnocchi coupled with paprika cream sauce – left a lingering impression on the right people.
Standout entries such as the above often get noticed by touting an unusual twist, being “really creative and unique” or going the extra distance, Brodie explained.
“For instance, there was one that created a layer of what they call garlic paper. That sounds fascinating,” she said, referring to Stacked Steak Napoleon on Garlic Paper with Asparagus, Radicchio, Shiitakes and Stilton, submitted by Jamie Brown-Miller from Napa. “I had never seen something like that. It was a stacked meat dish. It was very interesting and delicious. That was kind of a wow factor.”
She also observed a heightened trend for incorporating fresh, homemade components derived from locally grown ingredients, “where as in the past I’ve had ‘a little bottled this, or canned that,’ ” she recalled. “This year the ones we focused on were using more organic, sustainable ingredients, and I think that’s a direction the whole country is moving in.”
When it came to running around and gathering the boatload of specific elements called for by each of the 10, highly stratified recipes, Brodie gives a thoughtful nod to her spouse.
“I have to give my husband great, great accolades for his foraging powers,” she laughed.
During her years of involvement, Brodie notes a number of repeat contestants continuously enter year after year, many with multiple submissions.
“It’s lovely that they’re so supportive, and from all over the country,” she said.
Last years top honors were nabbed by Margee Berry, whose Warm Weather Watermelon Crab Meat-Kissed South Seas Soup included peeled ginger, blood orange juice, mint and garlic, of course.
The Great Garlic Cook-Off amateur cooking competition will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 30 in the Festival’s expanded Cook-Off Theater in Christmas Hill Park. The 2011 Great Garlic Cook-Off Champion will receive $1,000 and a ceremonial crown of garlic. Second prize is $750 and third prize is $500. The entire festival runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 29-31. Admission costs $17 for adults, $8 for seniors ages 60 and older and $8 for children ages 6-12. Children younger than 6 will be admitted free. Parking is also free. For more information, visit gilroygarlicfestival.com or call 842-1625.
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