More Than Mustard: French's Cook-Off 2010 Winner Is Named!

February 27, 2010 7:36 pm

More Than Mustard: French's Cook-Off 2010 Winner Is Named!

$Behind the Burner: More Than Mustard: French\'s Cook-Off 2010 Winner Is Named!$

French's annual Cook-Off took place Thursday morning in Midtown, where five contestants hailing from around the country threw down with their best recipes featuring a French's product. Elliott Penner, president of French's Foods, said that this contest is meant to celebrate home chefs by "bringing the consumers alive" and challenging them to create new flavor profiles with the products. That's right, that unforgettable tangy yellow mustard isn't just for ballparks and backyard barbecues anymore.

Chosen from over 2,500 entries nationwide, finalists included Erin Renouf Mylroie of Santa Clara, UT; Heather Beedle of Curlew, WA; Carolyn Beal of Lutz, FL; Suellen Calhoun of Des Moines, IA; and Mary Alice Lund of Circle Pines, MN. These five contestants, all of whom are self-taught home cooks, had one hour to prep, cook and serve their dishes before being judged by a panel including Aileen Gallagher of Grubstreet, Jackie Plant of Woman's Day magazine and Janet Andreas of the French's Test Kitchen. Dishes could include no more than 8 ingredients and had to contain at least one French's product.

Dishes were judged according to taste, appearance, creativity and family appeal; and ranged from party pinwheels to sausage-stuffed peppers. All five dishes looked impressive and tasted even better, but in the end, it was Suellen Calhoun's vegetarian-friendly Onion Polenta with Spiced Tomato Avocado Salad that brought home the $25,000 prize.

A few of Suellen's tips for easy home cooking:

Technique: Be sure to whisk the polenta vigorously during the first few minutes to avoid any lumps

Trick: The acid in the vinegar keeps the avocado from turning brown

Tip: French's Horseradish Mustard makes a great substitute for onions in the avocado salad.