Thursday, November 13, 2008

Holiday cooking contest, Kosher style

The Manischewitz Company announces the launch of the Third Annual Simply Manischewitz Cook-Off, a cooking contest designed to encourage home cooks to prepare a simple, yet delicious kosher entrée using any of the many wonderful Manischewitz products.

The Simply Manischewitz Cook-Off invites U.S. residents 18 or older to submit an original, easy-to-make entrée. All recipes must be original, must be kosher and must include at least one Manischewitz product, have no more than a total of eight ingredients and be prepared and cooked in one hour or less. For official contest details and to register, log onto http://www.manischewitz.com/ and complete the official entry form online and submit a recipe or enter by mail: Simply Manischewitz Cook-Off, c/o BHGPR, 546 Valley Road Upper Montclair, NJ 07043. Recipes entered online must be received by December 31, 2008. Mailed entries must be received by December 31, 2008.

All of the contest submissions are selected by a judging panel which includes chefs and culinary experts. Judging is based on the following criteria:

taste, 50%
ease of preparation, 20%
appearance, 15%
originality, 15%.

Six finalists will be selected from among all entries to compete live in New York City on February 13, 2009 at the Marriott Marquis hotel. The Grand Prize Winner will be selected on site by a panel of prestigious panel of food experts.

The judging panel includes: Todd Coleman, Food Editor Saveur magazine; Melissa Roberts, Food Editor Gourmet magazine, Emily Kaiser, Food Associate Editor, Food & Wine magazine; Michael Park, Epicurious.com and Achilles Poliviou, executive chef at the Marriott Marquis.

“Over the past two years we have had more than 10,000 entries from people across the country that spanned all ethnic backgrounds," said David Rossi, VP, Marketing, The Manischewitz Company. “As the leader in the kosher market, we pride ourselves on our wide range of specialty products that inspire cooks of all types to create exciting recipes.”

“I was so honored to be the grand prize winner last year,” said Joy Devor of Far Rockaway, New York. “I simply love to cook for my family and thanks to The Manischewitz Company I was able to update my kitchen which makes it so much easier to cook for my six children. Additionally the endless supply of Manischewitz products has enabled me to continue to be creative with recipes.” The first Cook-Off winner, Candace McMenamin from Lexington, SC says, “This event gave me the chance to show off my cooking skills in a kosher cooking competition and even though I don’t keep kosher, I’ve been exposed to a whole new category of recipes.”

And to inspire you, try this original creation by Grand Prize Winner - Candace McMenamin:

Sweet Potato Encrusted Chicken

Ingredients:
1 item Manischewitz Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cooking Spray
1 box (6oz) Manischewitz Sweet Potato Pancakes
1 tsp Manischewitz Poultry Seasoning
6 piece Boneless, skinless chicken breast
1.5 cup Manischewitz apricot preserves
3 tbsp Manischewitz Premium Niagara White Grape Juice
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 item Jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350º. Prepare a 13-inch by 9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
Combine sweet potato pancake mix and poultry seasoning in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken breasts through mixture, turning to coat thoroughly. Place in prepared baking dish. Place in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature is 175 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine apricot preserves, grape juice, garlic, and pepper. Cook over low heat until mixture is heated through. To serve: Place chicken breasts on serving platter. Drizzle ¼ cup sauce over breasts and serve remaining sauce on the side for dipping.

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