Thanksgiving in the west: cook the best dishes from Sunset's $50,000 recipe contest

Sunset, Nov, 2005 by Linda Lau Anusasananan

Thanksgiving dinner tastes a little different in the West than around the rest of the country. The veggies are more likely to be fresh, the dressing might contain anything from sourdough bread to Chinese sausage, and sweet potatoes rarely sport marshmallows.

With Safeway as our partner, we held our biggest Thanksgiving recipe contest ever at Sunset this year; more than 6,500 entries came in. The winners--from all over the West, including Hawaii--reflect our region's diversity and creativity. The winning dressing is a Southwestern mix of cornbread and chorizo. Our top appetizer is built around wild Northwest salmon. Kabocha squash becomes a serving bowl for vegetables. Fresh herbs are steeped in a cocktail. And sweet potatoes find their way into the grand prize winner, the best cheesecake you'll ever eat.

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How the contest worked

We asked for your best original Thanksgiving recipes in six categories. Based on their originality, taste, ease of preparation, and visual appeal, the entries were first screened by former Sunset food editors and writers for 100 of the most promising in each category. Then our current food editors and writers narrowed each field to the top 20 to 40 dishes, which our retesters cooked in Sunset's test kitchen--213 in all. We tasted Thanksgiving dinner for 10 weeks straight, scoring each dish, and then judged the finalists in each category side by side to pick the winners. Our thanks to all contestants for a delicious and creative Thanksgiving summer--we're looking forward to enjoying the holiday all over again this month.

CATEGORIES

Beverages

Appetizers

Turkeys

Dressings

Side Dishes

Desserts

PRIZES

The winner in each category received a trip to Sunset's headquarters for a special harvest dinner. And, with Safeway's support, the top winners earned these awards.

GRAND PRIZE: $50,000 kitchen makeover and Safeway or Vons groceries for a year

FIRST PLACE: $5,000

SECOND PLACE: $1,000 gift certificate to Safeway or Vons

THIRD PLACE: One-year membership in the Sunset Wine Club

Third Place

BEST BEVERAGE

CARRY PORTER, KIRKLAND, WA

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Herbaltini

She wasn't willing to miss out on a moment of the party by making cocktails one by one, so Carry Porter created her "herbaltini" in a pitcher. This refreshing drink "combines the fresh herbs that many people have left over after cooking holiday dishes," she explains.

PREP TIME: About 20 minutes

MAKES: 1 1/2 quarts; 8 to 12 servings

NOTES: Crushed mint turns dark after about 20 minutes. If you'd like to make this drink up to 4 hours ahead, strain the mixture just before your guests arrive, return it to the pitcher, then add a handful of fresh mint leaves.

   24 fresh mint sprigs (4 in. each), rinsed
   12 fresh rosemary sprigs (3 in. each), rinsed
  3/4 cup superfine sugar
    2 oranges (6 oz. each), chilled, rinsed, and quartered
2 1/4 cups gin, chilled in the freezer
    1 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 7 limes),
      chilled
1 1/2 cups soda water, chilled Fresh mint leaves, rinsed

1. In a 2 1/2- to 3-quart pitcher, combine mint sprigs, rosemary sprigs, and sugar. With a long-handled wooden spoon, muddle (or crush) the herbs and sugar together. Squeeze juice from oranges into pitcher, then drop quarters in. Press a few times with spoon to release oil from orange peels. Stir in gin, lime juice, and 1/2 cup ice water. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Serve (see step 2), or cover and chill up to 4 hours (see notes). If using martini glasses, chill in freezer.

2. To serve, slowly pour chilled soda water into the pitcher, down the side. Stir gently to blend. Pour through a strainer into chilled martini glasses or ice-filled glasses. Float a mint leaf on top of each. Serve at once.

Per serving: 159 cal., 1% (0.9 cal.) from fat; 0.2 g protein; 0.1 g fat (0 g sat.); 16 g carbo (0.1 g fiber); 1.1 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

BEST APPETIZER

NANCY HESS, PORTLAND

Northwest Smoked Salmon Crepes

"A holiday in our house is not complete without these crepes," says Nancy Hess, who smokes local salmon herself for the filling.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 2 1/4 hours

MAKES: 3 to 3 1/2 dozen

NOTES: Hot-smoked salmon is firmer and flakier than cold-smoked salmon (lox). You can make the crepes themselves up to 3 days ahead; cover and chill. Let warm to room temperature before separating. You can fill the crepes (through step 3) up to 1 day ahead; cover and chill.

    Crepes (recipe follows)
  5 ounces hot-smoked salmon (see notes)
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
  1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  2 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
    Seasoned salt
  2 tablespoons melted butter
    Paprika
    Fresh dill sprigs, rinsed

1. Stack 2 crepes and, with a 2 3/4- to 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut into closely spaced rounds. Repeat to cut remaining crepes; discard scraps.

2. Preheat oven to 350[degrees]. Remove skin and bones from salmon. With your hands, break salmon into fine pieces; you should have about 1 cup. In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire, chopped dill, white pepper, and hot sauce. Stir in the salmon and seasoned salt to taste.