Sunset's Centennial cook-off

Sunset, Sept, 1998 by Elaine Johnson

A century ago, Sunset's raison d'etre was to lure Easterners west. And part of that mission was to establish the region's bragging rights about food. After all, with our abundant agriculture and spirit of discovery, food trends have a natural way of starting here. From 1915 on, recipes rich with local products - artichokes, citrus, cranberries, olives, raisins, and wine - appeared regularly on our pages.

Then Sunset shifted gears. In 1929, we became a magazine about the West for Westerners. And our view of regional foods became even more commanding when we invited readers to share their recipes in a monthly feature called Kitchen Cabinet. More than 5,000 recipes later, the column is still going strong.

So it seemed fitting to honor our Centennial year by extending another invitation - this one to a cooking contest. Last September we asked you to send your best recipes built around five great Western foods: artichokes, avocados, berries, chilies, and seafood.

Responses poured in. Sunset's food staff evaluated more than 800 recipes, winnowing the entries to the 75 most promising. These we prepared in our test kitchens, and a tasting panel narrowed the field to 15 finalists, three in each food category.

They were guests last March at Sunset's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, where they prepared their entries for judges (see page 10) who rated the dishes for flavor, use of ingredients, creativity, and presentation. Wonderful dishes all, they had a neck-and-neck race to the finish line.

And here are the winners: the grand prize, five best-of-category, and remaining finalists. Some of the recipes are fresh spins on old favorites, others make innovative leaps. But all 15 make a delicious start for our second century.

Helen Wolt Colorado Springs

GRAND PRIZE

"In Colorado Springs, we like flavors of the Southwest, such as pine nuts and cornmeal," says Wolt. "But I'm a native Seattleite, so I remembered the lush berry fields at home." To create her winning recipe she mixed the flavors of her two homes. Judges applauded the delicate crunch and flavor of Wolt's shortcakes. She serves them with berries and a lime cream sauce.

As a hobby, Wolt enters about 10 cooking contests a year. "Cooking is my creative outlet," she says. "And though I cook all kinds of foods, baking desserts is my original love."

Cornmeal Pinon Shortcakes with Berries and Lime Cream

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/2 hours

NOTES: To gild the lily, top shortcakes with whipped cream sweetened with a little caramel syrup and curled strips of lime peel.

MAKES: 8 servings

About 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup cornmeal 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt About 5 tablespoons butter or margarine 1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon half-and-half (light cream) or milk 1 large egg 1/4 cup pine nuts 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk 1/2 cup sour cream 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel (green part only) 1/4 cup lime juice 2 cups raspberries, rinsed and drained 2 cups blueberries, rinsed and drained 2 cups blackberries, rinsed and drained

1. In a bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. With pastry blender or fingers, cut or rub in 5 tablespoons butter until largest lumps are 1/4-inch pieces.

2. In another bowl, beat to blend caramel topping, 1/3 cup half-and-half, and egg. Pour into flour mixture and stir just until moistened.

3. Pat dough into a ball. Knead on a lightly floured board just until smooth, about 10 turns; add flour to board as required to prevent sticking.

4. Pat dough into a 6 1/2-inch round. Cut into 8 wedges and place pieces about 1 inch apart on a nonstick or lightly buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheet.

5. Brush shortcake wedges with remaining 1 tablespoon half-and-half. Combine pine nuts with sugar and cinnamon; gently pat onto shortcakes.

6. Bake in a 375 [degrees] oven until dark gold, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool on a rack.

7. In a bowl, mix sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, and lime peel with lime juice to make lime cream.

8. Split shortcakes in half. Place each bottom on a dessert plate. Combine raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries and spoon equally over shortcake bottoms. Spoon lime cream over berries, then place shortcake tops on cream.

Per serving: 542 cal., 33% (180 cal.) from fat; 11 g protein; 20 g fat (11 g sat.); 84 g carbo (5.7 g fiber); 402 mg sodium; 74 mg chol.

ARTICHOKES

Dottie Lyons Santa Maria, California

BEST-OF-CATEGORY

"I grew up in Oklahoma and was very poor," Lyons reflects. "When I was 14, we came to California - the land of opportunity. As the oldest girl of 11 kids, I always helped out. We canned and had a garden." Lyons still loves fresh vegetables, which are abundant in her agricultural community. "I came up with this recipe to use all my favorite foods - fennel, spicy Italian sausage, and pasta."

Baby Artichokes and Sausage Rigatoni

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour

NOTES: To be completely edible, small artichokes must be peeled down to tender leaves that are pale green to the tip. Save fennel leaves to garnish pasta.