Home > Relish Austin > Archives > 2009 > December > 08
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Defending champ wins Home Slice Pizza contest, year of free pies
After more than 30 hours, Seth Mazow and his fiancée Erin (that’s Seth with his arm around Erin on the left) were the last contestants standing at Home Slice Pizza’s Hands on an Eggplant Sub contest.
Mazow was the defending champion of the contest, whose coveted prize is a year of free pizza from the South Congress Avenue pizza joint, and I split a pizza with him a few weeks before he competed again.
On Saturday, I stopped by Home Slice Pizza’s Carnival O’ Pizza to cheer on the contestants. More than 24 hours later, when it was down to just three of them standing outside Home Slice with hands embedded in the sandwich, I dropped off extra cookies I’d baked for the Cookie Swap. I couldn’t imagine standing there for so long, but when a year of free pizza is on the line, people will do just about anything.
Congrats to Seth and Erin. Can’t wait to see what fun things you do with the Year of the Pizza blog in the next 12 months.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Playing with your food
And the Cookie Swap finalists are…
UPDATE: Anna Ginsberg, the Austin cookie blogger behind Cookie Madness and winner of the 2006 Pillsbury Bake-Off, will join us on the judging panel, and Josh Gauthreaux of Stubb’s has created a special cocktail — The Monte Cristo, made with Kahlua, Grand Marnier, coffee, and hand-whipped cream — for the event. (The party and cookies will be free, but drinks will cost you.)
After countless hours of baking, we’ve narrowed down the 83 entries to the Statesman’s Cookie Swap to five finalists:
Uber Yummy Oatmeal Holiday Cookie, submitted by Dianna Perez
Coconut Caramel Chews, submitted by Mary Haley
Brown Butter and Pecan Shortbread, submitted by Beth Balsam
The Very Best Gingersnaps You Will Ever Make, submitted by Me-Maw and Rhonda
Chocolate Dulce de Leche Bars with Sea-Salt Caramel, submitted by Anne-Charlotte Patterson
Judges Rebecca Rather (author of “Pastry Queen Christmas,” “Pastry Queen Parties” and owner of Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe in Fredericksburg) and Rebecca Wallace Ford (founding partner of Word of Mouth Catering, now the director of special services for the House of Representatives) helped bake the last of the — unofficial — semifinalist recipes this weekend, and we’ll judge the finalists at the Cookie Swap party at 7 p.m. at Stubb’s on Dec. 17.
So what’s up for grabs? Each of the finalists will get a specially designed platter featuring their recipes from Cafe Monet and a baking cookbook. For the winner, in addition to a gift certificate for a Central Market cooking class, Rebecca Rather will feature the top cookie at Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe in Fredericksburg.
Congrats to the finalists, thanks to everyone for participating and I hope to see you at the Cookie Swap!
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: 2009 Cookie Swap
