Southland Woman Wins at Garlic Fest

Winifred Harano, 35, of Los Angeles was named the first-place winner in the Gilroy Garlic Festival’s Great Garlic Cook-Off, which was held recently in the small Northern California town, for her entry Garlicky Gilroy Chicken Wings. The crispy chicken wings, dipped in garlic puree and bread crumbs, then baked, won $500 and an engraved plaque for Harano, who is employed by the City of Los Angeles’ engineering administration office.

The festival is held every summer to support the town’s community projects, charitable groups and service associations. Other events include a fine arts and crafts sale, live music, a garlic queen pageant, a bicycle tour and a barn dance.

Second place and $300 went to Oakland resident Ira Jacobson for his garlic-onion bake. He took third place last year. The third-place winner was a Gilroy resident, Pat Trinchero, whose Patrician escargots included a whole head of fresh garlic for each half-dozen snails.

For information about next year’s event, write to the Gilroy Garlic Festival Assn. Inc., P.O. Box 2311, Gilroy 95021.

GARLICKY GILROY CHICKEN WINGS

2 pounds chicken wings, about 15

3 heads garlic

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

10 to 15 drops hot pepper sauce

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs

1 teaspoon black pepper

Disjoint chicken wings, discarding tips. Rinse and pat dry. Separate garlic cloves and peel. Place garlic, olive oil and hot pepper sauce in blender or food processor and puree.

Combine cheese, bread crumbs and pepper in plastic bag. Dip wings in garlic puree and roll in bread crumb mixture, 1 at a time, coating thoroughly. Coat shallow non-stick baking pan with oil and add wings in single layer. Drizzle with remaining puree and sprinkle with any remaining bread crumb mixture. Bake at 375 degrees 45 to 60 minutes or until brown and crisp. Makes 6 servings.

Entries will be accepted through Oct. 20 for the 33rd Pillsbury Bake-Off Cooking and Baking Contest in San Diego from Feb. 13-16. One hundred finalists will each receive an expense-paid trip to the competition, sponsored by the Pillsbury Co. and Sears, Roebuck and Co.

The grand-prize winner will receive $40,000 plus a $10,000 Sears “Redo Your Kitchen” shopping spree. Five other winners each will be awarded $10,000 plus Sears’ best gas or electric range. Eighteen other winners will receive $2,000 plus a Kenmore 12-speed food processor. All 100 finalists will win Kenmore 14-speed hand mixers.

There are six Product Categories: Flour; Cake Mix and Microwave Cake Mix; Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls and Refrigerated Biscuits; Refrigerated Pie Crusts; Canned Vegetable and Glass Jar Mushrooms, and Frozen Vegetables.

Contestants enter their best original recipes in the following categories: Ethnic Specialties, ethnic recipes for American tastes; Indulgent Treats, special recipes for family and friends; Quick Ideas, shortcut recipes to save time in the kitchen, or Wholesome Alternatives, updated recipes for healthier eating.

Either Green Giant vegetables or Pillsbury products must be included as an ingredient in each entry. Recipes must feature either Green Giant canned vegetables, including mushrooms in glass jars and LeSueur peas or frozen vegetables (one box or at least one cup from a 16-ounce bag).

Pillsbury products may include: Best flour (at least one cup any variety), one package Plus Cake Mix, one package Microwave Cake Mix, one or more 8-ounce cans Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls, one or more 10-ounce cans Hungry Jack Refrigerated Biscuits or one or more Refrigerated All Ready Pie Crusts.

The recipe may use any preparation method.

Matt Dickey of Olathe, Kan., took grand-prize honors for his royal veal chops in the American Veal Assn.’s Favorite Veal Recipe Contest, held recently in Iowa.

Dickey received $1,000 for his recipe of extra-thick veal chops marinated in a tangy sauce and grilled over mesquite wood chips. A papaya-based relish accompanies the chops.

Second-prize winner was pesto-stuffed breast of veal, submitted by Alice Vidovich from Walnut Creek, Calif. The easy pesto-type stuffing filled a boneless veal breast roast and earned $500 for Vidovich.

A wilted spinach salad made with veal, pecans, peppers and avocados captured third-place honors for Judy Wayne of Scottsdale, Ariz.