Recipe Contest!

I decided to enter the Columbia Crest Flavors of Washington Recipe Contest. I have to use one or more of the ingredients listed in the rules and the recipe should be inspired by one of Columbia Crest's wines.



My short list of ingredients: asparagus, chanterelle mushrooms, halibut, peppers (hot and sweet), potatoes, poultry, sweet onions, tomatoes.



The two wines that most inspire me to cook are Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. I still have to choose which one will be the source of my recipe's inspiration. Maybe the Shiraz. I don't know yet.



The recipe will be judge according to these criteria:

1. How well the Washington State ingredient(s) used
2. How well the recipe pairs with the Columbia Crest Grand Estates wine that served as its inspiration
3. Overall taste
4. Originality



I think 1 and 3 will be easy, but 2 and 4 are going be the challenging criteria for me. We'll see.



The first place winner gets a trip to NYC for 4 days and a chance to meet Bobby Flay--how cool is that! Mr. M always asks what recipe I would throwdown with Bobby Flay and I never have a clue. If you've never seen Throwdown on the Food Network, you should really check it out.



Well, I'm looking forward to testing some new recipes and figuring out what I'm going to submit. One immediate inspiration was getting Tom Coliccio's book, Think Like a Chef. It took long enough to start thinking like a lawyer...how long will it take to start thinking like a chef?