Posted by Munster Times, IN on April 12, 2008 at 12:37:22:
43rd Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off has contestants rising to the occasion this weekend
DATELINE -- Dallas -- Philip Potempa is reporting from Texas while on assignment.
Kitchen composer
So what's the scoop on this year's Northern Hoosier Pillsbury Bake-Off contestant who's in Dallas, Texas, to compete in the 43rd Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off?
This weekend, it's all about Sherry Klinedinst, 44, of South Bend, who's our local creative cook we'll all be cheering for to win the big $1 million dollar check, which will be announced live from the 2008 43rd Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off on Tuesday on location in Dallas at The Fairmont Hotel.
And, just as with the previous two Pillsbury Bake-Offs, in 2004 in Hollywood, Calif., and 2006 in Orlando, Fla., I'll shadow our local contestant's every step and spoon stir with daily updates in my offBeat column on the lookListen page.
Klinedinst's winning recipe for Creamy Smoked Salmon Cups was shared in my food column earlier this week for readers to sample. It is one of 100 winning recipes competing for the grand prize. The entire collection of this year's contest recipes are available in the new "43rd Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off Cookbook" ($3.99), which went on sale this week at the check-out magazine racks in major supermarkets.
Popular Food Network television host and lifestyle expert Sandra Lee has been selected to announce the next million-dollar recipe during the April 15 awards ceremony and the official announcement, scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Central Time Tuesday morning. This 43rd contest brings eight men and 92 women competing with a diverse range of original recipes from pizzas and appetizers to sweet treats, breakfasts and brunches, and Mexican-inspired dishes.
From the tens of thousands of recipe entries, contest officials used rigorous screening, taste panels and kitchen testing to select the final 100 recipes. The recipe creators-amateur cooks from across the country now will prepare their recipes in the contest finals on April 14 in Dallas, competing for the really serious dough that's at stake.
Seven of the contest prizes will be determined by a panel of judges working in jury-room secrecy. One award, "the America's Favorite Recipe Award," will be determined by consumers across America.
For more information, visit the Bake-Off Contest Web site at www.bakeoff.com and watch my daily column beginning Saturday for all the best on-location behind-the-scenes "dish."
As for Klinedinst, her full-time job when she's not cooking and baking is on stage as a pianist and composer.
One person who is really cheering for Klinedinst to bring home the dough is her Great Aunt Pauline Doll of Valparaiso, who was the first person to call me with the news that her niece was headed for Texas.
As for Klinedinst's music, she often showcases tunes from the likes of John Williams, Yanni, Jim Brickman, Aaron Copland and George Gershwin.
A self-proclaimed "bake-off biker chick," the motto she features on her Web site www.sherryk.com is: "Piano with spirit, piano with soul, piano with a hint of lime and salt."