Posted by Prescott Daily Courier, AZ on November 01, 2009 at 08:43:43:
Matt Hinshaw/
The Daily Courier
PRESCOTT - Mary Hawkes has not chronicled the myriad cooking contests she's entered through the years, but there's no question she'll remember her victory in a monumental one this fall.
On Sept. 23, Hawkes, a longtime Prescott resident, won the $25,000 grand prize in the prestigious 28th National Beef Cook-off's "Best of Beef" competition in Sonoma, Calif.
Hawkes' winning recipe, "Sonoma Steaks with Vegetables Bocconcini," an original which takes about 30 minutes to make, primarily consists of boneless beef strip steaks tossed in with herb-marinated mozzarella balls (bocconcini), zucchini, yellow bell peppers and small red grape tomatoes.
"I got the inspiration for the recipe in the grocery store when I was shopping one evening," Hawkes said from her Prescott home Tuesday. "I buy the bocconcini as marinated and my husband and I eat them as a snack or appetizer. I had just recently read the rules for the cook-off and thought this would be a great ingredient to use in this particular category."
Hawkes - who has never attended culinary school - outlasted 14 other amateur national finalists in the biennial cook-off's "Sonoma-Style" theme that challenged some 2,800 entrants to focus on combining fresh, flavorful ingredients with nutrient-rich beef cuts.
Like the contest's other participants, Hawkes submitted her written recipe to a panel of judges, which prepared her dish in a test kitchen and ultimately selected her as one of 15 finalists in three separate categories.
After advancing, Hawkes received an all expenses-paid trip to Sonoma for the cook-off, where she and the other finalists prepared their recipes and presented them to the judges. As he has done in the past, Reed Hawkes, Mary's husband, tagged along to support his wife.
"I'm privy to all the work and effort that goes into this, and she does value my input," said Reed, who taste-tests Mary's recipes. "It's always an experience. We've gone to places we otherwise wouldn't go."
Hawkes made her dish on an outdoor grill and handed it off to a group of California-based and national food journalists. They not only liked the taste, appearance and convenient preparation of Hawkes' recipe, but its nutritional value. It is full of protein, niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, selenium and zinc, and is a good source of iron.
Judges raved about Hawkes' dish because of the mellow flavor and texture of the mozzarella balls coupled with the smoky grilled steak and vegetables. They also appreciated its overall simplicity and efficient use of ingredients.
"Sometimes I'll just put the ingredients I'm thinking of in front of me and think, 'How am I going to put this together? What do I want to do with this?'" she said. "Sometimes I know what I want the final product to be. I just don't know the measurements or how I'm going to put them together. It takes a lot of trial and error."
Over the past decade, Hawkes, director of the Better Business Bureau's Yavapai County office, has entered 18 to 20 major national cook-offs.
"I'll see the contest, and if the prize is big enough and if the contest interests me and I have ideas, I'll enter it," she said.
Hawkes added that she often garners inspiration for her recipes from cooking magazines.
"I might see one particular part of a recipe that piques my interest and think, 'Wouldn't it be interesting to take this concept and do this with it?' Or I'll be daydreaming and the idea will come to me," Hawkes said.
With her recent winnings, Hawkes said she plans to redecorate her kitchen. However, she's already spent part of the money - on a charitable contribution.
Hawkes donated a cow to Heifer International, a Little Rock, Ark.-based non-profit that provides gifts of livestock and plants to poor families around the world in hopes of relieving global hunger and poverty.
Although she has no formal training in cooking, Hawkes said her "persistence" has paid off. Hawkes has been a finalist in the famed Pillsbury Bake-Off three times. With each contest that comes along, she enjoys the challenge of coming up with a recipe and the creativity involved - not to mention the free trips and prizes.
"When I was a little girl, I entered the Pillsbury Bake-Off. I always thought that I would get there again one day - and decades later, I did," she said. "I thought, 'If I did it once, I can do it again.' I encourage people to try this."
Mary Hawkes’ winning recipe
"Sonoma Steaks with Vegetables Bocconcini"
INGREDIENTS:
• 2 boneless beef top loin (strip) steaks, cut 3/4-inch thick (about 8 ounces each)
• 1 container (9 to 16 ounces) herb-marinated small fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini)
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 medium zucchini, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips
• 1 cup small red grape tomatoes
RECIPE:
Step 1: Drain bocconcini, reserving and combining 1/3-cup marinade and vinegar in small bowl; toss zucchini and bell pepper with 2 tablespoons marinade mixture, refrigerating until ready to use. Place beefsteaks and remaining marinade mixture in food-safe plastic bag, closing bag securely; marinate in refrigerator 15 minutes to 2 hours.
Step 2: Remove steaks and vegetables from marinade, discarding marinade. Place steaks on one half of grid over medium, ash-covered coals; place vegetables in grill basket on other half of grid. Grill steaks, uncovered, 10 to 12 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, covered, 7 to 10 minutes) for medium-rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally. Grill vegetables 10 to 13 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, adding tomatoes during the last 2 minutes of grilling.
Step 3: Combine grilled vegetables and bocconcini in a large bowl, tossing gently to combine, and carve steaks into slices, seasoning with salt, as desired. Serve beef with vegetable mixture.
Total recipe time: 30 minutes
Marinade time: 15 minutes to two hours
Servings: 4
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