And the winner is…

To some, this picture shows a mess…to me, it is art. To some, the ingredients have no business being together…to me, they make perfect sense. I mean, who can’t imagine the possibilities behind ham, dried cranberries, licorice and pears?

I’ll tell you who can…my kids! I had no question they would happily play along with my zany idea! These ingredients came together in a very messy, tension-filled challenge that combined the rules behind Chopped (surprise ingredients with access to fridge and pantry) and Throwdown! (blind taste-test), in one highly competitive match! Ted Allen and Bobby Flay would be proud!

I sat at a safe distance so not to see their individual dishes, however, I could hear the clanging of pots and feel the pressure of masters in the kitchen!

As judges, Dom and I were saddled with the almost impossible task of choosing a winner…I am happy to announce that we did have one… and she won by the mere margin of the slightest depth of a slivered almond, however, her dish was pret-ty good! Just don’t ask me the name of it, or for the recipe…and the three remaining dishes, also competition worthy…tied for second.

As you can plainly see, everyone scored high points for plating and creativity; it was nevertheless, the taste that moved Contestant #1 (Lauren) to the top of the leader board.

Sometimes the best ingredients for a perfect meal don’t come from traditional ingredients at all.

Sometimes perfect meals come from open-minds, creative spirits, and a willingness to play!

Oh wait – that is what it takes to make a perfect meal, everytime…

And we had one today!

I did feel sorry for the clean-up crew…Our 2nd Place winners…Lauren’s idea!