"pillsbury" news and stories

Every year, Pillsbury makes one home cook a millionaire. The company's annual Bake-Off plays out like a modern-day American fairy tale: Stand with 100 contestants in gingham aprons, prepare your cherished family recipe (made with Pillsbury products, of course) and bibbidi-bobbidi-boo-one lucky winner leaves with an oversized check and a whole new life.

Tension tends to run high when you're talking about that kind of cash, which is perhaps why there's so much controversy over this year's winner.

• Symbolizing longevity in Japan, soba noodles should be "supple, lustrous and slurpable" -- instructor Akila Inouye of Tokyo's Tsukiji Soba Academy enlightens us on the process.
• Tired of ringing in the New Year with mundane Champagne? Sherry's "distinct, maderized flavor" is again gaining appeal, particularly in plucky cocktails at La Brea Avenue's Tar Pit.
• From "potluck queen to Pillsbury Bake-Off finalist," Susie Littlewood is one of 100 competitors aiming to win lots of dough from Pillsbury -- one million dollars, to be exact. Her caramelized red onion Feta burgers got her foot in the door.
• A reader requested the recipe for the "best chocolate pie ever." Ask and ye shall receive -- Cold Springs Tavern's warm chocolate pie recipe with nuts and rum.
• Recipes: Shrimp Tostones from Cafe Verde in Pasadena; Cauliflower and Potato Gratin; Wilted Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts.

After 15 years of entering the contest, Maryland's Carolyn Gurtz finally wowed the judges.

How'd she do it? With...pre-made refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough.

Nope, I'm not kidding: she wrapped little balls of peanut butter and sugar with the pre-made dough, and - poof! - the Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies were born.

I know using a Pillsbury product in your recipe was the point, but isn't this taking it a little far? She didn't even make her own dough! 1957's winner, Freda Smith, made her own dough for her Peanut Blossoms cookies!

And the other winners aren't much different. In the "Breakfast and Brunches" category, the Mascarpone-Filled Cranberry Walnut Rolls use refrigerated crescent rolls, and the Apple Jack Chicken Pizza uses refrigerated pizza dough.

I know, I know - I get that the contest has to appeal to today's working woman with no time to make their own cookie dough, or whatever. That's fine - we all take shortcuts in the kitchen occasionally, and I'm sure Miz Gurtz's But does it deserve a million dollars?

As a lover of all things pizza-related, I really have to try these.

It's a recipe for pepperoni pizza, only using Pillsbury's Easy Grands! refrigerated biscuits. I always get a little uneasy when I see an exclamation point in the middle of a sentence instead of at the end. Imagine! how! annoying! that! would! be! if! it! was! done! all! the! time!

Anyway, these look pretty good, and ridiculously easy to make. What I find particularly great is that the Grands! come in various flavors (original, buttermilk, Southern style, etc), so you can get some different tastes without adding anything extra to the recipe.