Archive for the ‘contests’ Category
Winners of 2nd Annual O Foods Contest for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
As promised, today we’re announcing the winners of the 2nd Annual O Foods Contest for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month! Check out all the great recipes at the roundup:
Below you’ll find the Grand Prize Winner and the Awareness Prize Winner; head to Sara’s Ms Adventures in Italy for the 2nd and 3rd place winners.
Gina DePalma picked all three recipe winners, and we’re including her personal commentary so you can see her thought process–and just how hard it was to pick among all your fabulous creations!
Without further ado…
The Grand Prize Winner…
as chosen by Gina DePalma…
who will receive her very own signed copy of
Gina’s fabulous book Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen…
is…
Well, here are Gina’s words:
Ohgodohohgodohgod….
Really, this is so hard. I’ve been looking at these for days now. I feel super guilty that I can’t award a prize to every single person.
Can’t pick my cousin, that’s nepotism.
That’s the only one I can rule out.
But, if you had to go on which recipes truly made my mouth water, there are FOUR top contenders in my mind, and I might add that unfortunately, except for one, they all take advantage of the fact that all I do lately is crave ethnic foods from other cultures.
But eventually, I had to pick one.
MY TOP CHOICE: Judith’s Olive Spread [at Think On It!] really stopped me in my tracks.
So simple and perfect from a minimal amount of ingredients with maximum flavor and impact. It is easy to throw together and it keeps well. And it is endlessly versatile. Truly the kind of recipe that everyone should have in their war chest – it reminded me of something I would find in a classic cookbook, that you pull out and make over and over again. I love it! Kudos, Judith! And thanks for a great recipe…
Yes, congratulations Judith! I know I’ll be making this one just as soon as our olives are ready!
Now for the randomly drawn Awareness Prize Winner of a Teal Toes tote bag full of cool ovarian cancer awareness gifts:
Jen really did an amazing job spreading the word about our contest and about ovarian cancer awareness, and I know she’ll do wonderful things with her new Teal Toes goodies as well. Thanks Jen, and congrats!
Thanks so much to everyone who participated, and remember you can still donate to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund at our Firstgiving donation page! We need to raise awareness year round, so anytime you see a chance to raise ovarian cancer awareness, please take it! Women everywhere thank you.
Buon weekend a tutti!
2nd Annual O Foods Contest for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Roundup Part 1
A big thank you to everyone who participated in the 2nd Annual O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Contest by donating, posting the announcement, and/or submitting fabulous recipes.
In these two years, we’ve raised $600 for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, gathered nearly 100 fabulous O Food recipes, and hopefully reached many women with important information about ovarian cancer, particularly regarding signs and symptoms.
Remember, you can still donate to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, and here are another 5 ways you can contribute to ovarian cancer awareness through jewelry. Other posts related to the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month events include:
- Interview with Gina DePalma whose battle with ovarian cancer inspired this event
- Angela Moore Jewelry for Ovarian Cancer Awareness
- Information on Teal Toes
Remember Gina herself will be choosing the grand prize winner this year–and winners will be announced on Friday, so be sure to come back then!
And now, it’s time for Part 1 of the roundup (as I remind you that I made the classic, tasty Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino for this year’s O Foods Contest); Sara has Part 2 of the roundup at Ms Adventures in Italy.
First I want to thank those of you who posted the contest announcement and are eligible for the Teal Toes gift bag prize (if you’re not listed here or at Sara’s place, let us know!):
- Jen of A2EatWrite
- NYC/Caribbean Ragazza
- Italytutto
- Girasoli at Shave Ice and Gelato
- Maria at My Place in the Sun
Now, let’s start off with some appetizers, soups, salads, side dishes, savory tarts, and even some “first dishes” as we’d call them in Italy:
This Insalata Calda d’Orzo comes from a very special blogger close to this cause–Gina DePalma’s cousin Nicki who blogs at Color Me Inspired. I’m especially loving how the colors of the Italian flag shine through here. Such fabulous presentation! Thanks Nicki!
I’m including pesto here since it can be used as an appetizer, but of course you can always mix it up with pasta as well for a snazzy primo piatto. Check out Ivy‘s Mint Pesto with Almonds and Graviera at Kopiaste. Mmmm I can taste that minty goodness from here! Grazie mille Ivy!
Here is a fabulously healthy and tasty way to enjoy the beloved potato. Diana of GardenCuizine shares her recipe for Oven Roasted Rosemary Potato Fries (which, by the way, features yet another “O” if you consider the rosemary is “rosemarino” in Italian). Thanks so much Diana!
Next up is Amy‘s Tomato Salad with Asiago Cheese over at Tomato Hill. I must admit that the tomato and any kind of formaggio are two of my very favorite “O” foods. Great combo here, Amy! Thanks for participating!
The Food Hunter contributes Orrichiette with Ragu alla Bolognese over at the Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine. You’ll often see this adorable ear-shaped pasta paired with greens like broccoli rabe, but I agree with the Food Hunter that it’ll work just fine to catch up tasty bits of bolognese as well. Thanks Food Hunter!
Oh wow. Check out Elle‘s Greek Omelet for Breakfast, which has pine nuts, oregano, spinach, feta, and oh I’ll just stop there before you make a drooling mess on your keyboard. Elle blogs at Feeding My Enthusiasms. Thanks for participating Elle!
Our dear friend Judith of Think On It! sent in this wonderful Olive Spread with just three ingredients that all incorporate the “O”: olives, peperoncino, olive oil. I *know* this will be a huge hit at my house when I make this. Thanks so much Judith!
And while we’re talking olives, be sure to check out the Olive Focaccia over at La Vita è Bella! Thanks for sending this in Grace!
Another dear friend in Italy, Michelle of Michellanea, sent in this Spelt Salad with Fennel and Pomegranate, which in Italian is Insalata di farro con finocchio e melagrano. Helloooo O’s! This sounds delicious, awfully pretty, and great for fall as well now that our pomegranates are coming back into season. Thanks Michelle!
Jen of NJ Epicurean serves up a hearty Onion Soup with Loads of Thyme and Giant Gruyère Crostini. The recipe comes from Epicurious, but Jen makes it all her own even serving it up in an adorable heart-shaped bowl. Thanks so much for sending this in, Jen. I imagine quite a few fall and winter days will be warmed up thanks to you!
Lavanya at Pieces of paper, squiggly lines shows there’s much more than writing in her bag of tricks. Check out this Orange and Tomato Rasam, an autumn twist on her prized Pineapple Rasam, which she notes is “something of a south Indian ‘delicacy.'” I’ve never had any rasam, but I’d love to head over to Lavanya’s for my first taste. This looks amazing. Thanks Lavanya!
Now back here in Calabria, we have Cherrye‘s Wild Mushroom Risotto over at My Bella Vita. OK, the recipe is really her husband’s, but it hardly matters when you have a plate of creamy porcini risotto in front of you. Seconds please! Thanks for sending this in, Cherrye (and Peppe)!
Girlichef contributes these Stuffed, Wrapped Jalapeno Peppers. Um, did somebody say cream cheese *and* bacon? Wow. I’m *so* in, girlichef. If you click over, you’ll find a whole series of droolworthy photos, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Thanks girlichef!
Palma at Palmabella’s Passions sent in this lovely Onion Fig Tart. Sounds like a gorgeous combination with the onions and figs, two of my very favorite foods. Palma created this based on a tart she saw at a bakery in Washington; excellent work! Thanks Palma!
Lisa is Cooking sent over this refreshing Mango Salmon Salad. Salmon is one of my very favorite foods, and I don’t eat it nearly enough. This salad is tossed with a lime shallot vinaigrette and a little arugula. Yum! Thanks for showing us another way to enjoy salmon, Lisa!
Erika at Sweet Pea sent in her Avocado, Goat Cheese, and Quinoa Salad. I’m not sure it gets much healthier and tastier than this…and you *know* I’m all about the goat cheese! Thanks so much for contributing this fabulous recipe, Erika!
Now for some hearty main dishes:
Maria of My Place in the Sun sent over some Chicken Fricasee Abruzzi Style, which translates to Pollo all’abruzzese coi pomodorini e le olive, i.e., lots of “O” love in Italian. This looks like something that could easily be served on a Calabrian table too–so of course I love the looks of this. Thanks Maria!
Jerry of Jerry’s Thoughts, Musings, and Rants! sent in an appetizer and main course all in one–Onion, Potato, Pancetta, and Rosemary Pizza. Some of my favorite foods combined all on a pizza? Yeah, that’s pretty much heaven right there, Jerry. Thanks so much for sending it in!
And last but certainly not least, dessert:
Deeba of Passionate About Baking sent in these Cappuccino Buttermilk Muffins, which you *know* I’m all over. You may be wondering whether cappuccino is really a food. Well it certainly is in my book but in any event these are also loaded down with chips made of cioccolato. Yum yum yum. Thanks Deeba!
*UPDATED: Two last O food recipes that slipped through the cracks:*
Noelle of An Opera Singer in the Kitchen submitted a gorgeous Chilean Charquican and Tomato Salad. That’s pronounced Char-KEE-can, and Noelle describes it as kind of like a pot pie and great for hiding veggies (plus it has potatOes!); the tomato and red onion salad goes beautifully with it. Thanks Noelle!
The Happy Cook‘s gorgeous Brazilian night cocktail made of Batida de Coco, vodka, and Blue Curacao over at My Kitchen Treasures. What a way to wrap up the roundup. May I have another?
Thanks so much for all these great O Food recipes!
I know there are a lot of recipes (and we’re very grateful for the wonderful response!), but don’t be overwhelmed! Simply bookmark the round-up pages (and Stumble too if you like!) so you can come back when you have a few moments here and there.
Remember the second half of the round-up is over at Sara’s Ms Adventures in Italy, and be sure to come back Friday for the announcement of the winners!
O Foods Recipe: Spaghetti AgliO OliO e PeperoncinO
I had lots of ideas for what my O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Contest recipe would be, but in the end, none was better than one of our standby favorites that is just *laden* with O’s.
Spaghetti AgliO OliO e PeperoncinO
- Spaghetti for two people
- Water for pasta
- A few tablespoons of oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
- 1 hot pepper, chopped, or hot pepper flakes to taste
- Salt to taste
- Optional: bread crumbs, chopped parsley and/or grated cheese
1. Put water for pasta on to boil.
2. Prepare garlic and pepper.
3. Once the water is boiling, add salt and pasta; remove when al dente.
4. In the meantime, just a few minutes before the pasta will be ready, heat oil on medium and then add the garlic, hot pepper, and salt to taste. Just let the garlic get a little brown, but be careful so it doesn’t burn.
5. Remove the garlic, add the pasta to the pan, and toss well together, leaving it all over the heat for about a minute as you mix.
6. Sprinkle with bread crumbs, parsley and/or grated cheese, allowing it to blend together a bit more before removing from heat.
7. Serve hot.
Buon appetito!
You still have until Monday, 28 September 2009 to get your O Food recipes in! Find out all the info on the contest here–which includes the text you need to include in your post to be eligible for prizes.
2nd Annual O Foods Contest for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
It’s finally time for the 2nd Annual O Foods Contest for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month here and at Sara’s Ms Adventures in Italy!
We were so pleased with the response to last year’s contest, which raised $425 for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and rounded up 45 outstanding (ottimo!) “O Food” recipes.
And we need your help to top that this year!
We started the O Foods tradition in honor of our friend, award-winning pastry chef Gina DePalma, author of Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen; Gina has been fighting ovarian cancer for the past year and a half, and in addition to physically battling the disease, she has also started the Cowgirl Cure Foundation to raise awareness and money for research as well.
As a special treat, this year Gina will also be picking the grand prize winner of the O Foods Contest! And speaking of prizes, check them out–signed copies of Gina’s book, Mario Batali’s Molto Italiano, and Joseph Bastianich’s Vino Italiano.
Molto cool, no?
Speaking of the contest, just like last year, you can participate either by submitting a recipe or by simply posting the announcement below. Our goal is to spread information about ovarian cancer and its symptoms to as many people as possible, so feel free to tweet, post on Facebook, or whatever you have to do to help us make enough noise to stop this silent killer.
CONTEST RULES
O Foods Contest for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and for the second year in a row, Sara of Ms Adventures in Italy and Michelle of Bleeding Espresso are hosting the O Foods Contest to raise awareness of this important health issue.
There are TWO WAYS to take part in the O Foods Contest:
ONE: Post a recipe to your blog using a food that starts or ends with the letter O (e.g., oatmeal, orange, okra, octopus, olive, onion, potato, tomato); include this entire text box in the post; and send your post url along with a photo (100 x 100) to ofoods[at]gmail[dot]com by 11:59 pm (Italy time) on Monday, September 28, 2009.
PRIZES for recipe posts:
- 1st: Signed copy of Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen by Gina DePalma, Executive Pastry Chef of Babbo Ristorante in NYC, who is currently battling ovarian cancer, inspired this event, and will be choosing her favorite recipe for this prize;
- 2nd: Signed copy of Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home by Mario Batali (winner chosen by Sara);
- 3rd: Signed copy of Vino Italiano: The Regional Italian Wines of Italy by Joseph Bastianich (winner chosen by Michelle).
ORTWO: If you’re not into the recipe thing, simply post this entire text box in a post on your blog to help spread the word and send your post url to ofoods[at]gmail[dot]com by 11:59 pm (Italy time) on Monday, September 28, 2009.
Awareness posts PRIZE:
- One winner chosen at random will receive a Teal Toes tote bag filled with ovarian cancer awareness goodies that you can spread around amongst your friends and family.
———
From the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund:
- Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women; a woman’s lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 1 in 67.
- The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often vague and subtle, making it difficult to diagnose, but include bloating, pelvic and/or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly; and urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency).
- There is no effective screening test for ovarian cancer but there are tests which can detect ovarian cancer when patients are at high risk or have early symptoms.
- In spite of this, patients are usually diagnosed in advanced stages and only 45% survive longer than five years. Only 19% of cases are caught before the cancer has spread beyond the ovary to the pelvic region.
- When ovarian cancer is detected and treated early on, the five-year survival rate is greater than 92%.
And remember, you can also always donate to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund at our page through FirstGiving!
Please help spread the word about ovarian cancer.
Together we can make enough noise to kill this silent killer.
Teal Toes Contest for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and dedicated readers are probably guessing that another O Foods Contest with Sara of Ms Adventures in Italy might be coming up. Well, you’re right, but that won’t kick off until next week.
Stay tuned, and if you want to donate money to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund in the meantime, please go to our donation page at First Giving, which you may also remember from last year.
You can also indirectly donate through Seventh Generation: Let’s Talk Period simply by signing up for free registration on their site; Seventh Generation will donate $1 for each new registration, up to $22,000 (each year 22,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer).
Why make a big deal of ovarian cancer awareness?
Well, because ovarian cancer is often known as a silent killer because many women don’t discover they have ovarian cancer until it spreads somewhere else; their survival rate is 45%. But the survival rate jumps to 93% when the cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, which only happens 19% of the time.
This is why it’s so important for women to know the dangers of ovarian cancer as well as the symptoms and signs, which often mirror those of irritable bowel syndrome, because ovarian cancer is not actually silent, it just whispers softly. *You must listen!*
We’ll talk more about this as the month goes on as well, but for now, please also be aware that recent studies have closely linked breast cancer and ovarian cancer through the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. Check out Sloan-Kettering’s great FAQ on these genes.
Paint Your Toenails Teal!
So, this week in conjunction with a pre-O Foods Contest contest, I’d like to re-introduce you to Teal Toes, an organization dedicated to raising ovarian cancer awareness run by Carey Fitzmaurice, an ovarian cancer survivor:
Carey came up with the idea to encourage people to paint their toenails teal in September, especially because:
- Ribbons aren’t enough.
- It’s easy!
- It makes your toes look pretty.
- Teal, the ovarian cancer awareness color, is striking enough to make people ask about it.
Carey has lots of great resources and information over at her place, including a link to the wonderful FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer), so do take a look around–especially at the page of teal polishes to get you started on your toes.
And finally, the contest. Carey has generously offered 5 bottles of OPI Teal the Cows Come Home nail polish for five lucky Bleeding Espresso readers; winners to be drawn at random.
Teal Toes Contest Rules:
1. To enter, leave a comment on this post between now and midnight on Friday, September 11, 2009 (Italy time).
2. For an extra entry, become a fan of Teal Toes on Facebook and send me a message at michellefabio5(at)gmail(dot)com to let me know you’ve done so.
That’s it!
I’ll choose the winners at random on Saturday morning and announce them here.
And by the by, if you’re feeling extra frisky, why not go out and get some teal polish, paint your toes, post it on your blog, and send me a link (or just send a photo if you don’t have a blog). Wouldn’t you love to see your toesies featured here and at the Teal Toes Facebook page?
Show us your Teal Toes, ladies! And gentleman! *Everyone* looks good in teal. Including blogs. Feel free to lift the ovarian cancer awareness ribbon above or over in my sidebar (smaller) for your site this month (please upload to your own server though).
Remember, just comment to enter the contest, and do spread the word!
Let’s make enough noise together to kill this silent killer.
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
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