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Passionfruit Shrimp On Macadamia Crackers With Cilantro Butter
Courtesy of Carla Jolis

Ingredients:

For crackers:

  • 1 1/2 C roasted macadamia nuts
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/2 Tsp salt (if nuts are salted, reduce added salt to 1/4 teaspoon)
  • 1/4 C All Purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp black sesame seeds

For shrimp:

  • 2 Tsp unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp onion, minced
  • 2 Tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 1 Garlic clove, peeled, minced
  • 2 Tbsp passionfruit juice
  • 1 Tbsp light brown sugar
  • 12 Medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails off
  • 1/2 Tsp salt
  • 1 Tsp rice vinegar

For butter:

  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 Tsp fresh cilantro, minced
  • 1 Tbsp sauce from cooked shrimp
  • 1/8 Tsp prepared wasabi

Garnish:

  • 1/2 A fresh mango, peeled, cut into julienne strips
  • 1 Tbsp minced cilantro

Instructions:

  1. For crackers, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Grind nuts in food processor. Add egg, pulse to blend. Add salt (if using), flour and sesame seeds, pulse again to combine.
  3. Scoop mixture out onto a piece of parchment paper, sized to fit baking sheet. Lay a second piece of parchment on top of mixture and roll out dough to approximately 1/8-inch thick.
  4. Remove top parchment, slide bottom parchment with rolled dough onto baking sheet.
  5. Score dough to form squares or rectangles, not cutting all the way through.
  6. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden. Remove from oven. Set aside to cool.
  7. For shrimp, preheat medium nonstick fry pan over low-medium heat. Add butter. When melted, add onion, ginger and garlic. Cook and stir until fragrant and onion are translucent, 2-3 minutes.
  8. Stir in passionfruit juice and sugar to blend. Lightly salt shrimp and add to pan. Cook 1-2 minutes per side until done. Remove shrimp to side dish, reserving sauce in pan.
  9. Add vinegar to sauce in pan; simmer until sauce is reduced to about 1 tbsp. Set aside to cool.
  10. For butter, combine all ingredients and beat well. Set aside in refrigerator for a few minutes.
  11. Carefully separate cooled crackers along score lines.

To plate, spread a little compound butter on each cracker. Top with a cooked shrimp and a few pieces of mango. Sprinkle with cilantro.


Makes 12 appetizer servings


Fried Lobster & Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms With Sweet Thai Chili Dipping Sauce
Courtesy of Donna Wolfe

Ingredients:

  • 1 C all-purpose flour
  • 1 C + 1 Tbsp club soda
  • 3/4 Tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 Tsp sugar
  • 1/3 C mild goat cheese
  • 1 Tsp fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 Tsp lemon zest, plus 1/2 Tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp green onion, finely chopped
  • 1/8 Tsp cayenne
  • 1/8 Tsp dry mustard
  • 3 1/2 Oz lobster meat, cooked and finely chopped
  • Sea salt and pepper
  • 12 Zucchini blossoms (plus extras as backup)
  • Grapeseed oil, for frying
  • Dark green leaves for garnish

Sauce:

  • 1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 2 Tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce
  • 1/2 Tsp fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 Tsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 Tsp salt
  • 1/4 Tsp finely ground black pepper
  • 1/8 Tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 Tsp garlic, finely minced
  • 1 1/2 Tsp ginger root, peeled and finely minced


Instructions:

  1. Rinse the zucchini blossoms and place on paper towels to dry. Remove the pistils.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, water, salt and sugar until smooth. Set aside.
  3. Whisk together the ingredients for the Sweet Thai Chili Dipping Sauce and set aside.
  4. In a small bowl combine the goat cheese, tarragon, lemon zest, green onion, cayenne, and dry mustard. Mix until smooth. Fold in the lobster. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Use a pastry bag to fill each blossom with 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons filling. Close the blossoms and flatten at the tips to seal.
  5. In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350-degrees F. Dip the stuffed zucchini blossoms in the batter and allow any excess batter to drip off. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Allow the cooked blossoms to drain on paper towels. Season with sea salt.
  6. Place on a platter on the dark green leaves with a ramekin of the dipping sauce.

Makes 4 appetizer servings


Best With Bubbles Brioche Bites With Pâté, Shallots, Blue Cheese & Figs
Courtesy of Jamie Brown-Miller

Ingredients:

  • 2 Medium loaves brioche
  • 1 C butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 C shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbsp Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut
  • 12 Ripe figs
  • 12 Oz pork pâté, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 C mild blue cheese, crumbled

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Slice the brioche crosswise into 24 1/2-inch thick slices. Using a cookie cutter, bowl or glass with a 3-4 inch diameter, cut a circle in the center of each slice. Brush butter onto each circle of brioche, and then gently push down into the muffin cups. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Cool for 2-3 minutes before removing to a serving tray. If you have two 12-muffin pans, you will be able to bake them all at once. If not, do this in two batches.
  2. While the brioche cups bake, you’ll have time to ready the other components. Sauté the shallots in a skillet on medium high heat with the grapeseed oil, salt and pepper for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned. Add the Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut, stirring to deglaze. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
  3. Remove the stems and ends from the figs, then dice. Set aside.
  4. Place the pork pâté in a plastic zip-top bag and squeeze pâté to a bottom corner. Snip the end with scissors and squeeze about 1 tablespoon into the bottom of each brioche cup.
  5. Follow with 1 tablespoon of shallots, 1 tablespoon of blue cheese, then 1 tablespoon of diced figs. Serve.

Makes 24 appetizer servings


Lemongrass & Ginger Crab Crisps With Asian Apple & Vietnamese Avocado Mash
Courtesy of Merry Graham

Ingredients:

Vietnamese Avocado Mash:

  • 1/4 C apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 C water
  • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 C chopped red onion
  • 1 Serrano pepper, seeds removed, chopped
  • 3 Avocados, skin and pit removed
  • 3 Tbsp Vietnamese sauce from recipe below

Crisps and Garnishes:

  • 12 (3-inch) Mini flour tortillas cut from larger tortillas
  • 2 C canola oil
  • 1 Tbsp black sesame seeds for sprinkling over crab
  • 1/3 C Cilantro leaves for garnish

Vietnamese Sauce and Crab Topping:

  • 1 Tbsp finely grated lemongrass
  • 1 Tbsp finely grated ginger
  • 1 Tbsp freshly grated garlic
  • 1 Tsp Sriracha hot sauce or to taste
  • 1 Tsp toasted sesame seed oil
  • 2/3 C freshly squeezed citrus juice, lime or lemon juice or combination
  • 1/3 C fish sauce
  • 1/3 C granulated sugar
  • 1/2 C chopped Asian Apple
  • 1/4 C finely chopped sweet red bell pepper
  • 1/2 C snipped cilantro leaves
  • 1 Tbsp minced mint
  • 3/4 Lbs fresh crabmeat, about 11/2 cups loosely packed

Instructions:

  1. To Make Avocado Mash: In a small microwave-save container, on HIGH, heat vinegar, water, and sugar for 2 minutes until boil. Remove from microwave, and add red onion and Serrano pepper; and set aside. Half of the pickled onions and pepper will be added to the crab mixture. The remaining onions and peppers will be added to the avocado mash. Mash avocadoes, pickled onions and peppers, with 3 Tbsp Vietnamese Sauce (after making sauce as directed below). Add salt, if desired.
  2. To Make Crisps: In a 10-inch skillet, heat oil to 350 degrees F. Cook 6 tortilla rounds at a time. Fry each batch, turning once with tongs, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Set black sesame seeds and cilantro aside until ready to serve.
  3. To Make Vietnamese Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk lemongrass, ginger, garlic, hot sauce, sesame seed oil, citrus juice, fish sauce, and sugar. Transfer 3 Tbsp Vietnamese sauce to a small bowl for avocado mash. Add to remaining sauce in medium bowl, Asian Apple, red bell pepper, cilantro, and mint. Gently fold crab with Asian Apple mixture.
  4. To Assemble: Place crisps on serving dish. Spread crisps evenly with Vietnamese Avocado Mash to ½-inch rim outer rim. Strain Lemongrass-Ginger Crab from sauce. Top mash with crab filling. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and cilantro. Serve with a chilled glass of Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut!

Makes 12 (3-inch) servings.




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contest finalists



national finals


Carla Jolis
Passionfruit Shrimp On Macadamia Crackers With Cilantro Butter
view recipe

Donna Wolfe - Grand-Prize Winner
Fried Lobster & Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms With Sweet Thai Chili Dipping Sauce
view recipe

Jamie Brown-Miller
Best With Bubbles Brioche Bites With Pâté, Shallots, Blue Cheese & Figs
view recipe

Merry Graham - Crowd Favorite Pop Award
Lemongrass & Ginger Crab Crisps With Asian Apple & Vietnamese Avocado Mash
view recipe



new york


Carla Jolis
Passionfruit Shrimp On Macadamia Crackers With Cilantro Butter

Donna Wolfe
Fried Lobster & Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms With Sweet Thai Chili Dipping Sauce

Jill Gilber
Glorious Lobster Tempura Grapefruit Salad Bowls Dressed With Ruby Red Miso Champagne Vinaigrette

Lorin Cook
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Veronica Callaghan
Glorious Spicy Lobster Wontons



san francisco


Elise Lalor
Roasted Beet Crostini With Goat Cheese & Salmon Roe

Jamie Brown-Miller
Best With Bubbles Brioche Bites With Pâté, Shallots, Blue Cheese & Figs

Karen Harris
Zesty Smoked Salmon Bites With Chive Pancakes

Merry Graham
Lemongrass & Ginger Crab Crisps With Asian Apple & Vietnamese Avocado Mash

Tanya Baker
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