44 entries, 41 participants, 23 days, 14 countries, and at long last, here we are finally! Winners of the Fiesta Friday Challenge #1 have been selected and Catherine and I are ready and pleased to make the announcement.
Big thanks to all who participated. You have made it fun and exciting for everyone involved with your unbridled enthusiasm and genuine willingness to challenge yourself. In the process, you have encouraged and inspired one another to embrace yeast into your cooking repertoire.
Selecting a handful of winners from such an impressive pool of entries was not an easy task. Catherine and I looked at every entry closely and considered the following criteria in determining the winners: creativity, originality, integrity of technique and soundness of recipe. We each came up with our selections independently and it became clear immediately that we were exactly on the same page.
Without further ado, the winners of Fiesta Friday Challenge #1 are:
First Place
Kulebyaka from Mila@milkandbun. This is one astoundingly beautiful creation. A unique Russian pie that is so elegant and sophisticated we can’t believe it hasn’t gone global in popularity. This is the first time I’ve heard of its existence, despite the fact that it’s been served in Russia since the 17th Century. Thank you, Mila, for bringing this to our attention, and for showing meticulous, detailed step-by-step illustrations on how to put this outstanding and out-of-this-world pie together.
Second Place
Peach and Basil Cheese Danish from Michelle@Giraffe Can Bake. Is it possible to make Danish pastries even more delectable than they already are? In Michelle’s hands, which add cream cheese, peaches, and basil, they reach a new pinnacle. The Continental breakfast staple universally well-liked has just gotten a fresh facelift.
Third Place
It’s a tie! Botvinia from Sue@Birgerbird and Sourdough bread from Gerard@Bread and Tortillas.
Botvinia: Russian Chilled Sorrel Soup with Salmon. A complex recipe that needs to be prepared days in advance in order for one of its ingredients, kvas, to be ready, Botvinia is beyond intriguing. Described by Sue as an unusual, tangy, and bracing soup, it sounds quite refreshing and stimulating. She did say this is a soup, and not salad, didn’t she?
Sourdough bread w/ wild mushrooms and herbs. When we first saw Gerard’s entry, before reading closely, we thought he was offering a recipe for a sourdough bread that would be served with herbed mushrooms on top. It turns out that the mushrooms are incorporated into the sourdough bread itself. How completely unique and original that is. Can you imagine a sandwich made with slices of this bread? Flavor explosion in your mouth is what’s going to happen. We just know it!
(We have decided to split the 3rd place prize between the two 3rd place winners. So each will receive 6 seed packages.)
Update: We are not splitting the seed packages. Our generous sponsor has decided to award each 3rd place winner with the whole set of seed packages. Thank you very much, generous sponsor!
Congratulations to all the winners! Please send us your postal addresses via The Novice Gardener’s contact page, so we can forward them to our sponsor.
***
Besides the above winners, the following are entries deserving of honorable mentions. They are:
Semolina Yeast Herb Pancakes from Suzanne@apuginthekitchen. Both Catherine and I would be happy to eat these pancakes anytime, especially with the accompanying Eggplant And Garbanzo Stew. Suzanne’s entry also demonstrates that yeast in a non-beverage recipe doesn’t always translate into kneading. For those of you still uncomfortable with the idea of yeast and kneading, this is the perfect recipe to try to start conquering that fear.
Lavender Honey Babas from Hilda@Along The Grapevine. Another no-knead entry and one of the few sweet entries and the only one that uses yeast in a cake. A clever adaptation of baba au rhum, with an infusion of lavender honey syrup instead of the usual rum, this is an easy recipe that yields such a delightful dessert. Hilda makes her little cakes so completely adorable by decorating them with foraged edible flowers.
Savory Krantz Cake from Margy@La Petite Casserole. Krantz cake is a mesmerizing bread to look at, and Margy’s savory version is not only a stunner but a surprise as well. We think her elegant savory Krantz cake is both creative and inspiring. A stunning and elegant cake with a twist!
There is also a participant who has captured the true spirit of the challenge, Mr Fitz@Cooking With Mr Fitz. What a remarkably fun and friendly entry his is, delivered in the most non-competitive way and with plenty of humor. That is the true nature of this challenge. From the get-go, we’ve been saying that this is a friendly challenge, and Mr Fitz amply demonstrates that. Well done, Mr Fitz!
***
This concludes Fiesta Friday Challenge #1. Catherine and I are not ready at this point to announce Fiesta Friday Challenge #2. There will be one; it’s still in the works. We will announce it as soon as we finalize our preparation. Again, we are seeking sponsors for prizes, and looking for ways to make this event as exciting and fun for you as possible.
We would also like to make the judging process as transparent as possible. It goes without saying that anytime judging is done by humans, in any contest, there’s always going to be a certain degree of subjectiveness. But let us reiterate once more that as judges, Catherine and I try to be as impartial as we can be.
For future challenges, however, we would like to get you, the participants, involved in the judging process. We will let you know how that can be accomplished when we’re ready to make the announcement.
Catherine and I have learned valuable lessons from this inaugural Fiesta Friday Challenge and will apply what we’ve learned to future challenges. If you have any ideas or suggestions, always feel free to let either one of us know.
This was a successful challenge and we want to congratulate our winners, honorable mentions, “spirit capturer,” and all the participants as well as the judges (Yes, that’s me and Catherine. It is okay to pat yourself on the back once in a while, isn’t it? We did work very hard organizing this event.) for a job well done. Now, let’s celebrate!
Selma's Table said:
Congratulations to all the well deserved winners – I couldn’t agree more with the the choices! This was a great challenge, Angie and Catherine. It forced us to not only get our thinking caps on but to work with an ingredient that not many feel confident with – the yeast beast!!! I look forward to seeing what the next one will be!
The Novice Gardener said:
I love that term Jhuls coined – the yeast beast. I’d say we all managed to conquer it, wouldn’t you? Thanks for participating and supporting, Selma. Means so much to me and Catherine. Will bring FFC2 as soon as we can.
skd said:
Congrats to all the winners and judges alike. The Russian pie is truly deserving of the 1st place 🙂
The Novice Gardener said:
Thank you for concurring with our decision, Skd! Next round you’ll have to join, okay?
skd said:
Definitely. I will be looking forward 🙂
Susan Edelman said:
So many beautiful entries!! Just love ’em. Thanks for putting everything together!
The Novice Gardener said:
Thanks for following the challenge, Susan. Next round, I would like you to join, please!
Susan Edelman said:
OK!!
Amanda said:
Wow this is unbelievably amazing..and now I have a ton of new blogs to be inspired from! You’re amazing, Angie…for realz.
The Novice Gardener said:
What a sweet thing to say. But, really, you’re amazing! Yes, you are! 🙂
Amanda said:
🙂 hearts
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Aditi said:
A big congratulations to all the winners and the special mentions! And of course thank you Angie and Catherine for putting up this wonderful challenge for us! Look forward to many more!
The Novice Gardener said:
You’re welcome, Aditi. Thanks, dear, for participating. Your enthusiasm made the challenge so much fun for everyone. XOXO
Sheri Fox said:
Oh poop I thought it went through May! Ah well, my grilled herby flatbread was not worth blogging anyway, but I did use yeast for the first time thx to you. Awesome winners, well-deserved!!
The Novice Gardener said:
Oh, no, so sorry you missed the deadline. I’m pretty sure your flatbread is worth blogging about, especially if that’s your first try. Maybe bring them to FF18?
Sheri Fox said:
I appreciate your confidence in me but quick rise yeast+whole wheat flour+tepid water = blech. I’ll try again, live and learn. Sorry I missed the deadline though 😦
Serena said:
Stunning. That’s all I can say Angie. Simply stunning.
The Novice Gardener said:
Thank you, Serena! You need to join next time. I’ll be so much fun with you in it. 🙂
Serena said:
That’s a wonderful idea! I sort of know what Fiesta Friday is, but where can I find out more about it?
The Novice Gardener said:
The guidelines for the weekly party are here:
The challenge is a sporadic event at the moment, whenever I can organize. Challenge #2 is currently in the works, but I’ll try to get it ready soon. Thanks for your interest, Serena. 🙂
spiceinthecity said:
Congrats to all the amazing winners! That kulebyaka looks out of this world! And thanks to you Angie & Catherine for creating this challenge! Conquering the yeast beast was so much fun 🙂 Cant wait to see what you come up with next 😀
The Novice Gardener said:
Thanks for participating, Naina! Your naan recipe is a wonderful addition to my recipe collection. We’ll try to put together another challenge as soon as possible.
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