Posted by Altoona Mirror, PA on May 04, 2009 at 11:34:19:
Deen brothers select two Lilly sisters as winners of signature dessert contest
By Greg Bock, gbock@altoonamirror.com
Only in business four months, the two sisters from Lilly said they thought they were in over their heads when they arrived at the Blair County Convention Center to compete with other restaurants in the Signature Dessert Contest at the Taste of the Alleghenies food show.
"We walked in there in our jeans and sneakers, and everyone else is in their chef's clothes," said 25-year-old Jessica Buck, owner of Buck's Takeout in Lilly. Buck and her sister, 23-year-old Sarah Biter, walked out with the right to claim the show's "signature dessert" - mountain berry bread pudding.
Buck's and Biter's entry got the attention of another pair of siblings at the show, Bobby and Jamie Deen, sons of cooking legend Paula Deen. The Deen brothers, who judged the competition, said the sisters embodied the same spirit of hard work and energy that helped their mother get to where she is today.
Taking the stage at as the finale to the weekend-long showcase of good food and home cooking, the Deens regaled the crowd with tales of helping their mother, as she started her catering company in her kitchen as a way to make ends meet after her marriage broke up and all the fun and hard work they've shared in nearly 20 years in the restaurant business.
"That's what's great about cooking," Bobby Deen said, noting that his mother is always encouraging people to get into the kitchen as a way to spend quality time with the family. "Inevitably, you have conversations and good things happen."
Outside the ballroom, Marc McKillop of Giant Eagle in Altoona was busy passing out samples and talking to people about all the possibilities of mascarpone cheese - an Italian cream cheese that can go just as well in a pepper spread as it can in chocolate chip-filled cannoli.
"It's been great," McKillop said of this year's show, organized and sponsored by the Altoona Mirror, Allegheny Mountains Convention and Visitors Bureau, U.S. Foodservice and Giant Eagle.
McKillop said even with a lagging economy, people are seeking out new foods and new recipes, plus eating at home more.
"People are still having fun with it and really using the versatility of products, too," McKillop said.
Altoona Mirror General Manager Ray Eckenrode said the the Taste of Home show is already booked for next year, and organizers are already working on bringing in some big-name talent.
Eckenrode said organizers learned a lot from last year's inaugural show and pointed out that tickets for this year's show gave people greater flexibility to attend what they wanted while still taking in the vendors and other events, such as the kids' pizza-making contest.
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