Liquor-off the second was held at Ravenclaw House (Malloreigh & Allie's) on the 13th of January. It was one of our biggest, thirteen entries! After a few small ones in a row, it was a little overwhelming; we didn't finish eating until almost 11pm! It was an incredible cookoff, and our five (!!!) year anniversary! It was also the first in a long, long while where everyone who attended was competing.
COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES
Anna: "Wiser's cornucopia" mushroom & bean chili with sundried & roasted tomatoes, infused with Wiser's rye whiskey and garnished with chives, sour cream, & 2 kinds of cheese
Malloreigh: "I love cooking with wine; sometimes I even put it in the food!" pea, mint, & cilantro flan with mashed cauliflower & sunchokes, cooked with white wine
Chris: "something something sausage in your mouth" fennel & red wine seitan sausage with pane bianca, homemade pickled onions, and a red wine miso sauce
Jen: "patatas Havanas" Catalana-style patatas bravas (fried potato wedges) tossed in dark Havana rum & crushed chilies, with a white wine aïoli
Sarah: "pockets of realization" gluten-free perogies filled with bourbon-infused coconut bacon and potato, served with an apple cider applesauce
Laryssa: "the stout & unsavoury shepherd" tempeh, mushroom & vegetable pot pie with gravy, made with stout in every element (including the crust)
Kristina: "go home prawns, you're drunk!" whiskey flambé 'prawns' with grits, jalapeño, tamari, & hot sauce garnish
Bronwen: "steak your claim" tofu steak cooked with Bulleit rye, with a whiskey brown sauce, mashed potatoes, and sautéed mushrooms & onions
Alex: "French twist" white wine macadamia nut cheese on crostini, with a shaved vegetable salad and olive oil & lemon balm garnish
Tim: "ice ice beerby" ice creams made with (from left to right) stout, nut brown ale, pale ale, & gluten-free chestnut ale; served with roasted pear & rum-soaked sour cherry
Ash: "roseberry sorbet" raspberry rosé wine sorbet in a sugar cone & garnished with cocoa nibs
Steph: "boozy bourbon baked berry brown betty" blackberries & strawberries soaked in bourbon, with a coconut flour & oat topping
Allie: "royal pink rumpage" royal gala apple crumble with Sailor Jerry spiced rum and oat-pumpkin seed topping, garnished with soy sour cream
Anna, Tim A. & Alex all competed for the first time.
CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Jen
presentation: Alex
alcoholism (best use of ingredient): Tim
creativity: Jen
overall favourite: Chris/Jen/Bronwen
overall winner: Jen
best name: (unscored category) Tim
Because we didn't have any judges (non-competitors), we ran out of wine pretty quickly and actually went for a liquor store run during the break! That hasn't happened in a long time, & it's pretty ironic that it would happen at an alcohol-themed cookoff.