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Pie Fight
Brutal, these two-a-day drills — the couch-to-fridge-to-couch triple jump, the remote control clean-and-jerk, the marathon beer runs. But we'll do anything to prepare for Super Bowl XLIV.
We'll even wade into the great pizza-style debate.
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A Fistful of Dollar Menus
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Starved for business in a weak economy, America's fast-food restaurants are wooing customers with bargain burgers, tacos, fries, pies and other goodies. For consumers, this "value menu" showdown can be confusing. Which is …Read more.
Mac 'n' Cheese the Chef's Way
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Can-Do Spirits!
By Peter Rowe Stacy Slagor had never entered a cooking contest in her life, but she couldn't resist the San Diego County Fair's SPAM recipe competition this summer. "I like SPAM and I like the fair, so why not?" she said. But when the awards were presented, Slagor, 40, learned that her rivals had included Roberta Dunbar. Yes, that Roberta Dunbar, owner of a kitchen-full of ribbons from SPAM contests at county fairs — and beyond. As the 1998 SPAM national champ, she appeared on the "Tonight Show," feeding savory SPAM cheesecake to Jay Leno. "I've held my own," the 81-year-old chef said. When the judges sifted the 22 entries at the fair this summer, the top two contenders were Dunbar and Slagor, the former's SPAMbury Steak with Enchilada Gravy pitted against the latter's SPAM Fusion Fajitas. In this David v. Goliath showdown, processed meats division, Slagor was the slingshot-wielding underdog. "I didn't know it at the time," she confessed, "or I might have been intimidated." The world of SPAM is a curious place. Hormel's 72-year-old brand has been used as an off-and on-Broadway gag — "Spamalot" — and as a disparaging term for junk e-mail. As a food, it's fair to say that the canned ham is not universally beloved. "Everybody has this thing against SPAM," Slagor said. Everybody? Not quite. In Hawaii, grocery stores carry the complete lineup (SPAM Classic, SPAM Hot & Spicy, SPAM Oven-Roasted Turkey, SPAM Hickory Smoked, SPAM Hot Dogs ...) Fans on the mainland and abroad include survivors of tough times who revere this specialty's versatility. "In the Depression, you could take a can of SPAM and feed six people," Dunbar said. "You chopped it up, made some gravy, put it over biscuits. You could make a meal of it." Devotees insist that SPAM is infinitely adaptable to cooking styles, sauces and spices. The ingredients in Slagor's recipe range from crushed pineapple to chopped cilantro. "It's really good," she said of these fajitas. "People are really surprised." For a talented and creative cook, SPAM has another virtue: It's forgiving. This year, Dunbar planned to enter the county fair competition with a SPAM meatloaf.
"On the fly," she said. Dunbar entered the resulting SPAMbury Steak, but "I really didn't expect anything. So when I got second place, I was really surprised." For her part, Slagor wasn't shocked to finish in first: "It's a darn good recipe." But she was taken aback when she arrived at the fairgrounds for the awards presentation. Unlike most of the entrants, one contestant came in and helped set up tables. "She totally knew the drill," Slagor said. That was Dunbar, of course, a veteran of more than 35 San Diego County Fair contests. After the presentation, she made a point of chatting to the new champ. "And I tasted her dish," Dunbar said. "It was very good." Slagor won $150 and entry into the national SPAM competition, which will be judged by Hormel's team of home economists. The winner, to be announced early in 2011, will be able to choose between $3,000 or that sum applied to a trip to SPAM Jam, an annual Honolulu bash. If the kitchen gods smile upon her, which prize would Slagor choose? "I could go to Hawaii any time. But what are the chances of going to Hawaii to be a celebrity at the SPAM Jam? And what better way to use up my 15 minutes of fame?" SPAM FUSION FAJITAS Salsa: 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained 1 (4-ounce) can diced jalapenos, drained 1/4 cup sliced green onions 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce Fajitas: 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil 1 medium onion, sliced 1 red pepper, sliced into strips 1 (12-ounce) can SPAM, sliced into 1/4-inch strips 8 flour tortillas Yields 6 servings. In a bowl, combine pineapple and jalapenos. Add green onions, cilantro and teriyaki sauce. Mix. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Fry onion and red pepper until soft and lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Add SPAM strips. Fry until lightly browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Heat tortillas. Spoon SPAM mixture onto tortilla, top with salsa and enjoy. —Stacy Ann Slagor
Peter Rowe writes about food for The San Diego Union-Tribune. Contact her at peter.rowe.name"@uniontrib.com. COPYRIGHT 2009 THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM. 
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