As always, a word from the judges followed by the final results.  Our judges this week have a lot to say, but dont skip it! there is some great stuff in here.  Congrats to everyone!

_______________________________________________________________________

Judging

Aleta of Omnomicon

When approached to judge this month’s Foodie Fight, I was all like “Hm . . . ramble on and on on someone else’s blog? Sign me right on up, Mister!” And that brings us to Cauliflower and Raspberry, and here we are discussing the results of this tricky little challenge.

Aleta’s Winner: Kara Cooks (+300)

Dear Kara,

YES I AM SO WITH YOU RE: RASPBERRY SEEDS!! I do enjoy raspberries, but ugh, those seeds! In my lovely lovely dish! Get em the eff outta there! Straining the puree earned you like, say, maybe 31 brownie points.*

Also, 7.5 points* for healthiness. Because I think pretty much all of us could afford to learn how to eat more veggies.

<3, Aleta.

*PS: brownie points do not win foodie fights, they simply assign meaningless values to my enthusiasm toward something.

So even without catering to my strange, needlessly-emphatic preferences, Kara’s Cauliflower and Radish Salad with Raspberry Dressing sounds heavenly. Simple enough to enjoy all the flavours, a good use of radish, which usually gets thrown haphazardly into a green salad just because it’s around, and a commendable medley of simultaneously-seasonal vegetables! Come August (when it looks like cauliflower comes to New England), I’ll definitely remember this.

Aleta’s Runner-Up: Saucy Apron (+100)

Muffins! Oh! One of the most perfect foods invented! I’ve never been pregnant, but I have definitely had one of those Muffins NOW Saturday mornings. I’m interested in this “cornbreadish flavor without a cornbread texture” description. I hate dry muffins, so I shy away from cornmeal in general, but the flavour would add a nice dimension to the rest of the muffins.

And for the record, hands-down the title Flowerberry Muffins had me declaring it the cutest title ever. Hands. Down.

As for the others? There was a wide array of approaches to the same ingredients, and they all deserve a good long gander.

The studious cook

I love the idea of letting the raspberries sweeten the souffle ever-so-slightly, and cardamom! A very bold but endearing move on your part. The studious cook gets the “Way to Own It” award, courtesy of one Miss Meadowlark.

Loving Rice

The Fresh Rolls Dok Kha Lam w/raspberry ginger dipping sauce is a clever way of bringing foods from your exotic origins to the local palate! I love love spring rolls, and the thought of a raspberry-ginger sauce is just divine.

Eat a Beet

What a charming idea! I’m always a fan of sweet-meets-savoury, and the purple cauliflower made for some really lovely layering. And then you used the word “macerate” in your instructions. Even awesomer.

Burning Pasta

Here is a truly elegant dish that will no doubt impress a girl or guy into a second date. And with cauliflower no less. Neal’s the kind of guy who’s good at sneaking veggies into desserts, and there’s a very applaudable subversion to that.

Ethan from Brake for Bread

The key to Battle Cauli-Razz for me was watching how the bloggers bridged the flavors of the cauliflower and the raspberry. It’s a unique combination, requiring special attention and respect for each ingredient while finding a way to connect the two. Everyone did a great job, but two dishes stood out for me.

Ethan’s Winner: Burning Pasta – Duck with Habanero-Raspberry Pique and Caramelized Cauliflower Arepa (+300)

Quite frankly, I’m not a huge duck person, but I would order this dish at a restaurant. The habanero with the raspberry was a great bridge to the heartiness of the cauliflower and duck. This was a well thought out dish that layered a lot of flavors but managed to bring interest and connection to the two secret ingredients. The mirrored textures of the arepa and duck (crispy outsides, with creamy/soft interiors) and the sweet heat of the pique really drive it home.

Besides being a great dish, it was a wonderful blog entry, with very helpful step by step instructions and photos, and a guide for timing the many elements. Overall, the post made a complex dish feel very approachable.

Ethan’s Runner-up: Eat a Beet – Triple Layer Cauliflower and Raspberry Mini Cheesecakes (+100)

I’ll admit to being initially thrown off by the “cheesecake” idea, but as I read the recipe it had an almost soufflé quality to it’s savory character. It just sounds like a really well put together dish that would make a wonderful appetizer. The vinegar and lemon with the raspberry layer is a nice bridge to the ricotta and cauliflower. Plus, I’m a sucker for homemade cheese. Overall, a great food blog post.

Kara Cooks – Cabbage and Radish Salad with Raspberry Dressing

No doubt this was a delicious and refreshing salad. I would imagine it would be fantastic at a spring BBQ.

 Loving Rice – Fresh Rolls Dok Kha Lam, with raspberry ginger dipping sauce

I love the freshness of the spring rolls and the addition of the ginger in the raspberry sauce. I also applaud your diligent seeking, even pantomiming, in order to procure the two main ingredients! Nice commitment to the contest.

The Saucy Apron – Don’t Mess With Me Muffins

I’m certain my kids would love these. What a great way to get some veggies into a picky kid’s diet!

The Studious Cook – Raspberry Cauliflower Soufflé

The addition of cardamom to the soufflé sounds like a great, creative way to bridge the sweet-savory divide. I also appreciated the honesty in the post (i.e. who liked and didn’t like the dish).

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

Results!

Winner: Burning Pasta - Duck with Habanero-Raspberry Pique and Caramelized Cauliflower Arepa 297+300=597!

Runner Up: Kara Cooks - Cabbage and Radish Salad with Raspberry Dressing 8+300=308…. plus 38.5 “brownie points” which you may redeem at omnomicon for rainbow brownies. (rainbrowies?)

The Saucy Apron - Don’t Mess With Me Muffins 49+100=149

Eat a Beet - Triple Layer Cauliflower and Raspberry Mini Cheesecakes 24+100=124

Loving Rice - Fresh Rolls Dok Kha Lam, with raspberry ginger dipping sauce 43

The Studious Cook - Raspberry Cauliflower Souffle 23

 

Thanks again and good job to everyone!  Now that I have moderated 2 battles in a row, its time to step back and let Nick to be your host next week.  remember you can still signup for battle #4 TBA wednsday May 27th, and as always, check out the hall of fame to see the rankings!!!