By Elizabeth Butler
VALDOSTA — A Valdosta woman not only celebrated her 40th high school reunion this weekend, but she also captured the Grand Prize in the 40th anniversary Valdosta Daily Times Taste-off, becoming the lone person to have won four Grand Prizes.
Teresa Steinberg, a member of the Valdosta High School Class of 1968, teased that she was going to go out and buy herself a lottery ticket with the numbers 4-4-4.
Steinberg landed the top prize of $300 and a basket of gifts from Hahira merchants with Teresa’s Butter Pecan Cake in the contest Saturday at Valdosta Technical College.
“I was speechless,” she said shortly after her historic win. “I am tickled pink. This was such a blessing. I owe it all to the good Lord above.”
When Steinberg made the cake (along with another chocolate cake) for the birthday of their oldest son, Jamy, in April, her husband, James, said, “This is a Grand Prize winner. It’s better than your caramel cake, and that is top shelf.”
Steinberg used the pecans which came from Orchard Hill where their youngest son, Billy, lives, for the frosting.
“My grandchildren (Kayleigh, 8, Jake, 5, and Will, 6) and I picked them up,” she said. “I was teaching them the value of money.”
With the money she receives from her Grand Prize, she plans to buy a Kitchen Aid mixer and more cookbooks, including “Just Desserts,” the only cookbook by Paula Deen that she doesn’t own.
“Desserts and breads are my specialty,” she said. “I learned to cook from my grandmother, (the late) Gertrude Williams, and my mother, Irma Lou Sherwood.”
Steinberg also garnered a second place in meats with her Barbecue-Rubbed Pork Loin With Raisin-Mustard Chutney.
Grand Prize Runner-Up and winner of $200 was Debbi Hart with her Spinach-Asiago-Chicken Quiche in vegetables. Hart also landed a third place in appetizers with Pineapple-Apricot-Gorgonzola Crescent Appetizers.
Creative Design Winner and recipient of a gift of cookware from Belk’s was Jennifer Mills with the presentation of her Key Lime Tart With Raspberry Sauce.
Creative Design Runner-Up and winner of a beautiful gift from Valdosta Greenhouses was Monique Nagel of Mayday with the presentation of her Garlic-Herb Birds Nests.
Taresa Hancock of Adel captured first place and a basket of gifts from Summit Point merchants in the Cake Decorating contest celebrating the 40th Anniversary. Mark Starr was second place, Sam Malpass, third, and honorable mentions went to Joyce Ganas and Holly Malpass.
A mother and son team won two of the nine categories — Priscilla Greene of Adel captured first place in meats with her Stuffed Tuscan Chicken With Roasted Red Bell Pepper Remoulade while her 8-year-old son, Drew, took first place in the children’s category.
Three sisters won the top three places in cookies & candies — Ellen McCarthy was first with Cuban Lunch Candies, Claire Spriggs was second with White Chocolate Key Lime Calypso Bars, and Marie Wood was third with Oh! Chocolate Banana Bars. McCarthy also landed second place in diet foods with Thai Lettuce Wraps With Cilantro, and Spriggs had a third place in salads with Warm Steak and Potato Salad.
The fourth sister, Lydia Keene, captured the salads category with Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp Salad.
First-time participant in the Taste-off Penny Ray of Nashville got the judges’ attention in appetizers with her Hot Cheesy Shrimp Dip and won the category with Marie Wood coming in second with Warm Turnip Dip.
Sandra Harrell got almost a perfect score — 24 out of a possible 25 — with her Key Lime Bread in the breads category. Sandra Di Pietro was second with Wheat-Free/Gluten-Free Banana Bread followed by Jennifer Vance with Sour Cream and Herb Muffins. Vance also landed second places in both salads with Chicken Salad with a Peanut-Lime Vinaigrette and desserts with Cranberry Cupcakes with Dulce De Leche Pecan Frosting.
Betty Becton was second to the eventual Grand Prize Runner-up in Vegetables with her Pineapple Casserole followed by Deanna Smith with Raspberry-Glazed Beets with Chevre. Smith also won third places in both meats with Pork Loin Chops with Pear-and-Vidalia Pan Gravy and diet foods with Pork Pot Pies with Corn Pudding Crust.
Verna Looney landed third place in desserts with Seven-Layer Red Velvet Cake while her 10-year-old granddaughter, Tiffany Hicks, was second in the children’s category followed by 13-year-old Lauren Reed of Hahira with Cream Cheese Chippers.
Teresa Davis of Homerville, participating in the Taste-off for only the second year, won the diet foods category with Farmer’s Market Salad.
For a complete list of the Taste-off participants, see the accompanying list — as well as a page of pictures Tuesday from the Taste-off.
The 40th Anniversary Cookbook will be a part of the July issue of Valdosta Scene magazine.
• THE WINNERS
Grand Prize Winner
— Teresa Steinberg
Teresa’s Butter Pecan Cake
Grand Prize Runner-Up
— Debbi Hart
Spinach-Asiago-Chicken Quiche
Creative Design Winner
— Jennifer Mills
Key Lime Tart With Raspberry Sauce
Creative Design Runner-Up
— Monique Nagel of Mayday
Garlic-Herb Birds Nests
Cake Decorating Celebrating the 40th Anniversary
— Taresa Hancock of Adel, first place
— Mark Starr, second place
— Sam Malpass, third place
Honorable Mentions
Joyce Ganas and Holly Wheelis
Appetizers
— Penny Ray of Nashville, first place
Hot Cheesy Shrimp Dip
— Marie Wood, second place
Warm Turnip Dip
— Debbi Hart, third place
Pineapple-Apricot-Gorgonzola Crescent Appetizers
Honorable mentions
— Rhonda Watston, Hot Crab, Artichoke and Spinach Dip by Rhonda Watson
— Monique Nagel of Mayday, Garlic-Herb Birds Nests
Salads
— Lydia Keene, first place
Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp Salad
— Jennifer Vance, second place
Chicken Salad With Peanut-Lime Vinaigrette
— Claire Spriggs, third place
Warm Steak And Potato Salad
Honorable mention
— Ellen McCarthy, Chicken, Couscous And Dried Fig Salad With Toasted Almonds
Breads:
— Sandra Harrell, first place
Key Lime Bread
— Sandra Di Pietro, second place
Wheat-Free/Gluten-Free Banana Bread
— Jennifer Vance, third place
Sour Cream and Herb Muffins
Honorable mentions
— Debbi Hart, Cranberry Orange Scones
— Teresa Steinberg, Bayou Yam Muffins
Vegetables
— Debbi Hart, first place
Spinach-Asiago-Chicken Quiche
— Betty Becton, second place
Pineapple Casserole
— Deanna Smith, third place
Raspberry-Glazed Beets With Chevre
Honorable mention
— Claire Spriggs, Elegant Asparagus Casserole
— Monique Nagel of Mayday, Spiced-Up Spuds
Meats
— Priscilla Greene of Adel, first place
Stuffed Tuscan Chicken With Roasted Red Bell Pepper Remoulade
— Teresa Steinberg, second place
Barbecue-Rubbed Pork Loin With Raisin-Mustard Chutney
— Deanna W. Smith, third place
Pork Loin Chops With Pear-And-Vidalia Pan Gravy
Honorable Mention
— Claire Spriggs, Awesome Orange-Honey Chicken
Desserts
— Teresa S. Steinberg, first place
Teresa’s Butter-Pecan Cake
— Jennifer Vance, second place
Cranberry Cupcakes with Dulce De Leche Pecan Frosting
— Verna S. Looney, third place
Seven-Layer Red Velvet Cake
Honorable Mentions
— Jennifer Mills, Creamy Key Lime Tart With Shortbread Crust and Raspberry Sauce
— Taresa Hancock of Adel, Expresso Chocolate Cheesecake
Cookies & Candies
— Ellen McCarthy, first place
Cuban Lunch Candies
— Claire Spriggs, second place
White Chocolate Key Lime Calypso Bars
— Marie Wood, third place
Oh! Chocolate Banana Bars
Honorable Mentions
— Jennifer Vance, Cherry Limeade Cookies
— Deborah R. Rehberg, Almond Toffee Bars
Diet Foods
— Teresa Davis of Homerville, first place
Farmer’s Market Salad
— Ellen McCarthy, second place
Thai Lettuce Wraps With Cilantro
— Deanna Smith, third place
Pork Pot Pies With Corn Pudding Crust
Honorable Mentions
— Priscilla Greene, Chocolate Raspberry Tart With White Chocolate Cream
— Carol Herndon, Low-Fat Pineapple Cheese Pie
Children’s Recipes
— Drew Greene, 8, of Adel, first place
Chocolate S’more Pie
— Tiffany Hicks, 10, second place
Luscious Bubble Bread
— Lauren Reed, 13, of Hahira, third place
Cream Cheese Chippers
Honorable Mentions
— Olivia Nagel, 13, of Mayday, Best-Ever Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake
— Jamie Flythe, 11, of Hahira, Jamie’s Quick and Easy Brownie Delight
