Blue Moon Appetizers

As More People Entertain At Home, A New Contest Sparks Interest

(NAPSA) – It seems nights on the town have been traded for nights in with friends. Cash-strapped Americans, looking for ways to cut back, have rediscovered the joys of cooking and entertaining at home.
‘This whole idea of staying home and entertaining at home, we’re seeing that everywhere, from the ‘take and bake’ pizza to the $5 movies,’ John E. Fleming, the chief merchandising officer for Walmart, recently told The New York Times.

But maybe the biggest indicator of how budget conscious we’ve become is this: Gourmet magazine, which normally waxes rhapsodic about pricey restaurants, not too long ago added a feature about what to do with leftovers.

That’s right, leftovers.

Of course, there are ways to make leftovers more appealing. For instance, you might dress them up by incorporating phyllo-a flaky pastry dough-into your dishes. A new interactive contest even rewards entrants for the top, most creative phyllo recipes, whether they use leftovers or not.

Running through February 1, 2010, it awards one $5,000 grand prize, two $1,500 first-place prizes and a slew of weekly and monthly prizes. Called ‘Make It Fabulous With Fillo,’ the contest asks entrants to come up with quick, original takes featuring Athens Mini Fillo Shells or elegant recipes that include Athens Fillo Dough.

Recipes are judged by culinary professionals, and bonus points are awarded for including photos and videos. Plus, you can view winners and rate each recipe as it’s added at phyllo.com-with the ultimate fan favorite snagging a $600 prize.

In case you need some inspiration, here’s the grand-prize recipe from Athens’ previous contest:

Blue Moon Appetizers

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Makes15

Ingredients

• 8 ounces softened cream cheese
• 1/4 cup blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter softened
• 2 tablespoon tablespoons chopped chives; reserve 1for garnish
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 ounces prosciutto chopped
• 1/4 cup walnuts lightly toasted, finely chopped
• 15 Athens Mini Fillo Shells 1 box
• 2 tablespoons walnuts toasted, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, blue cheese, butter, 1 tablespoon chives and lemon juice until blended. Add prosciutto and walnuts, mixing lightly. Using a pastry bag, pipe a rounded teaspoon of mix into each shell.
• Garnish with walnuts and reserved chives. Serve immediately.

Notes

For more information, visit www.phyllo.com.