Kitchen Next Door

The winner was announced last week, and unfortunately Natalie was not the grand-prize winner, however she came home with a great experience, lots of consolation prizes and a drive to be next year's big winner!

By Tracy Broussard |Special To The Sun-sentinel

Though many of us dream of becoming millionaires, few are lucky enough to be faced with the odds enjoyed by Natalie Albert of Wilton Manors. As a finalist in the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off, Albert has a one in 100 chance of winning seven figures.

This weekend, Albert will compete in Dallas in the contest's Entertaining Appetizers category with her Blue Cheesy Prosciutto Appetizer Pizza. The grand prize winner will receive $1 million, along with appliances. Individual category winners will receive $5,000 and appliances.

While watching the Food Network one day, Albert's sister Andrea saw an ad for the Bake-Off and suggested that Natalie enter. Though Natalie thought it a good idea, she didn't get around to developing a recipe. About six months later, she saw another ad reminding people that the deadline was looming.

It spurred her to action.

A trip to Orlando had provided Natalie with the taste combination she wanted. There she enjoyed a sweet and savory sandwich that "sounded weird on the menu, but tasted so good." It was prosciutto, figs and blue cheese. As Smucker's is one of the contest sponsors, Albert tried many preserves to find the one that paired best with blue cheese. Apricot proved to be the clear winner.

Her first attempt was a pinwheel appetizer that had nice flavor, but was very messy. On her second try, the blue cheese and apricot were overwhelming. In each attempt, Albert used crescent dough as a base. Switching to pizza dough proved the magic move, as evidenced by taste tester Andrea.

Albert entered the recipe, then didn't think much about it.

Working as an event administrator at Foreclosure.com, Albert keeps busy setting up seminars for people interested in real estate investing. During her spare time, she expands her repertoire by taking cooking classes. "Cooking is my hobby," she says, "and I love to learn new techniques."

Albert is taking her first cooking teacher, her mother, Mercedes, to the Bake-Off.

"I was at lunch hour checking my messages when I got the news from Pillsbury that I was a finalist ," says Albert. "I was in my cubicle jumping up and down. I called everyone in my family."

At the contest, Albert will have to make her appetizer three times. The first time is for the judges, who will be sequestered. The second batch is for photographs, and the third is just in case.

Should she win the contest, Albert will use the money to pay off bills, buy a house and maybe take a vacation.

Tracey Broussard is a freelance writer who lives in Hollywood.

Article Source http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/food/sfl-flkitchennextdoor10sbapr10,0,1201934.story