Susan Runkle of Walton is on the verge of becoming a dynasty.

        When she left her job at a shipping company at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in 1999, Ms. Runkle decided to turn her cooking interests into a serious hobby: competing in recipe contests.

Susan Runkle of Walton in her home kitchen. (Tony Jones photo) | ZOOM |

        Ms. Runkle found information about the contests on the Internet (www.recipecontests.com) and started mailing off recipes. Last summer, she placed second in the first contest she entered — the Great Gilroy (Calif.) Garlic Cook-Off.

        She won or placed as a finalist in a handful of other competitions, scoring her biggest victory in March in Campbell's Soup's “20 Minute Recipe Challenge.” Her Polynesian Pork Chops recipe earned Ms. Runkle $20,000 and the distinction of being the first consumer to have her photo featured on a Campbell's Soup label.

        Saturday, Ms. Runkle will cook for more cash — $50,000 — at the National Beef Cook-Off in Tucson, Ariz. With her Tuscan Beef & Pesto Pasta, she will compete in the “prepared beef” category against 19 other finalists.

        A native of Great Britain who has lived in the United States for more than 25 years, Ms. Runkle has loved to cook since she was 15. She attended college in France and speaks French and German. A voracious reader of cookbooks and cooking magazines, Ms. Runkle tests edible entries on her husband, Roger, in their modest kitchen.

        She took time out from testing dishes for the 2002 Pillsbury Bake-Off — she will send in more than 25 recipes in hopes of winning the $1 million grand prize — to answer questions about contest strategies.

        Question: Have you always been competitive?

        Answer: “I never really thought of myself as being competitive. I was always more concerned about meeting my own standards. . . . I am very determined, very detailed about things.”

        Q: Do you have a formula for creating contest recipes?

        A: “I look first to see what the parameters (for the contest) are — if you have to use certain products and so on — and try to get a feel for what kind of recipes they're looking for. Whether it's really gourmet things or really quick things. . . . The first thing I do is to go back and see what won last year.”

        Q: In addition to entering several recipes in each contest, what else is important?

        A: “You have to come up with an idea first. You have to visualize what you're going to make. . . . I think the name of the recipe also has a lot to do with it. It has to be eye-catching.”

        Q: How many times do you test a recipe before sending it in?

        A: “Usually only once or twice because once I make it, I know what I'm going to change.”

        Q: Are you nervous the night before a cook-off?

        A: “I'm usually not nervous once I have everything squared away and checked off ingredient lists. But sometimes, that doesn't matter. The night before the Gilroy cook-off, everything in the refrigerator froze and I had to go out and buy groceries again.”

        Q: And if you win the $50,000 Saturday?

        A: If I would be fortunate to win, I think I would like to go back to France and spend some time there.”
       

Mason man cooks for $50,000 prize, too

        Another Tristate resident will take a shot at the $50,000 prize in Tucson Saturday. In his first national contest, Lou Rapp of Mason will compete in the “fresh beef” category with his Mediterranean Beef Steak and Salad Pizza.

        A security worker at GE in Evendale, Mr. Rapp began cooking while working in restaurants as a teen-ager. That experience led him to serve in the mess hall during a stint in the Air National Guard.

        He does most of the cooking at home for his wife and two sons. His family also serves as his guinea pigs for contest entries. They “really liked” the steak and salad pizza, he says. Mr. Rapp believes his dish has a good chance of winning because it's appealing, easy to prepare and fast.

        His biggest challenge when cooking it Saturday?

        “Not to overcook the beef.”

Recipes

Lou Rapp's Mediterranean Beef Steak and Salad Pizza

       1 pound beef round tip steaks, cut í to 1/4 inch thick
        1/2 cup prepared balsamic vinaigrette
       Salt and pepper
       1 package (8 ounces) Mediterranean escarole and leaf lettuce salad blend or European salad blend
        1/2 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers
        1/2 cup crumbled herb-seasoned feta cheese
       4 individual prebaked pizza crusts (4 ounces each; 7-inch diameter)

        Heat oven to 325 degrees. Stack beef steaks; cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1-inch wide strips. Heat 1 tablespoon vinaigrette in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1/2 of beef; stir-fry 1 minute or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. (Do not overcook.)

        Remove beef from skillet with slotted spoon. Repeat with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette and remaining beef. Season with salt and pepper.

        Place pizza crusts on baking sheet. Heat 3 to 5 minutes or until warm. Meanwhile, combine beef, salad greens, peppers, cheese and remaining vinaigrette; toss to combine. Divide salad evenly among pizza crusts. Makes 4 servings.

Susan Runkle's Tuscan Beef & Pesto Pasta

       1 package (16-17 ounces) refrigerated fully-cooked boneless beef pot roast with gravy
       8 ounces uncooked corkscrew pasta
        3/4 cup sliced ripe olives
       1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-by- 1/4-inch strips
       1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with roasted garlic, undrained
       3 tablespoons prepared basil pesto sauce
        1/2 teaspoon pepper

        Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and keep warm. Meanwhile remove pot roast from package; transfer gravy to large saucepan. Cut pot roast into 1/2-inch pieces; add to saucepan. Reserve 1 tablespoon each: olives and bell pepper strips.

        Add tomatoes to saucepan; bring to simmer. Stir in pesto and remaining olives; simmer 7 minutes. Stir in remaining pepper strips and pepper; simmer 5 minutes.

        Combine beef mixture and pasta in serving bowl; toss well. Top with reserved olives and pepper strips. Makes 4 servings.

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