$10,000 Grand Prize on the Line in 2nd Annual Hood® New England Dairy Cook-Off™

LYNNFIELD, Mass., July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- HP Hood announced today that it has begun accepting recipe submissions for this year's Hood^® New England Dairy Cook-Off™ presented by Hood Sour Cream. Now in its second year, the contest gives amateur cooks from all over New England a chance to compete in Portland, Maine, for a $10,000 grand prize.

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All you need is a tasty recipe that features one or more eligible Hood dairy products. To enter, log onto HoodCookOff.com and submit your recipe by September 30, 2010.

"Last year we received great recipes from across New England that featured Hood products in creative ways. Some entrants celebrated the heritage of their state while others took a new twist on old favorites," said Lynne Bohan, Hood spokesperson. "We can't wait to see what this year's cooks come up with."

Hood will select five semifinalists from each of the six New England states to compete head-to-head at the Cook-Off being held at the Ocean Gateway terminal in Portland on October 30, 2010. Billy Costa, host of New England Cable News' (NECN) "TV Diner," will once again emcee the finals, and highlights from the Cook-Off will be broadcast on "TV Diner" at a later date.

The recipes will be divided up into five categories: breakfast/brunch; soups/chowders; appetizers/side dishes; lunch/dinner (entree); and dessert. Each recipe submitted must include at least one of the following Hood products: Hood Sour Cream, Hood Milk, Hood Simply Smart^® Milk, Hood Cream, Hood Country Creamer^®, Hood Cottage Cheese, Hood Buttermilk, Hood EggNog or Hood Calorie Countdown™.

A panel of celebrity judges, including Hood's very own celebrity chef, Rick Tarantino, will select the winning dishes based on taste appeal, presentation/appearance, and creativity/originality.

Each of the 30 semifinalists selected to attend the cook-off will receive a prize of $100. One finalist will be selected from each category to compete for the $10,000 grand prize. Those finalists who do not win the Grand Prize will each receive $500.

Last year, Katherine Stetson, of Bath, New Hampshire, won the $10,000 grand prize for her Apple Butter Aebleskivers with Maple Chantilly.  

For more information on the Hood New England Dairy Cook-Off, please log onto HoodCookOff.com. For more information on Hood, please log onto Hood.com or become a fan of Hood at Facebook.com/hphood.  

About Hood

Founded in 1846, today Hood is one of the largest branded dairy operators in the United States.  Hood is the number-one dairy brand in New England, and Hood's portfolio of national and super-regional brands and franchise products includes Hood, Kemps, Crowley Foods, Simply Smart, Heluva Good, LACTAID®, BAILEYS® Coffee Creamers, HERSHEY'S Milk and Milkshakes, Fiber One® Cottage Cheese and Blue Diamond Almond Breeze. For more information about Hood, please visit www.Hood.com.

SOURCE HP Hood