Quick Take
Some 24 home cooks and bakers entered recipes in a contest to mark the Capitola landmark’s 45th anniversary, with first prize going to a concoction that stood out for its creativity, use of multiple Gayle’s products, ease of assembly and overall deliciousness.
This story was originally featured in this week’s Lily Belli on Food newsletter. Be first the first to hear about food and drink news in Santa Cruz County — sign up for Lily’s email newsletter here and text alerts here.
… Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria celebrated its 45th year in business on Feb. 14. In honor of its anniversary, the Capitola bakery hosted a contest for recipes that use its products, and two dozen longtime customers sent in submissions.
On Friday, I helped judge the entries with owner Gayle Ortiz and fellow local food writer Tara Walker, who writes the Quick Bites column in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. We were impressed by the passion of the 24 home cooks and bakers who entered, but one recipe stood out for its creativity, use of multiple Gayle’s products, ease of assembly and overall deliciousness: Karin Anderson’s Pickle Bread. In her recipe, Anderson hollows out the center of a Gayle’s baguette and stuffs the center with one of Gayle’s cream cheese spreads and a whole dill pickle, then slices the baguette for a quick and tasty appetizer. As a pickle lover, I was delighted by this idea and can’t wait to bring it to a dinner party, where it’s sure to at least spark conversation.
Second place went to Paula Woods for her Banana Cream Pie with Gayle’s Peanut Butter Cookie Crust, and Liz Malone took home third place for her Oatmeal Cookie Granola. Honorable mentions were given to Carol Elsworthy for her White Chocolate Mango Cinnamon Sugar Downtowner Croissant Pudding and Nan McDonnel for her Ooh-la-la Overnight French Toast.
A booklet containing all of the recipes submitted to the contest, including the winning pickle bread, will soon be available at Gayle’s. Visit gaylesbakery.com for more information.
