Progresso/Michael Chiarello Giveaway and Thanksgiving Tips

The chef´s secret is out – panko is in! A longtime secret of Japanese cuisine, panko is now a pantry staple. Use it for creating perfect crispiness in any dish. This October, Lemon Pepper will join the ranks of Progresso´s line of panko bread crumbs, which includes Original and Italian flavors.  You all know how I love panko!

Whether frying, baking or broiling, this culinary superstar adds a flavorful crunch to create simple, savory recipes. Made from the soft, tender centers of the bread, Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko combines the perfect crunch with effortless flavor to give any dish that extra punch. The large, flaky crumb has a coarser texture than traditional bread crumbs, delivering a lighter, crunchier coating or topping.

Chef Michael Chiarello

A chef known for his emphasis on creating delicious dishes with fresh, premium ingredients. Chef Michael Chiarello uses panko as his go-to bread crumb for a crunch that won´t quit. An Emmy-award winning TV chef and cookbook author, Chef Chiarello is the tastemaker behind Bottega Napa Valley Restaurant, NapaStyle and Chiarello Family Vineyards. He appears on The Cooking Channel and Top Chef Masters only on Bravo.

Chef Chiarello is helping cooks everywhere use Progresso´s panko to make flavorful, flawless recipes including Crispy Seafood Salad, Mama Chiarello’s Stuffed Eggplant and Turkey Scallopini and Squash Ravioli with Cranberry Brown Butter.
Visit the Progresso website for additional recipes, tips for cooking with panko, video and a coupon for $1 off any panko flavor.

“Panko has been a major part of some of my best crunchy dishes for years,” says Chef Chiarello. “It´s exciting to bring those dishes home, where some of the best dining memories are made. To me that´s what cooking is all about – sharing meals with your friends and family, and the memories you get to keep for a lifetime.”

Sweepstakes and Giveaway

Additionally, be sure to check out the Progresso’s Wine & Dine with Chef Michael Chiarello Sweepstakes. Now through December 31st, participants can enter for the chance to win a trip for two to Napa Valley. You’ll attend the Spring Bud Break Party, an annual dinner and wine tasting event taking place on May 7, 2011. In addition to two tickets to the party, the grand prize also includes roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations. Visit www.progressobroth.com for the sweepstakes rules and entry form.

Today I have a gift pack for one lucky reader. It includes one package of Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko and an autographed copy of chef Chiarello´s new cookbook: Michael Chiarello´s Bottega.  This information and giveaway were all given to me from General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment telling me what type of dish would you create with Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko?  I think it would be perfect to bread any type of fish or even chicken.  You have until Sunday Nov 21 at midnight (MST) to enter.

I also had the opportunity to interview Chef Michael Chiraello this week.  Unfortunately, they had some problems with the audio and you can’t hear me.  However, you can hear all the tips and tricks that Chef Chiraello had to share, with me and all of you.  He really had some great ideas.  So check out the video.  And thanks to Chef Chiraello for taking the time to share your tips with my readers!