So, just to reiterate, the other day (Friday, in fact) I proposed a contest to eat adventurously this weekend. "The entry with the most outrageous, most creative account will win," I said.

And so our three entrants are as follows: Caitlin and her fiddlehead ferns, Lisa (not the Lisa I know) and her triad of entries (Martha Stewart Souffle, Banana Nut Bread, and Maple Syrup Candy) [her commentary was sent via e-mail] and I'll share some of that here:

My friend Jesse has been talking about maple candy for a while now, so I told him
if he would buy me the syrup, I would be more than happy to try and make it for
him. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. The first one burnt and
was a total failure, but not to be defeated, I tried again, and it turned out
wonderful. Actually, it turned out more like carmel than the maple candy I grew
up with, but its still really good.

Alas, our winner is the third entrant---and I think you'll all agree that despite the admirable ambition of our first two entrants, Shari's Hamster Tribute (El Dia de Los Hammies) is way deserving of a cookbook accolade:

I really enjoyed reading her account. Especially where she attempts to grind a clove on a grater:

Her final hamster arrangement is surely as much of a feast for the eye as it is for the mouth:

So congrats, Sheri! You're our first Amateur Gourmet contest winner! [Oh, and as per her request, her prize will be Diana Kennedy's "My Mexico." Enjoy!]