I saw this on the new books cart and was drawn in by the line "A Woman, A Chicken Dinner, A Million Dollars" on the cover. Having never realized cooking contests carried such large cash prizes, I was intrigued. Did someone really win a cool mill just by cooking some chicken? I had to find out. Mathews starts her memoir by recounting her experiences with some minor cooking contests in her home state of Washington. Talking to some of her fellow contestants, she learns about the Pillsbury Bake-Off, a biennial competition where the contestants are treated "like queens" and a winning recipe can seriously pad your bank account. Mathews describes the process of experimenting in the kitchen, trying to come up with unique and tasty ways to showcase items from a list of various Pillsbury products. It's not long until one of Mathews' back-up recipes, submitted after others she felt more confident about, is selected for the Bake-Off, and Mathews is on her way to Orlando to compete. The last thing she expected was that her Salsa Couscous Chicken would take the top prize.
Knowing that she ultimately wins the contest does not detract from the enjoyment of reading her story. The author comes across as a very sensible, frugal woman, and her honesty about the kind of person she is (i.e., not the type to jump up and down and squeal in excitement, perhaps to the dismay of the Pillsbury P.R. folks) was refreshing. The sneak peek behind the scenes of this big-time cooking contest (imagine 100 ranges/countertops arrayed in a giant hotel ballroom, the smells of chocolate, sausage, tomato sauce, and all manner of vegetables competing for olfactory attention, Alex Trebek wandering around interviewing participants) was really fun to read, and was perhaps better served by Mathews' calm re-telling rather than a gushing, emotional style.
There are touching moments too, as Mathews' granddaughter was born at the same time that she was winning the contest; her descriptions of meeting the infant for the first time are quite sweet. Her account of her appearances on the Rosie O'Donnell show and Oprah provide more behind-the-scenes information and more of her honest reactions to the whole whirlwind of instant fame. This is a quick, fun read, perfect for fans of the Food Network, cooking, or memoirs in general.
