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Community Corner

Garlic Creations Will Duke it Out on the Festival Stage

The two finalists for the 'So You Think You Can Cook With Garlic?' prepare for the big day.

With the Gilroy Garlic Festival just a week away, the two finalists for the new competition, “So You Think Can Cook with Garlic?” are gearing up for the big showdown. After months of uploading videos to the festival Facebook page and asking people to vote, Laurie Figone and Michael Labrador are ready to reveal their garlic creations during the festival's opening day July 29.

“I just can’t wait to cook on the stage. I've never been to the Garlic Festival,” said Figone.

Labrador and Figone both have competed before in other competitions.

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“Last year, I entered the Great Cook-Off and placed third," ” Labrador said. "But you cannot compete in the competition for three years afterward. I just like to cook; my kids love the competition."

Figone competed last April in the Kraft cream cheese recipe contest, “Real Women of Philadelphia.” Her “Lean Green Slaw”, was one of the 80 winning recipes out of 3,000 submitted recipes. Her recipe is on page 86 of the Real Women of Philadelphia cookbook.

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Labrador, who is originally from San Jose and now lives in Los Angeles, is bringing to the stage a family favorite,  “Alchofa Artichokes.”

“It’s fairly unique, and we been cooking it for 20 years," he said. "It has garlic in it three different ways. I like to add pineapple and avocado to it.”  

Figone, who lives in Petaluma, will prepare her “Triple G Almost-Famous Focaccio Bread” to the stage. Her bread is something she loves to make, and it is “delicious.” 

Both of the contestants are practicing making their item before the stage. Labrador is working to stay with the time limit. He has made his recipe on a BBQ pit, but he has to use a stovetop for the competition.

Figone is worried about the heat, she said.

But come 2 p.m. July 29, they will forget about their worries and cook some mouth-watering garlic-infused goodness in Gilroy's Cook-Off Theater.

Watch video of the four finalists.

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