As a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Felice Bogus has eaten her share of Italian food. But as a resident of the Tar Heel state for the past 17 years, she enjoys Southern food, too. A combination of these cuisines played a role in her winning recipe submitted to our Simply Real, Simply Delicious with California Raisins recipe contest. Her Sweet Stuffed Sicilian Pork Loin takes its cue from the Sicilian classic, Braciola, beef rolled around a stuffing of breadcrumbs and parsley. To salute her adopted state, she substituted pork for beef, added spinach and pine nuts and tossed in a good dose of raisins, providing a sweet counterpart to the prosciutto, also in the filling. “I would have grilled it, too, but then we wouldn’t have the delicious pan sauce.”
Felice has been a finalist in a number of recipe contests across the country. She lives in Raleigh, N.C., with her husband and 11-year-old daughter.
Watch this video of Felice making the pork loin and see her winning recipe:
We loved so many of the submitted recipes we couldn’t pick just one! Here three more fantastic recipes from the contest:
First Runner Up
Golden Raisin Rounds with Orange-Laced Brown Butter Icing
Recipe by Barbara Estabrook, Rhinelander, Wis
Second Runner Up
Amazing Glazed Chicken in Romaine with Asian Raisin Relish
Recipe by Janice Elder, Charlotte, N.C.
Honorable Mention
Raisin-Oat Orange Muffins
Recipe by Hazel Nute, Tacoma, Wash.