Contest Countdown: They Draw and Cook's Third-Place Pick

By: npadavick
They Draw & Cook

The Dish is teaming up with Nate Padavick and Salli Swindell, founders of They Draw and Cook, all December to share holiday recipes rendered by artists and inspiring all sorts of seasonal cooking with Food Network chefs. Each day, stop by the Dish for a new drawing and Nate and Salli's liner notes about the illustrations and the artists. Tell us which you like and why. A dollop of this, a dash of that and some talent add up to interesting ideas in the kitchen. Visit theydrawandcook.com for more info.

As we come to the final days of our month-long celebration of artistically illustrated holiday recipes, it's time to recognize (and reward!) four artists whose recipes represent all the good things we love about drawing and cooking at holiday time. We at They Draw and Cook will reward four artists with cash prizes totaling $2,000, to be announced here today through the 31st. Because Salli and I love all the recipes you've seen this month we could never in a million years pick favorites! So, we asked our friends at Weldon Owen Publishing (they will publish the upcoming They Draw and Cook book, available next fall) and here at the FoodNetwork.com to be the judges. From a batch of 250 holiday recipes, they picked four top favorites.

Today, we'd like to congratulate Paula Pertile, an illustrator from California, for being our third-place winner. Paula will receive $300 from They Draw and Cook for her wonderful ahortbread illustration. The judges told us that they loved the cuteness (reindeer with apron), humor (reindeer listening to music while the shortbread is baking) and simplicity (such an easy recipe to follow!) of this illustration. They also loved the sweet story this conveys through Paula's use of the happy reindeer family all helping out and enjoying this holiday treat. Her color palette and exquisite hand-lettering were the icing on the cake, or, in this case, shortbread cookie.

Come back tomorrow to see who the 2nd place winner will be.Meantime, check out FoodNetwork.com for great New Year's recipes.

—Nate Padavick & Salli Swindell from They Draw and Cook.

Next Up

16 Third-Culture Cookbooks That Will Change the Way You Cook

Discover inspiring ways to fuse flavors and explore identity through food, one recipe at a time.

Sweepstakes and Contests

Get all the latest updates on sweepstakes and contests from Food Network, our sister sites and our sponsors NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN

How to Pick a Watermelon

Our top tips for picking and buying summer’s quintessential fruit, whether you're picking it fresh off the vine or off the grocery store shelf.

Picnic Picks for Dad's Special Day

Put a spin on timeless, picnic-ready recipes that Dad is sure to love.

FoodNetwork.com Staffers' Mother's Day Recipe Picks

What should you make this year to truly spoil Mom? Get some inspiration from FoodNetwork.com staffers and our varied Mother’s Day traditions.

Editors’ Picks: Pantry Staples That Are Worth Upgrading

Keep these stocked for five-star meals, no matter what else you’ve got on hand.

How to Cook Asparagus

Try roasting, sauteing, grilling and more to bring out the flavor in this crowd-pleasing vegetable.

How to Cook Liver

Rich and tasty, this nutritional superstar is a one-pan wonder that cooks in minutes.

How to Cook Turnips

Three easy, delicious ways to cook this tasty root vegetable. Plus, what to do with turnip greens.

How to Cook Ham

All your ham questions, answered — including how long to cook it and how to carve it.