Table For 2

Chicago Woman Makes The Cut For Bakeoff

Monika Johnson's Orange Marmalade-Chorizo Pizza Takes Her To Pillsbury Bakeoff Finals

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CHICAGO (CBS) ― Chicago music teacher Monika Johnson has combined a symphony of ingredients to create a recipe that has some pretty tough judges singing her phrases.

In this edition of Table for 2, CBS 2's Vince Gerasole introduces us to Johnson, who certainly can make a piano sing, but is also a maestro in the kitchen.

The Wicker Park neighborhood music teacher orchestrated an original recipe which combines sweet and savory tastes, and crisp and chewy textures. She calls it the orange marmalade-chorizo pizza.

"You just don't imagine putting these ingredients together, especially on a pizza," Johnson said.

On her first try, Johnson's kitchen competition has landed her a coveted spot in this year's Pillsbury bakeoff, where the grand prize is a delicious $1 million.

"I never realized the magnitude of the whole bakeoff contest," Johnson said. "It's pretty amazing."

The Pillsbury Bakeoff has been around since 1949, and over the decades, it has become an institution as American as, well, apple pie.

From tens of thousands of entries, 100 finalists are selected to come together and cook up the recipes they've dreamed up using Pillsbury products. Making it that far it's not easy.

"I've tried three times," said recent finalist Kelly Maday of Austin, Texas. "The third time's a charm."

"I started entering when I was 10 and I'm 40 now, so 38 years," said recent finalist Michael Weaver of San Francisco.

"It's what I've always worked for – a bakeoff win," added recent finalist Anna Ginsberg. "I've always dreamed of winning."

Johnson's recipe calls for cooking up bacon and chorizo Mexican sausage before spreading out her ready-made dough.

"It's easy – you just unroll it and it comes out in a rectangle, but it's easy to manipulate it into a circle," Johnson said.

She concocts a pizza sauce out of orange marmalade, parsley and olive oil, spreading it over the dough and partially cooking it for just eight minutes.

Later, Johnson tops the crust with the bacon and sausage, chopped sweet dates, a diced tangy poblano pepper and Monterey jack cheese. Then she bakes it all up in the oven one more time for 12 more minutes.

When asked what she thought the judges would say, Johnson quipped, "I hope they're not vegetarians."

Johnson and her husband are expecting their first child just weeks before the million dollar bakeoff in April, so if the pizza gives rise to that dough, it sure would be music to their ears.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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