Pursuing Pillsbury: Brentwood man is only contestant from Tennessee in Bake-Off

Tom Piantek's Fiesta Baked Tamales include a beef-and-corn filling encased in a Pillsbury pizza crust and cornmeal instead of traditional masa.

One could say the Pillsbury Bake-Off is a family tradition for Tom Piantek.

"My mother entered the Bake-Off long ago and was fortunate to be selected as a finalist multiple times," says the resident of Brentwood, Tenn.

So when the Pillsbury Bake-Off gets underway Monday morning at the Omni Hotel in Nashville, Piantek will be stirring, cutting, rolling dough and doing his best to win the $1 million prize as Tennessee's sole finalist.

He created his dish, Fiesta Baked Tamales, using a Pillsbury pizza crust and other ingredients needed to meet the Bake-Off rules, but he credits a story from his dad for the inspiration. His father used to talk about growing up in Chicago and remembers how exciting it was for the neighborhood kids to see a vendor pushing his cart down the street, selling hand-rolled tamales.

Tom Piatnek of Brentwood, Tenn., is the state's only finalist in the 2014 Pillsbury Bake-Off.

So earlier this year, when his parents, Tom and Gloria Piantek, came to Brentwood from their home in West LaFayette, Ind., he felt it would be a treat for his dad to get a little bit of flavor from his childhood.

"While not an authentic Chicago tamale, it definitely has the flavor and taste that brought a huge smile to his face," the 47-year-old Piantek says. "My father has always gone out of his way to help me, and any little way I can make him smile is well worth the effort."

And his father was impressed with his cooking "effort."

"He said the tamales were spot on, had several helpings, and loved the idea that they looked just like he remembered."

Even as a boy, Piantek was interested in being a contestant in the Bake-Off, his mother says, especially the so-called Grand March, when all 100 contestants walk in to the Bake-Off Arena. For a young boy, part of the attraction may have been the fact that the finalists are accompanied by a Kitchen Band whose members are banging loudly on pots and pans with kitchen utensils.

"When he was little, he always dreamed of marching in the Grand March, and we can't believe that he is actually going to get the opportunity to make his lifelong dream come true," Gloria Piantek says. "He always loved cooking, baking and creating his own recipes. How thrilled we are that the recipe he created for his dad is his Bake-Off winner."

The nation will find out Monday evening if Piantek is the winner. According to Pillsbury records, since the Bake-Off's inception in 1949, there have been just two grand-prize winners from Tennessee: In 1967, Maxine Bullock of Spring City won for her Muffin Mix Buffet Bread and, in 2002, Denise Yennie of Nashville won for her Chicken Florentine Panini.

Finalists this year come from 32 states, with California heading the list with 17. Piantek is one of only two finalists who live within a couple of hours of Chattanooga; the other is Lise Ode of Cumming, Ga., a northern suburb of Atlanta. The only finalist from Alabama is Joanne McGhee from Dothan.

Since the judging process is done by an outside agency in blind taste tests, Pillsbury officials say they cannot provide an exact number of how many entries were sent in from Tennessee. Suffice to say, however, there were plenty.

"The Pillsbury Bake-Off typically receives tens of thousands of entries for each contest," says Jann Atkins, Bake-Off kitchens manager.

Piantek says he was in "total disbelief" when Pillsbury told him he was a finalist.

"Frankly, I was happy to just enter since it brings up so many family memories and experiences. Obviously, I couldn't wait to tell my parents. My mother thought I was pulling her leg; now I am her cooking legacy at Pillsbury. Hopefully, I can bring home the grand prize that eluded her."

The contest is judged in four categories -- Simply Sweet Treats, Savory Snacks & Sides, Weekend Breakfast Wows and Amazing Doable Dinners -- and the winners in each will compete for the grand prize. The four winners will be placed online, allowing the public to vote for its favorite. The public vote will be combined with the judges' selections to decide the ultimate winner.

For his part, Paintek believes the Bake-Off judges have a harder job than he does.

"Have you ever tried 100 different recipes at one time? I can't fathom the judges' task," he says.

Testing, tweaking

Piantek's dish is entered in the Doable Dinners category and Atkins appreciates the fact that his recipe is an easy dinner solution for busy families.

"Tom's Fiesta Baked Tamales are a fun take on a classic Mexican food staple. The meat-and-corn filling delivers the authentic flavor tamale fans crave," she says. "Yet, Tom's use of Pillsbury Pizza Crust, instead of preparing the traditional masa, means busy families can easily make and enjoy the dish any day of the week."

Piantek is a native of Illinois who moved to Brentwood in 1989 after graduating from Babson College in Massaschusetts. At the time, his parents were living in Tennessee. He is a self-taught cook, but his primary influence was his mother.

"She was always creating some type of recipe ... and was fortunate enough to be selected multiple times for the Pillsbury Bake-Off. I remember watching the Bake-Off on television and seeing Philip Pillsbury marching the contestants and my mom into the baking area. I couldn't wait until I was 12 years old, so I could try to go to the Bake-Off, too. "

But the Pillsbury company pulled a fast one on him. They changed the rules, denying him entry into the coveted contest.

"If someone in your family had competed more than three times, you could not enter again," he recalls. "My mom and our family were disqualified from entering."

Then last year Pillsbury reversed the rules, allowing family members to enter on their own.

"To say I have waited my entire life for this is very close to accurate," Piantek says.

Along the way to the Bake-Off, Piantek, a divorced father of two girls, says he's tweaked the tamales.

"The flavor came together, but making it fairly authentic was challenging," he says. "One added bonus was having a helper. My 2-year-old, Gabby, was there, and she enjoyed the making and eating part. But working with a 2-year-old does not help with the quickness or neatness. At this point in time, I have made the recipe about 15 times."

But you can never practice enough, and he says he'll be making the tamales several more times before the contest.

"Practice, practice, practice," he says. "It is really important."

Fiesta Baked Tamales

1 (10-ounce) box Green Giant Steamers Niblets frozen corn and butter sauce

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup refrigerated taco sauce with seasoned ground beef (from 15-ounce container)

1 can Pillsbury refrigerated classic pizza crust

1 cup medium queso blanco cheese dip (from 15-ounce jar)

1 container (16 ounces) chunky pico de gallo salsa (2 cups)

Nonstick cooking spray

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Microwave corn as directed on box. In food processor, place corn and 1/4 cup water. Cover; process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping sides occasionally, if necessary. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cornmeal until blended.

In small bowl, combine beef and 1/4 cup of the corn mixture; set aside.

Place remaining 1/4 cup cornmeal in pie plate or shallow bowl; set aside.

Unroll dough on work surface; press to form 14-by-13-inch rectangle. With pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut into 4 rows by 3 rows to make 12 rectangles. Spread 1 rounded tablespoon of the remaining cornmeal mixture over each rectangle to within 1/2 inch of edges. Spoon 1 tablespoon beef mixture lengthwise down center of each rectangle to within 1/2 inch of each end.

Bring long sides of dough up and around filling; press edges and ends to seal completely. Gently stretch to about 5 inches in length. Twist both ends of each tamale; loosely tie each end with 5-inch piece of kitchen string, if desired. Lightly spray each tamale with cooking spray. Gently roll in cornmeal to coat. Place seam side down on cookie sheet.

Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, heat cheese dip as directed on jar. Serve tamales warm with cheese dip and salsa.

Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.