September 26, 2002 at 4:23 PM EDT

Roberta's MoRockin' Mix Unveiled As America's Newest Spice Blend

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NEW YORK, Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- A colorful palette of spices and a little creativity helped one flavor-forward Miami woman invent the winning spice blend in the first-ever McCormick(R) $10,000 Blend to Win Challenge. Today, McCormick awarded the $10,000 grand prize to Roberta Wolfson, who "out-spiced" more than 1,600 other entries to capture the title of grand prizewinner. Roberta's MoRockin' Mix is a savory mixture of North African flavors, such as cumin, coriander, paprika, pepper, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and salt. A limited quantity of Ms. Wolfson's signature spice blend will be available for purchase at select grocery stores in Miami and directly through McCormick.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020926/NYTH148 )

"I am thrilled to be the winner of the McCormick $10,000 Blend to Win Challenge," said grand prizewinner, Roberta Wolfson. "I've always enjoyed experimenting with different spices, but was inspired to create Roberta's MoRockin' Mix especially for a friend who used to live in the Middle East and said that chicken seasoned with this blend reminds him of the time he spent there."

The McCormick Flavor Council -- comprised of culinary stars, Jody Adams, Rialto Restaurant, Cambridge, Mass.; Cat Cora, Postino, Lafayette, Calif.; Tory McPhail, Commander's Palace, New Orleans; Stephan Pyles, the father of Southwestern Cuisine, Dallas; and Marcus Samuelsson, Restaurant Aquavit, Minneapolis and New York -- along with the McCormick Test Kitchens, selected the five finalists and the overall winner in the $10,000 Blend to Win Challenge.

The four runners-up in the $10,000 Blend to Win Challenge were Desert Dust, submitted by Missy Carafa of Broomall, Pa.; Pizza de Resistance, submitted by Bob Gadsby of Great Falls, Mont.; Cumin Get It, submitted by Andrea Howard of Greenville, S.C.; and Casablanca Cafe Blend, submitted by Elaine Sweet of Dallas. Each of the runners-up received $500 and a customized McCormick spice rack.

Finalists were selected based on the following criteria: flavor and originality of the spice blend, use of McCormick spices or herbs, suggested use for the blend, and originality and creativity of the spice blend name.

McCormick & Company, Inc. was founded in 1889 in Baltimore, Maryland, and today is the largest spice company in the world. McCormick sources the finest ingredients from around the globe to bring the highest quality flavors to consumers. For more information about where and how to purchase Roberta's MoRockin' Mix, visit http://www.mccormick.com, or call 1-800-MEAL-TIP (1-800-632-5847). 

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SOURCE McCormick & Company, Inc.

-0- 09/26/2002

/CONTACT: Amanda Hirschhorn, Hunter Public Relations, +1-212-679-6600, ext. 239, ahirschhorn@hunterpr.com, for McCormick & Company, Inc./

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