Bethesda Resident Develops Tomato Pastry Recipe, Wins Trip to France

Bethesda resident Laurie Webber will take a trip to Paris soon, thanks to her culinary creation, tomato basil mini pochettes.

Webber created the pochettes—purse-shaped pastries—as her entry into la Madeleine's "Recipe to Paris" contest, which the French cafe chain held to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

La Madeleine received more than 200 recipe entries—all of which were required to use the restaurant's signature tomato basil soup. Nearly 5,000 votes were cast in the contest, according to a restaurant news statement.

"Webber’s recipe pays homage to the fine art of French cooking by combining delicate, buttery layers of puff pastry filled with rich and creamy ricotta, sharp Parmesan and la Madeleine’s famous [tomato basil soup]," the statement reported.

"Webber created the savoury tomato basil mini pochettes after visiting her local [la Madeleine] cafe in Bethesda, MD, one dreary afternoon, when she was immediately inspired to participate in the contest by creating a warm, comforting dish using the tomato basil flavor as the foundation," the statement continued.

Webber tested her recipe with friends and family members, and enlisted help from the community "to drive votes, handing out pochettes to her students, at the dentist’s office and even at the gym. Her three adult daughters also helped, from photographing the dish to perfecting the recipe submission to giving it its name," according to the restaurant.

Webber's grand prize includes a trip for two to the Loire Valley of France, and la Madeleine’s French-born founder Patrick Esquerré will take Webber and her husband of 33 years on a private tour of Paris.

"We were thrilled by the number of creative and innovative recipes we received from our la Madeleine fans," John Cahill, chief operating officer for la Madeleine, said. "We extend warm congratulations to Ms. Webber for her winning recipe."

During the contest, la Madeleine donated $1 to the Children’s Hunger Fund for every jar of tomato basil soup purchased. In all, $11,514 were donated.

"Through the generosity of our guests, la Madeleine is able to help make a difference in the lives of hungry children and join in the fight against childhood hunger," Cahill said.