Cooking Contest Tips

I spent Labor Day in Florida with my mom and dad and my sister Shelley and her family.  Whenever we are together, the conversation naturally turns to food and recipes.  We come from a long line of foodies.  My great grandmother taught adult education cooking classes and my mom is a best selling cookbook author. 

My sister's girls, were very interested in the cooking contests at the Iowa State Fair.  One of the questions they asked me was, if all the recipes I judged for the contests tasted good.  I hate to say, the answer to that question is, NO!  Most of the dishes I tried were delicious, but there were a few that tasted terrible. 
Below are a few tips for entering a recipe contest:

1. Always taste what you are cooking.  This sounds like a no brainer, but I know some of the dishes I tried in the contests, had not been tasted before they brought it in to be judged. 

2. Make something unique or put an unusual twist on a classic dish.  This will make your recipe stand out from the crowd.

3. Read the contest rules and follow them exactly.  Your recipe can be disqualified if you do not follow the rules.

4. When you are writing your recipe, be sure to list all of the ingredients and amounts used.  Make the directions clear and easy to understand.

5. Garnish your dish.  We eat with our eyes first.  Put it on a pretty plate (check the contest rules) and garnish it with edible items to make it look special. 

Check out my blogging buddy, Bo's Blog (say that three times fast),Bo's Bowl.   Not only does he have great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.
  
Also check out my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!