Cooking contests

[Ham Hock]

Does anybody ever indulge?

I'm doing a chili cook off next weekend, the easy kind of contest. Cook it at home and bring it in a crock pot. Im gonnd do two different versions just for the fun of it. I want to do a black bean and corn chili, never done it but I think I can make it work.

I was in a cooking contest a month ago, I cooked 5 dishes in one day, and I was worn slap out. Didnt win didly either ha ha ha ha. I did meet a lot of folks and had a great time though.

Before that I won first place in a chili cook off, so Im gonna try it again.
I dont even eat chili, almost never. It just aint that hard to make I guess.

[QSis]

I'm a competition BBQ'er, and have been competing for 5 or 6 years. My brother and I compete mainly in the northeast, but we've also traveled to a couple of competitions down south. Lots of work, but great fun!

Lee

[Andy M.]

Lee:

My SO and I went to a couple of BBQ competitions last summer. One on NH and one at the Harpoon Brewery in VT. They are a lot of fun and you learn a lot about BBQ.

[jennyema]

Yes.

Dips. Chicken. Soup.

So far ................

[Poppinfresh]

I used to do BBQ competitions (ribs and brisket), but the lady of the house put the kibosh to the art of spending 5 grand to win a 50 dollar trophy and some bragging rights some time back.

I entered a chili cookoff once, but was way out of my league.

I did however win a large cajun cooking competition--got top honors for my jambalaya. It came with a large enough purse to where I was given permission (erm, I mean demanded, as I'm the man of the house and thusly in charge *looks around furtively*...) to enter something like that again should I so choose.

[Michelemarie]

Good luck Ham Hock!

[mudbug]

I've done the Memphis in May BBQ contest with two different teams, but I'm more of a hanger-on than a useful participant in the important proceedings. I did my share to help set up, drink the beer, and change the Buffett CDs, though. We finished in the top 20 a couple of times.

Also won first AND third place--flourless chocolate cake and Killer Cheesecake (posted here somewhere), respectively--in the office bakeoff contest.

[ironchef]

I'll do local contests or contests sponsored by my hotel, but a lot of it will depend on the type of judges (who they are, background, etc.). There have been contests judged by people with very simple palates that I've both seen and been a part of, and the winners in those contests for the various categories all made dishes that were strongly flavored with either cream cheese or sour cream. Even though say, the star ingredient in the dish should've been something else, the cream cheese and sour cream practically dominated the dish. For that reason I'm very particular about entering/participating in cooking/recipe contests because if the judges don't have a lot of merit and/or culinary background, it will be a waste of my time.

[jminion]

I cook BBQ competitions, have been lucky enough to win a few. Teach competition BBQ and Judging, know my way around a bottle of Jack and can light the right end of a cigar. Love competition cooking.
Jim