Entering these cooking contests has been a blast! Keeping a contest in mind while cooking challenges creativity and helps to expand boundaries of technique that might not have been breached otherwise. The best thing is, even if you don't win anything, you still get a tasty morsel of food out of it.
I've been lucky lately and recent wins have fueled me to keep going and enter more contests. They're just plain fun :)
Last December, I placed third for Bakepedia's Pumpkin Recipe Contest.
Bakepedia Pumpkin Contest
It was a surprise because the recipe was a total experiment :) I'm a big fan of sweet and savory flavors, so this definitely falls into that category. One of the prizes was some infused olive oils which I've been using and enjoying thoroughly. They include garlic, lemon, rosemary and even coffee flavored. Nudo Infused Olive Oils
Also included was a Christmas Cookie book written by Bakepedia mastermind Dede Wilson. A Baker’s Field Guide to Christmas Cookies This was super fitting because it included a recipe for mushrooms made from meringue!
Here's another contest that turned out well. Cantaloupe Cucumber Appetizer.
Cal. Cantaloupes Facebook The idea of using cantaloupes ribbons came from my friend Jenny who showed me home to make zucchini ribbons to mimic pasta.
Contest Cook is a great place to start contestcook.com They list contests from many different places and it is updated regularly.
- Pick something that interests you naturally.
- Check the rules carefully. It would be a shame to put so much time and effort into a wonderful dish and realize later that you're supposed to use less than 6 ingredients or it was supposed to be prepared in less than 30 minutes, for example.
- Make sure you write your recipe with as many specifics as possible. Include precise measurements, whether something is sliced, diced, etc. Make sure the directions are straightforward and clearly explained.
- Check how the winner is chosen. Many times the contest will give a breakdown of what the judging criteria is. This can be helpful in determining what to make. If creativity and appearance is 75% of the determining factors, your recipe might be different than if it was 75% based on taste. Some contests are determined by popular vote based on the public. If you have a large amount of friends that you can get to vote for you, you might have an edge.
- A beautiful photograph can be a large determining factor. Look at good pictures of food photography and notice what you like about the image. How is the dish plated? What is the background? How much of the food takes up the frame? A nice camera set up is great, but if you don't have that, taking pictures using natural light from a window can produce surprisingly good results. If you have a friend that is a good photographer, maybe offer to split the winnings in order for them to help out.
- Look at previous winners. Sometimes, you can get an idea of what the contest judges are looking for. Are they conservative or interested in things a little more outside of the box?
- Have fun!
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