Cookoffs, contests & competitions with food

[McDuff]

I once got a third prize in the Bay's english muffin contest for a recipe I had never even made. I called it River Barrow Salmon and Bay's English Muffins and it was toasted muffins, smoked salmon, red onion, poached egg and a chive beurre blanc. when it appeared on their recipe folder they changed the beurre blanc to blender hollandaise.

I also just finished in the middle of the pack in an internal Whole Foods pastry competition. Had to ship three ice cream cakes from Boston to NYC in a big foam box I have used to transport wedding cakes. Put some pathetically small hunks of dry ice in the bottom, even tho they weighed 24 lbs total, put in the cakes, popped on the top and stuck it in the freezer for someone to pick up and take down. They arrived so solidly frozen they couldn't be cut.

[Carlovski]

Last year I showed up to my university's chili cookoff with a couple pounds of top-quality chuck, a variet of whole and ground dried chiles, and a sack of masa harina.  I started cooking before anyone else even arrived, and ended up producing a really top-quality (and expensive) chili.

Of course, my only competition turned out to be two guys with hamburger, canned beans, and chili seasoning packets.  I won the $25.

Though I do have to mention that their chili, in its own way, was just as tasty or tastier than mine, especially when endowed with lots of shredded cheese and sour cream.

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Actually I've noticed that a lot of 'Prize winning' chili recipes I've seen on the web (We don't really have Chili cookoffs in the uk - shame!) seem to use a LOT of proprietary and canned ingredients.

[Cusina]

This is a first for me. I entered Velvet Cauliflower Soup with Gruyère (thank you to SLKinseys thanksgiving feast for the inspiration) to the Cooking Light Ultimate Reader's Recipes contest.

link!

It was an interesting experience. Selecting a recipe was difficult as you have to include their sponsors. My first choice recipe was for a fruit dish (mulled cider compote), but most of the sponsors are savory items and the dish doesn't have a dairy component. I also found, once I chose a dish, that the way my recipe was written didn't cover all the bases they wanted in the rules. I had to add a lot of details that I normally would leave out or to the discretion of the reader.

Anyone else done the contest thing? Anyone win? I remember a thread a while back about a chicken recipe contest... anything come of that?

[Mayhaw Man]

Here is a good thread about cooking contests.

Good Luck! Let us know about developments as the process moves ahead.

[Abra]

I have a cooking contest question that I hope is ok in this thread. Do all contests require that you relinquish all rights to your recipe once you submit it? I hate to let a great recipe go forever and not win a thing or get any attribution for the recipe.

[chezcherie]

I have a cooking contest question that I hope is ok in this thread.  Do all contests require that you relinquish all rights to your recipe once you submit it?  I hate to let a great recipe go forever and not win a thing or get any attribution for the recipe.

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most seem to require a waiver relinquishing rights once you get through some of the elimination rounds. (the cooking light one is one of those--finalists complete a form doing so.) your mileage may vary.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Do all contests require that you relinquish all rights to your recipe once you submit it?  I hate to let a great recipe go forever and not win a thing or get any attribution for the recipe.

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Recipe Contests website

See what you find here ... and I think each contest has its own rules on who keeps the original recipe ...

[Jaymes]

Actually I've noticed that a lot of 'Prize winning' chili recipes I've seen on the web (We don't really have Chili cookoffs in the uk - shame!) seem to use a LOT of proprietary and canned ingredients.

Well then, sounds like things are ripe for beginning one. Do you belong to any clubs that do fundraising? Perhaps Rotary, or a school PTA or something? Clubs are always looking for good and new ideas. Suggest a chili cookoff.....

[andiesenji]

I won a chili cookoff sometime in the mid-to-late 80s, shortly before I moved up here.

There were several baking contests back in the early 80s that I won or placed in the ribbons with various breads and rolls.

I won a "dessert made with Knudson heavy whipping cream" contest - it was simply my own lemon curd mixed into whipped cream and served in margarita glasses with a slice of lemon decorating the glass and a tiny bit of lemon zest sprinkled on top with a single mint leaf for contrast.

The judges all stood around and watched while I demonstrated how I made my lemon curd (after the contest) and all asked for the recipe.

One of my competitors, who had made quite an elaborate dessert, cherries, shaved chocolate and other stuff I can't recall, but came in second, was a bit miffed that my "simple" concoction had won.

I also won a hot sauce competition back in the days when the hot sauce enthusiasm was just beginning. I think it was sponsored by Rosarita, but after all these years I can't say for certain.

Some of the prizes were cash, the Knudson one was cash and a bunch of vouchers for free dairy products.

One of the bread-baking contest prizes was a set of specialty baking pans, cylindar, pullman, French and a covered round pan. I still have them all, although they are now a little beat up.

I can't recall any other prizes, nothing memorable.

[FistFullaRoux]

I won a Cub Scout merit badge for blue cinnamon rolls... I used a Pillsbury bake-off recipe and added blue food coloring because we were studying the senses in school at the time. At the "public" tasting afterward, it was informative to see everyone pass up a perfectly good baked item just because the color was wrong.

And I almost made it onto The Weakest Link on the strength of a food question. (What 1970's New York Yankees star had a candy bar named after him?) I was told to be ready to travel during September. This was in 2001.

[Cusina]

I think I did relinquish my publishing rights in submitting my recipe, which is why I didn't post it here. That did give me a little pause, but I decided to go ahead anyways. I think my next book deal/food TV contract is a LONG way off.

And thanks for posting those thread links. I knew there had been others but wasn't very successful in searching.

[Moopheus]

I think I did relinquish my publishing rights in submitting my recipe, which is why I didn't post it here.

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Given the lack of protection copyright law gives to recipes, as discussed on other threads, that blah-blah about letting them adapt, publish, etc, is pretty meaningless. The fact that they'll use it without attribution is not good recipe etiquette, but hardly surprising in this case. Also, I note that they say they you will let them publish, not that you agree not to publish it yourself. You aren't necessarily granting them an exclusive right.

Edited January 7, 2005 by Moopheus (log)

[jgm]

In 1967, I won a blue ribbon in the 4-H cherry pie contest. I was in sixth grade. I'd been watching Mom bake pies for years, and decided to try it. The worst of it was producing a recipe with actual measurements--the pie crust recipe handed down in our family doesn't use measurements. We just eyeball it.

Everything went well during the piemaking stage, until I got the top crust on, edges crimped, and realized I had forgotten to put butter on top of the cherries. My mom always said it takes away bitterness. So I used a table knife to lift up the edge of the crust, at the vent I'd cut, and slipped the butter in with another table knife.

In the critique, one of the judges wrote, "You certainly seemed to know what you were doing." It was the 3rd pie I'd ever made.

[Cusina]

I think you are correct, thanks for transcribing the fine print for me.

I was thinking about this... I kind of did it on a whim assuming I won't win as a fun diversion. Is there a strategy to it? What makes a "winning" recipe?

[pam claughton]

This is a first for me.  I entered Velvet Cauliflower Soup with Gruyère (thank you to SLKinseys thanksgiving feast for the inspiration) to the Cooking Light Ultimate Reader's Recipes contest.

link!

It was an interesting experience.  Selecting a recipe was difficult as you have to include their sponsors.  My first choice recipe was for a fruit dish (mulled cider compote), but most of the sponsors are savory items and the dish doesn't have a dairy component.  I also found, once I chose a dish, that the way my recipe was written didn't cover all the bases they wanted in the rules.  I had to add a lot of details that I normally would leave out or to the discretion of the reader.

Anyone else done the contest thing?  Anyone win?  I remember a thread a while back about a chicken recipe contest...  anything come of that?

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Good luck with the contest. The recipe sounds great, just from the title. Cauliflower is big right now, especially w/cheese.

Pam

[legourmet]

I have a cooking contest question that I hope is ok in this thread.  Do all contests require that you relinquish all rights to your recipe once you submit it? 

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Normally not, except there is a remark in the rules of competition. I participated in several cooking contests and just two required to give the rights away when winning the contest. This occurs especially in competitions where a specific manufacturer of food ingredients is the sponsor of the award. If you win a price in any other cooking contests the recipe will be published in journals or in TV-shows.

[suzilightning]

Anyone else done the contest thing? Anyone win? I remember a thread a while back about a chicken recipe contest... anything come of that?

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[Gifted Gourmet]

Other examples of people who won cooking contests are all within this thread .. scroll back and you'll be able to see them all!

So, suzilightning, which are you entering in the NJ Cooking Contest:

Tomato, Corn, or Blueberry??

Share your best New Jersey corn, blueberry or tomato recipe with us, and you may see it published in next summer’s issue of New Jersey Countryside.

[suzilightning]

So, suzilightning, which are you entering in the NJ Cooking Contest:

Tomato, Corn, or Blueberry??

Share your best New Jersey corn, blueberry or tomato recipe with us, and you may see it published in next summer’s issue of New Jersey Countryside.

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[Gifted Gourmet]

I was thinking about this... I kind of did it on a whim assuming I won't win as a fun diversion.  Is there a strategy to it?  What makes a "winning" recipe?

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So, let's examine, if one possibly can even do such a thing, what does make a recipe a "winning" one?

What are the factors which combine to produce that certain je ne sais quoi?

Anyone have a theory?

[suzilightning]

So, suzilightning, which are you entering in the NJ Cooking Contest:

Tomato, Corn, or Blueberry??

well, i got a registered letter from New Jersey Countryside saying my recipe was selected as the winner in the tomato category.

they also say i need to set up an appointment to be photographed, interviewed and bring all my recipe ingredients and the completed dish. hell, if i had known this i wouldn't have even entered. i don't want to be photographed and don't particularly want to go somewhere in in central jersey(i am assuming) schlepping my ingredients and a finished product. i wouldn't even make this dish at this time of the year.... anyone want to pretend they are me?

[Busboy]

So, suzilightning, which are you entering in the NJ Cooking Contest:

Tomato, Corn, or Blueberry??

well, i got a registered letter from New Jersey Countryside saying my recipe was selected as the winner in the tomato category.

they also say i need to set up an appointment to be photographed, interviewed and bring all my recipe ingredients and the completed dish.  hell, if i had known this i wouldn't have even entered.  i don't want to be photographed and don't particularly want to go somewhere in in central jersey(i am assuming) schlepping my ingredients and a finished product.  i wouldn't even make this dish at this time of the year....  anyone want to pretend they are me?

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Congratulations! Do we get to see the recipe?

[suzilightning]

So, suzilightning, which are you entering in the NJ Cooking Contest:

Tomato, Corn, or Blueberry??

well, i got a registered letter from New Jersey Countryside saying my recipe was selected as the winner in the tomato category.

they also say i need to set up an appointment to be photographed, interviewed and bring all my recipe ingredients and the completed dish.  hell, if i had known this i wouldn't have even entered.  i don't want to be photographed and don't particularly want to go somewhere in in central jersey(i am assuming) schlepping my ingredients and a finished product.  i wouldn't even make this dish at this time of the year....  anyone want to pretend they are me?

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Congratulations! Do we get to see the recipe?

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thanks. i have to email a contact at the magazine and ask if i can put it up on recipegullet - and of course give it to maggie for her soup experiment

[TongoRad]

well, i got a registered letter from New Jersey Countryside saying my recipe was selected as the winner in the tomato category.

they also say i need to set up an appointment to be photographed, interviewed and bring all my recipe ingredients and the completed dish.  hell, if i had known this i wouldn't have even entered.  i don't want to be photographed and don't particularly want to go somewhere in in central jersey(i am assuming) schlepping my ingredients and a finished product.  i wouldn't even make this dish at this time of the year....  anyone want to pretend they are me?

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FWIW, I've been there before and I think I can relate a bit to how you're feeling. The thing is- in time you'll feel less self-conscious and nitpicky about how you look in print and eventually you'll come to see what a nice keepsake you and your family have. And congratulations! I also look forward to seeing the recipe.

[Abra]

Congratulations, Suzi! Tell us how it goes.

On the attribution question, I just want to give a great recent example of the opposite effect. A friend recently told me that a recipe of mine appears in Crescent Dragonwagon's Passionate Vegetarian. I was dumbfounded, but it's true. Crescent got it from a post of mine on another online cooking community that we both frequented abut 8-9 years ago, tweaked it a bit, put it in her book, and named me as the source. I was astounded, and happy to see the recipe again, since I'd forgotten all about it. It was very good, as I recall, and now I can make it again. She sure didn't have to attribute that recipe, and I thought it was very classy of her.