A Few More Tips for Cooking Contest Enthusiasts

by Valorie Delp | More from this Blogger

19 Apr 2007 12:31 PM

Earlier this year, our own Catherine Ipcizade shared some tips for entering a cooking contest. If you're seriously thinking about entering any of the contests that I had listed earlier this week, her blog, as well as this one are must read material! Catherine suggested getting creative, keeping it simple, and thinking outside the box. Here are a few more tips to get your recipe contest perfect!

Get Your Own Tester

Ask a friend who is not so handy in the kitchen to try out your recipe. Yes--you read that right. Someone who is not used to strutting their stuff in the kitchen is likely to ask you questions about steps in your recipe. This tester will help you clarify anything that's unclear making it easier for a test kitchen to read and prepare your dish exactly as you've intended.

Cook for Friends--Lots of Them

You can safely assume that anyone testing your recipe and preparing it does not like the same things you like. It is always a good idea to let your friends taste test your recipe. One great way is to take your dish to a potluck. If it is gone, if people ask for the recipe or are wandering around trying to find out who made it. . .you likely have a winner!

Be Specific in Your Wording

Avoid wording like, "one large beef round roast" but instead write something like "1 4 pound roast". Similarly, don't call for a medium onion chopped but rather 1 cup of chopped onion. This will ensure that the tester preparing your recipe adds main ingredients just the way you would.

Be Vague in Your Wording

While you want to be as specific as possible when dealing with main ingredients, being vague about ingredients like herbs, and spices may help suit your dish to the tester's taste. Use wording like "salt and pepper to taste" or "1 to 2 teaspoons of hot sauce depending on desired spiciness."

Plan for Differences in Equipment

Since all kitchen equipment differs, include wording about how a dish should look when it's done. Wording like, "bake until brown an bubbly" will help your testers to make your dish picture perfect!

Read the Rules Carefully

Many cooking contests require you to use a specific ingredients or to be prepared in a certain manner or to be done by a certain time. Make sure that you read the rules carefully so that your winning recipe doesn't get disqualified on a technicality!

Learn more about Valorie Delp

Hello everybody! My name is Valorie and I am one busy lady! When I'm not writing or editing for families, I am busy trying to get my brood of 5 in line.

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Mary Ann Romans (27200) 22 Apr 2007 04:58 AM

What an interesting article!

Valorie Delp (49340) 22 Apr 2007 05:10 AM

Thanks. I'm actually thinking about entering so I've been doing my research!