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The Internet's premier Web site
dedicated to competitive cooking and recipe contests
Established in 1997
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Welcome to the Cooking Contest Central Hall of Fame. This page is dedicated to those cooks who have strived to pique the palate -- and garner large cash prizes -- by creating the recipes that win the contests.
So, raise a mixing spoon in honor of these dedicated recipe contesters.
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Camilla Saulsbury
2008 Inductee
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Camilla Saulsbury: I grew up in California
and started cooking when I was very little; my first cookbook had all of the
recipes set to familiar songs, cementing the idea in my little head that cooking
is a lot of fun. I found CCC a few decades later in January 1999; I had recently
had two recipes published in the readers’ sections of magazines and, inspired by
my $20 wins (a fortune in graduate school) searched the web for other contest
listings. From there I started sending in recipes to a variety of small
contests; the thrill of any little win, honorable mention, free potholder, or
coupons was enough to keep me going. But it wasn’t until I made it to the finals
of the Build a Better Burger Contest that fall, where I met seasoned contesters
Julie DeMatteo, Wolfgang Hanau, Patricia Schroedl and Francis Benthin, that I
found out about the “world” of contesting. I was both terrified and excited
about joining the ranks, but also hooked from then on out. Contesting has had
such a profound influence on me that it actually led to my changing careers
(from sociologist to food writer). I have met so many wonderful people through
contesting, but I owe the greatest thanks to Betty and Ady for running this
website and quite literally changing my life.
NOTABLE WINS:
• $100,000 National Chicken Cook-off (2005)
• $50,000 Build a Better Burger Contest (2006)
• $25,000 Ultimate Recipe Showdown—Cookies (2008)
• $20,000 “What Do You Do with Your Pace” Salsa Contest (2002)
• $10,000 Post Selects Brunch Contest (2001)
• Grand Prize, Better Homes & Gardens Annual Readers’ Recipe Contest (2002)
• Grand Prize, Gilroy Garlic Festival (2000)
• Grand Prize, Vegetarian Times Soy Contest (2000)
• Grand Prize Steinfeld’s Sauerkraut Contest (double win in desert & entrée
categories) (2006)
• Finalist: Cooking Light Cook-Off 2005, Southern Living Cook-Off (2002 & 2004),
Build a Better Burger (1999),
National Cornbread Cook-Off (2002), Food Network
Seafood Cook-Off (2005), PBS Masterchef (2001)
FAVORITE WIN: The Gilroy Garlic Festival Cook-Off. It was my first
cook-off win and, because it’s a short drive from where I grew up, my entire
family was in the audience to share it with me.
FUNNIEST WIN: A case of pickled beets. According to my husband “beets are
never a prize.”
BIGGEST CONTESTING THRILL: Meeting Roxanne Chan at the 2005 National
Chicken Cookoff. Roxanne and I are from the same hometown (Albany, CA). My
mother and I had been Roxanne devotees decades before I knew anything about
contesting because her recipes were routinely featured in my mother’s two
favorite magazines, Better Homes & Gardens and Sunset (she still has about
twenty of Roxanne’s clipped recipes in her recipe box). As it turns out, Roxanne
is even more wonderful than her brilliant recipes.
ADVICE: If you’re new to contesting, enter the small contests first; the
odds are in your favor and getting any kind of acknowledgement will spur you on.
Don’t be afraid to re-use favorite flavors or flavor combinations if they have
worked for you in other wins (and/or if you simply think they are great). For
example, if your innovative spin on Indian food worked in a rice contest, try
the same flavor profile in a chicken, burger, or (hey, why not?) a cookie
contest (chocolate chip cookies with curry anybody?).
FORUM NAME: Camilla
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Jenny Flake
2007 Inductee
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Jenny Flake- I was born and raised in AZ. I’ve been married for 10 years
and have 2 cute little boys. I didn’t get started cooking until about 7 years
ago when we moved into our first new home. I had no idea what I was doing so I
watched A LOT of Food Network and started reading and collecting cookbooks. Come
to find out, I really enjoyed it. Late 2003 I came across a Pillsbury Bake-off
that was shown on Food Network. After watching the show, I was completely
motivated to try to make it as a finalist in the next bake-off. I spent hours
researching past bake-offs online and got to working on my creations. I could
hardly believe I was chosen as a Finalist in 2004. It was an experience I’ll
never forget and have been contesting ever since. I am so glad I fell into this
fun hobby, I have met so many great new friends and find it challenging and
exciting!
NOTABLE WINS:
• Finalist in Pillsbury Bake-off 2004, 2006.
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Finalist Build a Better Burger 2004, 2nd Place Winner in 2006.
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Grand Prize win for Bays “Pizza Pronto” contest 2004. Won $500 Gift Card to
William Sonoma
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Grand Prize Win for Mama Mary’s Pizza Contest 2004. Won Disney World Trip and
$5000
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Finalist in National Cornbread Cook-off, 2005.
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GP Finalist in Tillamook AZ Regional Mac and Cheese and 2nd Place Winner @
National Cookoff 2006.
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Grand Prize Win for Stir the Pot with Harry Soup Contest 2006.
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Grand Prize Win for Elsie’s Borden Cheese Contest, 2006. $5000 kitchen make-over
and Chef Dinner
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2nd Place Win for Cooks Like A Californian Chicken Contest, 2006. Won $1500
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Grand Prize Win for Light and Tasty Bountiful Brunch Contest April/May 2007. Won
$600
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Finalist in National Chicken Cook-off, 2007.
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Grand Prize Winner for Martha White Cornbread Cookoff for April 28th, 2007.
Recipe: Chicken Taco
Cornbread Wedges with Ranchero Cilantro Drizzle. $5000 and
a 5 Star stainless steel gas range
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Finalist for the Food Network’s Ultimate Recipe Showdown Comfort Food August
2007
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Finalist and Category Winner for Southern Living cook-off 2007 $10,000
BEST SURPRISE WIN: During my first year of contesting, I created a pizza
recipe for the Mama Mary’s Pizza Contest and sent it in on a whim without trying
it out. First, I won as a Semi-finalist and then later found out I won the Grand
Prize for a trip to Disney World and $5000. My family thought I was joking.
ADVICE: Don’t let your losses get you down. Turn right back around and
focus on another contest. Aside from large cook-offs, don’t be afraid to
enter recipes that you haven’t practiced in the kitchen. Some of my best wins
have come from recipes that were just cooked up in my mind! Also, find a system
that will keep your contesting organized. Whether it be on the computer or on
paper, keep it organized!
FORUM NAME: Jenny Flake
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Anna Ginsberg
2006 Inductee
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Anna Ginsberg won the BIG ONE which was a thrill not only for her and her family but for all her friends at CCC
as well. Walking away with the Million Dollar prize at the 2006 Pillsbury
Bake-off was something that Anna had been working on for a long time. The
Austin, TX homemaker is a very experienced contester. For Pillsbury, she won the Grand Prize in the "Cooking for Two" category with her baked chicken with spinich stuffing that used a package of Pillsbury Dunkables, frozen waffle sticks, to make stuffing and used the syrup that comes with the waffles as a sauce. She created the recipe specifically for the Bake-off.
Anna said she began her cooking career when she wasn’t much older than Emma, as a 6-year-old daughter. She was a "latchkey kid" who had to be home alone each day until her parents returned from work. She grew up in Houston and San Antonio and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin.
As for her Pillsbury winnings: She said, "I am so amazed at all this money, I'm not sure what to do with it. The first thing she bought was a new curling iron and some star fruit. "It's still kind of a shock to think I could buy
anything I want. Our little joke before the contest was that if I won, I'd buy my daughter a bouncy house like they have at Toys R Us. So that was the first thing we did when we got home."
" My daughter will start school in the fall and before this I was thinking about going back to work. Now I don't have to. Maybe I'll use some of it to remodel my kitchen so I can use all the new appliances I won. Right now, it's just too much to think about, so I'm just going to bake some cookies.
"Her advice for fellow contesters is to send in a lot of recipes.
"I usually send about 50 to Pillsbury, 30 to Southern Living and between 1 and 5
to others," she said. "For the California Raisins contest, though, I just sent
one.
"Also, try to do something creative. I like to eat out a lot and really study what the chefs are doing because they are always on the cutting edge of trends.
Then I try to do it at home, but make streamlined versions using foods that are prepackaged or in a mix."
NOTABLE WINS: Last year, she netted $10,000 in the California Raisins
contest and recently won $500 in the "Mix It Up With Betty," a Betty Crocker
contest using cake mix and $2,500 in a cheesecake contest. These
were in addition to the Million Dollar prize at the 2006 Pillsbury Bake-off
noted above.
FUTURE BAKE-OFFS: "I guess my career with Pillsbury is over now," she said. "I've been working at winning this one for a long time. It's the biggest, after all. But once you win, you can't enter again."
Our bet is we will be hearing from Anna for a long time to come.
ADVICE: "Send in a lot of recipes"
FORUM NICKNAME: Anna
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Michaela Rosenthal
2004
Inductee
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Michaela Rosenthal is a Montana native who has lived in California for more than 25 years, and she comes from a family of good cooks -- one of those "rare" Californians (no pun intended) that repares beef 3-4 times a week. Not surprising, since she grew up on a ranch.
Michaela started entering contests in the spring of 2004, after a friend bought her a copy of "COOK-OFF: Recipe Fever in America." She entered two recipes and was called a few weeks later and told she was one of eight people out of North America to qualify. She went to Gilroy, California for the annual Gilroy Garlic Cook-Off and met Diane Sparrow and other members of CCC that she read about in the book. "I couldn't believe it!" she says. "One month I was reading about these ladies in a book, and the next month I was eating dinner with them!"
Obviously, she has the touch. In just a few months since she began contesting, she has been a prize-winner in several national contests.... "If someone would have told me the course of events my life would take this spring, since I started entering contests, I would have never believed it!" she says.
NOTABLE WINS: Finalist, Gilroy Garlic Festival, 2004; First Place, Lindsay Olives, 2004; First Place, McCormick "Spice for All Seasons," 2004; Semi-Finalist, Lawry's Healthy Grilling Contest, 2004; Winner, Kaiser Bakeware Monthly Contest, 2004; Honorable Mention, Better Homes & Gardens Monthly Contest, 2004; Honorable Mention, Empire Kosher Poultry, 2004.
BEST SURPRISE WIN: A couple of years ago I was having a fancy (expensive) sit-down dinner party for 10 people. Right before I was to start serving the first course, I noticed that the tip to my chef's knife was missing!!! Not finding it on the cutting board, I was forced to throw the whole dinner out. I was devastated, having cooked for two days!... We ended up ordering take-out.
ADVICE: "Believe in yourself"
FORUM NICKNAME: Michaela
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Joyce Sproul
2003 Inductee
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Joyce Sproul started entering recipe contests more than 20 years ago. The first time she entered a recipe contest, Joyce won a designer scarf for her recipe in a La Choy contest. Joyce used their bean sprouts in a spice cake recipe, which, she says, tasted very much like a carrot cake. That, as they say, is history. Over the next two decades of contesting, Joyce has won prizes from Quaker Oats, Tropicana, Kraft, Woman's Day, Family Circle, Hotel Sofitel, Florida Beef, Kretschmer, Campbell Soups, Swift-Eckrich, Weight Watcher's, Dunewood Wines and Progresso Soups... among others.
NOTABLE WINS: Finalist, Pillsbury Bake-Off, 1984 and 2002; Finalist, in three Delmarva Chicken Cook-Offs; "Best Under 300 Calories," National Beef Cook-Off, 1988; "Best Microwave Category," National Beef Cook-Off, 1991; Finalist, National Beef Cook-off, 1993; Finalist, National Chicken Cooking Contest, 1991, 1995 and 1999; Grand Prize, Florida Egg Cook-Off, 1987; Grand Prize, "Pace Pick Up The Pace" Recipe Contest, 1988; Grand Prize, Rice-A-Roni, 1999; Grand Prize, Blue Bonnet "Bake it Better" Contest (cookie category), 2001.
BEST SURPRISE WIN: "Just before the deadline in a sandwich contest, I hurriedly sent in a recipe without testing it," Joyce said. "I didn't have much hope of winning but several weeks later I was surprised to receive a letter informing me that I had won the Grand Prize consisting of a range, a dishwasher,a refrigerator, a microwave, and a washer and dryer.
ADVICE: "Remember the three Ps: Persistence, Patience and Positive Thinking."
FORUM NICKNAME: Joyce
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Elaine Sweet
2003 Inductee |
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Elaine Sweet began entering recipecontests toward the end of 2000. The first national contest she entered was for Knorr's Seasoning, and she ended up winning one of the First Prizes. That was all it took to hook her into this fun hobby. The first cook-off she was a finalist at was the Spice Islands Cook-Off in March 2002 in Napa Valley, Calif.
"I'm a CPA by profession," she says. "It wasn't enough to just cook the books. My husband has always been very supportive of my contesting. I love to cook and to experiment and Milton loves to eat!"
NOTABLE WINS: First Place, 2001 BlueBonnet Bake It Better Contest -- Cake category; First Place, 2001 Cookshack Smoker Contest; First Place 2001 Chile Pepper Magazine; First Place 2001 Kraft Diabetic Choices; First Place, 2002 Reynolds Pot Lux Cookware Contest; Grand Prize, 2001 Dare Crackers 15 Minutes of Fame; Finalist, 2002 Spice Islands Cook-Off; Finalist, 2002 McCormicks Blend to Win Challenge; Finalist, 2002 Gilroy Garlic Festival Cook-Off; Grand Prize, 2002 Elvis Style Seasoning; Grand Prize, 2002 Favorite Name Brands Recipes Casserole Contest; Finalist, 2002 Nestle USA Best Dressed Meals; Finalist, 2003 Louisiana Original Hot Sauce; Finalist (Texas), 2003 National Chicken Cook-Off.
FUNNIEST PRIZE: "The Certified Angus Beef Commission was a big sponsor of the 2002 Olympics. I won a quarterly prize from them that included a cowbell made out of Norwegian artillery. Fortunately, my husband is a schoolteacher and that cowbell has a place of prominence in his classroom."
ADVICE: "As of everything, do your best. Stay current with food trends and incorporate these trends into your submissions. Be brave in your usage of spices and combinations of ingredients. If I really tried hard on a particular contest and didn't win, I'll go back and study the wins to try and understand what the judges were looking for"
FORUM NICKNAME: Elaine
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Beth Royals
2002
Inductee
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Beth Royals has been passionate about cooking and baking for as long as she
can remember. Her parents encouraged her participation in the kitchen and she
made the association early on that cooking for others is an act of love and the
best way she knew to give of herself. She began baking with her 4 year old son
and as a result stumbled upon an ad for a "Cooking with Kids" contest.
When she won the grand prize in early 2002 she was immediately hooked on
contesting. "I'd always enjoyed developing my own recipes and experimenting
with different taste/texture combinations, so I felt contesting might be a good fit."
NOTABLE WINS: Grand Prize Winner, 2002 Nick Jr. Magazine's Cooking with
Kids Contest; Grand Prize Winner, 2002 Carr's Cookie Contest; Finalist, 2002
America's Greatest Cheese Lover Contest; Grand Prize Winner, 2002 Gilroy Garlic Festival; Winner, 2002 Richmond Times-Dispatch Deviled Egg Contest; Finalist, 2002 Southern Living Cook-Off; 1st Place, 2002 Keebler's Top-it-and-Win Contest; Winner, 2002 Richmond Times-Dispatch Perfect Pound Cake Contest; Grand Prize Winner, 2002 Ukrop's Supermarket Holiday Recipe Contest; Third Place, 2002 Child Magazine's Cookie Contest.
FAVORITE PRIZE: "My favorite trip was to the Gilroy Garlic Festival where I was able to see my sister who lives on the west coast. My favorite prize was a glass cake
dome with a hand-painted saying on it from an interview I'd done with our local food editor: 'Life is like a piece of cake, even when it's bad, it's good'".
ADVICE: "Take a look at past winning recipes for a particular sponsor and analyze what they all have in common. Do the titles have a gourmet ring and include complex ingredients or do they lean toward homestyle recipes with minimal steps/ingredients? Don't be let down if you don't win. In the worst case you may have come up with a dish that will become a family favorite for years to come."
FORUM NICKNAME: Beth Royals
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Nikki Norman
2002 Inductee
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Nikki (Peden) Norman entered her first recipe contest at a county fair in Kentucky when she was 14 years old. "I was thrilled to have my picture in the local newspaper showing 16 ribbons I’d won for cooking, knitting and crocheting," said Nikki. She had no idea magazine and newspaper articles and photos, guest speaking, and numerous television appearances would become a regular part of her life today due to winning cooking contests. In recent years Nikki’s also collected over 100 ribbons / awards from state and regional fairs and local cooking contests; plus wins in competitions sponsored by
Quaker Oats, Wesson Oil, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, The Orlando Magazine, Old Farmer’s Almanac, Newman’s Own / Good Housekeeping, Martha White, Pillsbury, Old Bay Seasoning, and others. "I think once you mastered the basics of 'contesting' it’s like riding a bicycle: You never forget what it takes to win!" Nikki said. "Today one of the greatest pleasures I derive from cooking contesting is encouraging other home cooks to join the fun!"
NOTABLE WINS: First Place, B. Smith Entertaining With Style Contest, 2002; Finalist, Showtime/Lawry’s Soul Food Cook Off Contest, 2002; Second Place, Adirondack Life Magazine’s Maple Recipe Contest, 2002; Finalist, Frank’s RedHot Party Tips Contest, 2001; First Place, Accent BBQ Challenge Contest, 2001; Runner-up, Aunt Nellie’s “Beet” The Clock Recipe Contest, 2001; National Finalist, PBS MasterChef USA, 2000; First Place, Florida Springfest Recipe Contest, 2000.
UNUSUAL PRIZE: A piece of handmade pottery for serving maple syrup. "I appreciate having an original work of art from a famous potter," Nikki said. "It’s a beautiful piece I keep prominently displayed in my kitchen."
ADVICE: "Remember this is just a hobby, not a career. It shouldn’t define your life.... You won’t win every contest you enter, nor should that be a goal. Maintaining a fun and casual approach brings more contesting success, personal fulfillment from the process, and a hobby to be nurtured and enjoyed for a lifetime."
FORUM NICKNAME: Nikki Norman
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Carolyn Collins
2001
Inductee |
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Although she always enjoyed cooking, Carolyn Collins never considered entering a cooking contest until March 2000 and read about the Pillsbury Bakeoff. "I decided right then and there that I would enter the next one," she says. She logged on to the Bakeoff Web site and asked around if anyone knew when the next Bakeoff was... and ended up being directed to CCCentral. Carolyn began entering cxontests on a regular basis in August 2000 and she's been winning ever since. "I was surprised at how quickly I had my first win and how much fun it was!" she says. And it didn't take long for Carolyn to make it to the Bakeoff either... she was a 2002 Finalist.
NOTABLE WINS: Grand Prize: 2000 National Catfish Institute; Third Place, 2000 mom-mom.com; First Place, 2000 Quaker Oats; First Place, 2001 Kretschmer Wheat Germ; Finalist, 40th Pillsbury Bakeoff.
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Sally Sibthorpe
2001 Inductee
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With 20 years of contesting under her belt, Sally Sibthorpe knows what it takes to win. And that experience can help in a pinch when you might have to make do with whatever you can find.
"I’ve entered cooking contests at my state [Michigan] fair for 19 years," Sally said. "I got 'hooked' on contesting after winning a pie-baking contest there that qualified me for Crisco’s 1989 National pie-baking contest.
"I was amazed at the win, because my first attempt didn’t come out, and I barely had enough time to make a second pie before I had to leave for the fair," Sally said. "The pie was just out of the oven, and my daughter held it with potholders in front of the car’s air conditioning vents so it would cool enough to set before judging, and we raced away to the fair."
NOTABLE WINS: Grand Prize, 2001 Mama Mary’s; First Place, 2001 Colavita and Good Seasons; First Place, 2001 Hershey's 'Sugar & Spice' Recipe Contest (Breads and Desserts); Third Place, 2001 "It Hasta be Pasta" Contest; Runner-Up, 2001 Comstock "Familiar Faces" contest; Third Place, 2001 Ducane "Cooking with Kids" contest; Finalist, 2001 Pillsbury Bakeoff; Finalist, 2001 Great Australian Barbeque; Finalist, 2001 National Dandelion Festival; Third Place, 2001 Chili Pepper Magazine Contest; Third Place, 2001 Colavita "Better Than Butter" contest.
MOST INTERESTING PRIZE: "A pink stuffed pig from Sweet Baby Rays. I didn’t win a prize in their contest, but they thought the recipe was interesting enough to send me the piglet as a consolation prize."
ADVICE: "It’s the law of averages... enter enough contests, and you’ll eventually win something."
FORUM NICKNAME: Sally
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Terry Ann Moore
2001 Inductee
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When her daughter, Amanda, was 4 and the state fair was only 3 miles away, Terry Ann Moore figured entering a recipe contest seemed like a good way to liven up the first slow week of August. For several years, Terry and "Mandi" enjoyed the fun, food and friends as well as the occasional ribbon or prize. Mandi, now in college, grew out of that phase years ago, but for Terry, it was just a start.
Months after entering her first national contest, Terry got a call from a PR representative who said Terry had won First Prize -- a trip to Cancun! Terry says she almost hung up on PR rep. "I'd forgotten I'd entered -- or maybe I just never thought my recipe would win -- and thought she was trying to sell me a time share!" Terry said. After that win, though, she was hooked on contesting.
Most folks who know her, know that Terry specializes in baking, but she enjoys other areas of cooking as well. She won't admit to which products they are, but she's had a bit of success winning contests that involve cooking foods she doesn't particularly care for herself.
Fairs, festivals and other local contests have always been some of her favorite competitions, because she enjoys meeting others who enjoy cooking creatively. Over the years, she and husband Bob have found that making new friends is the best part of contesting.
NOTABLE WINS: Finalist, Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1996, 1998 and 2000; Grand Prize Winner, 2001 National Oyster Cook-Off; Grand Prize Winner, 2001 Blue Bonnet "Bake It Better Contest (Cake Category); First-ever Club SAF "Baker of the Month"; First Place, 2000 Woman's Day/NutraTaste "How Sweet It Is" Contest; Third Place, 2000 Better Homes and Gardens "Century Stand-Outs" Contest; First Place, Mushroom Festival Cook-Off in 1998, 1999 and 2000; Third Place, 2000 Merry-Chino Cherry Recipe Contest.
MOST INTERESTING PRIZE: "Perhaps the year's supply of sauerkraut -- four cases of jars, some of which were broken when they arrived! Or maybe the case of delicious peanut products from the Peanut Festival. And so many wonderful trips to places we never would have gone but for contesting."
ADVICE: "Stay positive, enter as many recipes in as many contests as you can -- you never know what the judges are looking for. Most important of all, remember that any recipe your family enjoys is a winner regardless of what the judges say."
FORUM NICKNAME: TerryAnn
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Claudia Shepardson
2000
Inductee
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Oct. 18, 2000, marked Claudia Shepardson's one-year anniversary of entering cooking contests. On that day a year ago, she entered one recipe online to the Pillsbury Bake-Off (on the day of the deadline.) She was selected as a finalist and flew out to San Francisco for the Bakeoff and "one of the most exciting events of my life." Little surprise then that Claudia became hooked on cooking contests, and with great enthusiasm she began entering a lot of them. But by summertime, dozens of entries yielded nothing but a $10.00 lobster certificate, an apron, a tee shirt, and a baking pan. "I was about ready to give up, thinking I was destined to be a one-shot wonder," she said. But, with encouragement from her husband, Claudia decided to stick it out for a whole year. Over the course of the next few months, Claudia won the Grand Prize in the USA Rice Council's contest, then spent the fall traveling to Lynchburg, Tenn., as a Jack Daniels winner and Napa Valley, Calif., as a Sutter Home finalist. Needless to say, Claudia has decided to give contesting another year.
NOTABLE WINS: Finalist, 2000 Pillsbury Bakeoff; Grand Prize winner, 2000 USA Rice Council "Rice to the Rescue" contest; Grand Prize winner, 2000 Jack Daniels "The Secret is in the Sauce" contest; Finalist, 2000 Sutter Home "Build a Better Burger" contest; Grand Prize, 2000 Knorr¹s Sauces "Make Summer Delicious" Contest; First Prize winner, Rice-a-roni Chicken and Rice Contest.
THE BIGGEST PRIZE: "Even more valuable to me than the prizes are the new friends I have made, both through participation in the cook-offs and through the Internet as a result of Cooking Contest Central's Forum. This has to have been the most exciting year of my life!"
ADVICE: "You can't win if you don't enter. Don't let what seems to be staggering odds stop you. Your chance is as good as anyone else's. 2) Be patient. It may take some time to get your first win, but if you quit, it might be just before your big break, and the thrill of that first win is not something you would want to miss."
FORUM NICKNAME: Claudia
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Lisa Keys
2000 Inductee |
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Lisa Keys entered her first cooking contest when she was in 9th grade. It was sponsored by her school's French club and she won the grand prize. That was in 1972. She didn't enter another recipe contest until 1990 when she became a finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-Off with just one entry. "That win changed my life forever," she says. "I discovered a new hobby and lots of new friends.
NOTABLE WINS: Finalist, 1998, 1994 and 1990 Pillsbury Bake-off; Finalist, 2000 Snow's Clam Cook-Off; Grand Prize, 1998 National Pasta Association Contest sponsored by Family Circle Magazine ($10,000); Second Prize, 1998 Delmarva Chicken Cook-Off; First Prize, 1998 Kretschmer Wheat Germ; Third Prize, 1998 Bays English Muffins; Finalist, 1998 Mama Mary's Pizza; First Prize, 1997 Goldkist; Finalist, 1997, 1992 and 1991 National Beef Cook-Off; Grand Prize, 1996 Sargento Cheese ($5,000.00 for her and another $5,000.00 for a local soup kitchen); Finalist, 1995 Sutter Home "Build a Better Burger"; Finalist, 1993 National Chicken Cookoff; Finalist, 1993 Crisco American Cookoff; Finalist, 1992 Land O'Lakes Family Reunion; First Prize, Better Homes & Gardens Lamb contest.
FUNNIEST PRIZE: Wisconsin Trails trip for 2 with paid hotel and cooking lessons, but no
airfare. Luckily, she was able to transfer the prize to a friend within driving distance of the site.
ADVICE: "Don't throw out your losing recipes. Relook at them, give them a tweak or two and re-submit them to another contest. And re-read the advice the other Hall of Famers have given as those are words to live by."
FORUM NICKNAME: Lisa
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Diane Sparrow
2000 Inductee |
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Diane Sparow is the mother of four adult sons and learned to cook out of necessity. She started to enter recipe contests to make it fun. She began her contesting career 4 years ago when a friend suggested that a breakfast egg recipe she makes should be entered in the Iowa Egg Council. So, she entered. . . and won. Her first national contest win was Gold Kist farms in 1997. She saw their contest and noticed the prizes included a refrigerator. Since hers was on the blink at the time, she entered, won 3rd place, got her new refrigerator and was hooked on contesting. "Some of the most fun wins are the small contests that you forget you have entered until you get notification," Diane says. "It is seldom the recipe you think will win that makes it. And remember, it is supposed to be a hobby, so enjoy it!"
NOTABLE WINS: Second Place in 1998 Gold Kist Farms contest; Finalist in 1998 National Chicken Cooking Contest; $5,000 First Place winner in the 1998 Checks for Chex contest; Finalist in the 1998 Bays English Muffins contest; First Place in the 1998 Dunnwood Dine Off; Fourth Place in the 1999 Gold Kist Farms contest; Grand Prize winner in 2000 Gold Kist Farms contest; Finalist in 2000 Pillsbury Bakeoff; First Place and Best of Category in 2000 Cookshack smoker contest.
FUNNIEST CONTEST: Diane once competed in a grilled cheese recipe contest at a local supermarket. After drawing the last preparation spot, she found out the judge had to leave at a certain time to attend her daughter's recital. When the rest of the contestants went overtime preparing their recipes, Diane found herself with only 4 minutes to throw together her creation. Keeping her cool, Diane threw her sandwich together, grilled it in record time and won the Grand Prize.
ADVICE: "Put the most effort into the area that you are the strongest in. Most of us are better at one area -- Baking, Grilling , Meats, Healthy, etc. Unless you have unlimited time to contest enter your strong areas first and use any extra time to fine tune your weak areas. Also don't over think your recipes."
FORUM NICKNAME: DS
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Patricia Harmon
1999 Inductee |
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Patricia Harmon began entering recipe contests in 1989, but she says she didn't really get cooking until 1996, when she retired from her office job. Since then, she's been a two-time Pillsbury Bakeoff Finalist and the $5,000 Grand Prize winner of the 1997 Reddi-Wip contest. Pat's cooking prowess has also earned her a 1996 trip to Italy for a local radio recipe contest. "I started entering recipe contests because I have always loved to cook and bake," said Pat, who also spends time making crafts at home near Pittsburgh.
NOTABLE WINS: Finalist in 1996 and 1998 Pillsbury Bakeoff; Winner, 1996 KDKA radio "Taste of Italy" contest; Winner, 1997 Southern Living Holiday Contest; Grand Prize Winner, 1997 Reddi-Wip Contest; Grand Prize Winner, 1999 Taste of Home Cooking School.
FUNNIEST PRIZE: Publication of her winning recipe in Woman's Day magazine. "I didn't know it until they sent me a copy of the magazine."
ADVICE: "Think quick and easy and follow the trends for most contests. If you think something is too simple to win, enter it anyway. It may be just what the judges are looking for."
FORUM NICKNAME: Pat
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Shirley DeSantis
1999 Inductee |
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Shirley DeSantis may have picked up the $5,000 first prize in the 1989 National Beef Cook-off's Microwave category (left), but it was the Pillsbury Bake-off that made her get the rest of the family into recipe contests. She was a finalist twice, right about the time Pillsbury introduced the "three times and your out" rule. So Shirley got the kids involved. . . and it paid off. Husband Alex and daughter Miranda were the first father/daughter finalists, then son Tony was a finalist in the following contest. Miranda did it by herself in the next bake-off, and Alex and Tony were the first father/son finalists in the following contest. It should come as no surprise, then, that Alex Jr. was a finalist in the next bake-off. Nor should it come as a surprise that Tony was also a finalist at the National Beef Cook-off when Shirley won in 1989.
NOTABLE WINS: Pillsbury Bake-off Finalist 1969, 1978; National Beef Cook-off 1976, 1988, 1989; National Pineapple Cook-off 1979; National Catfish Cook-off 1983; Second Place Gold Kist Farms Chicken 1999.
BEST PRIZES: A week for two at a country inn in California wine country; a week for two in La Jolla, Calif.; a week for 5 to Keystone Ski Resort in Colorado.
ADVICE: "Read the rules. . . then read them again. No matter how great your entry is, if you don't follow every rule, your entry will most likely end up in File 13."
FORUM NICKNAME: shirley
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Rosemary Johnson
1999 Inductee
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Rosemary Johnson (above center) was one of the first visitors to Cooking Contest Central, and it is no surprise: She has been an avid recipe contester since 1996, although she has entered recipes since 1964. She is shown in the photo holding a replica of the $5,000 grand prize in the 1999 Bryan Family Traditions Recipe Contest and surrounded by judges at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tenn., where the contest was held.
NOTABLE WINS: Grand Prize winner 1999 Bryan Family Traditions; 1964 Pillsbury Bake-Off Finalist; 3rd Place, 1998 National Cornbread Cookoff; Two-time finalist, Alabama Beef Cookoff.
FUNNIEST PRIZE: A gift basket from Spain with no tag on it. "I won it the week that I retired, and I thought someone had sent be the basket because I had retired."
ADVICE: "Don't give up, keep it simple, keep it fun, and go for as many as you can."
FORUM NICKNAME: rosemaryj
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