How to be a Prizewinning Show Cook

Appears in

The Blue Ribbon Cookbook

By Liz Harfull

Published 2008

About

Thinking about competing in your local show? Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Read your show book schedule very carefully – read it when you are deciding which classes to enter, read it again before you start cooking, and then read it again to make sure you meet all the specifications given for the section and class. In particular, check the requirements for pan sizes, number of items in a collection, and presentation.
The main criteria judges generally use to assess entries include colour, texture, aroma, flavour, and overall appearance and presentation. While appearance is important it is not everything – judges cut, sniff, crumble and taste entries to decide the winners.
Always use the highest quality ingredients.
Get to know your oven – every oven is different, so recipes can only ever provide a guide to temperatures and cooking times as a starting point.
Use clean, dry cake pans without wrinkles or dents. Traditionally, judges have preferred that cake pan corners are sharp, rather than rounded, although it is becoming increasingly difficult to source this type of pan and many judges are prepared to take this into account. However, if you are thinking about taking on the major cake competitions, it would be a good idea to look for this type of pan.
Leaving the pan lining on the bottom of your cake, or any sign of wire rack marks are regarded as major faults in show cooking. One of the first things a judge will do is tip your cake upside down to check the bottom.
Schedules usually indicate whether a show will provide plates on which to stand your cookery entries, or which type of plate to use. If no instructions are provided, use plain, white paper plates.
Try to avoid using a thick skewer to test whether your cake is cooked – it will leave a channel. Try a small thin skewer or knitting needle, or even a piece of fuse wire.
Judges will cut or break every cookery entry to check the texture, even distribution of ingredients, and whether it is cooked through properly.
If the cake has to be decorated, use a moderate amount of icing and apply it neatly.
Entries need to be even in colour, including the bottom and sides. For cakes and pastries, avoid using dark pans or adonised trays for cooking. Shiny aluminium trays or pans are best.
Do not use a packet cake mixture, unless you are entering a class that is specifically for packet cakes.
When showing bottled preserves, make sure the jars or bottles are clean and shiny, and check for stipulations about container size.
Most shows allow for preserves to be sealed with either lids or cellophane.
Spreadibility or consistency is an important feature for jams, marmalades, chutneys, relishes and sauces. Judges will also be assessing the colour and flavour.
Consider volunteering as a steward at your local show so you can learn firsthand from more experienced cooks, and the judges.
Don’t give up – many of the cooks featured in this book speak despairingly of their early efforts, but they persevered and actively sought advice from other cooks, stewards and judges about how to improve.
If you are not certain about what is required for your local show, contact the cookery or preserves convenors, who are usually listed in the show book.
For extensive information, look for two books written by experienced competitors and judges: Cooking for Competition, by Joan Graham and Doreen Moore, which covers important aspects for cookery classes; and The Show Bench, by Joan Graham, which focuses on confectionary, produce and preserves.

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