Posted by La Cross Tribune, IN on September 26, 2009 at 16:59:40:
Contest seeks out tastiest ways to enjoy cranberries
By PAUL MEDINGER
WARRENS, Wis. - The recipe contest at the Warrens Cranberry Festival produces many unique ways to prepare cranberries.
Julia Palmer of Tomah has been the chairwoman of the Cranberry Festival Recipe Contest for more than 10 years. Part of her job is to look over every recipe that the contest receives and pick the finalists.
"We have had young and old, men and women enter," Palmer said. "A young man once won with a cranberry meatloaf. We have a lot of variety."
Recipes this year included salsa, sweet potatoes, stuffed shells, barbeque chicken dip and cranberry fruit pizza.
The contest features two categories: fresh and processed. The recipes were due in April, and the finalists were named in July. The recipes are checked for adherence to the rules and regulations that include that the recipe display step-by-step instructions, use standard measurements, and include temperature and time.
"It should be just like picking up a cookbook," Palmer said. "It should be easy for people to reproduce it."
The finalists receive a commemorative apron and have their dishes on display at the Warrens Elementary School gymnasium.
The recipes were judged Friday by Bob Bruns, Karen Joos and Sharon Powell. Finalists are judged on visual presentation, uniqueness, ease of preparation and taste, and overall quality.
A cookbook with all of the recipes is sold at the festival. Palmer said the contest receives 50-70 entries annually.
"We encourage people to be cooking," Palmer said.
Nancy Corporon from Dougherty, Iowa, drove for more than four hours to enter the contest for the first time this year. She brought along her gumdrop bars. She got the idea to enter the contest when she attended the Cranberry Festival four years ago.
"I was here one year with a friend and she won," she said. "We are college friends. This is a good chance to get together for the weekend."
Posted in Local on Saturday, September 26, 2009 12:15 am Updated: 12:10 am.
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