SHARP COOKIES; YUMMY CREATIONS JUDGED ON MORE THAN MERE TASTE.Byline: Annette Burget Bailey Staff Writer Twenty-one area bakers put their best cookie recipe forward and engaged in sweet battle Thursday for the coveted cov·et v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy. 2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire. blue ribbon blue ribbon denotes highest honor. [Western Folklore: Brewer Dictionary, 127] See : Prize at the Ventura County Fair's sugar cookie Noun 1. sugar cookie - cookies sprinkled with granulated sugar cookie, cooky, biscuit - any of various small flat sweet cakes (`biscuit' is the British term) competition. For Julie Centeno, the contest is a family tradition. Last year, she and her brother walked away with first place and honorable mention for their mouthwatering mouth·wa·ter·ing or mouth-wa·ter·ing adj. Appealing to the sense of taste; appetizing: the mouthwatering aroma of a baking pie. chocolate chip Chocolate chips are small chunks of chocolate. They are often sold in a round, flat-bottomed teardrop shape (similar to a Hershey's Kiss). They are available in numerous sizes, from large to miniature, but are usually around 1 cm in diameter. and cranberry sugar cookie recipes. ``It was great, we really had a lot of fun,'' she said. ``But this year, my brother had to work, so I'm on my own.'' Not completely alone, Centeno still had plenty of moral support from son Nicholas, 8, who was rooting for mom every step of the way. ``I hope she wins, even though she's not making my favorite My Favorite is an independent synthpop band from Long Island, New York. They released two CDs: Love at Absolute Zero and Happiest Days of Our Lives. My Favorite broke up on September 14, 2005, when singer Andrea Vaughn left the band. cookie - chocolate chip,'' he said. The tension was high as the clock ticked closer to judgment time at noon. By 11:30 a.m. there were a mere four entries, but as soon as the four judges took their marks, the number of participants began to rise. Vanessa Hester, a hopeful first-time entrant, was also vying for the first-prize ribbon, noting that her secret ingredient A secret ingredient is a component of a product that is closely guarded from public disclosure for competitive advantage. Sometimes the ingredient makes a noticeable difference in the way a product performs, looks or tastes; other times it is used for advertising puffery. was perhaps a little unusual. ``Potato chips - it's crunchy and almost tastes like nuts,'' she said. Other cookie-crazed contestants added pecans, peanut butter, walnuts, nutmeg, sunflower seeds and macadamia macadamia (măk'ədā`mēə), name for the nut of the Macadamia ternifolia, an evergreen tree native to Australia, but cultivated in Hawaii. The nuts, also called Queensland nuts, are eaten roasted or raw. nuts to the necessary ingredients: sugar, flour, eggs and, of course, butter, and plenty of it. The contest was sponsored by Land O' Lakes. The judges sampled each creation, cleansed their palates with a few sips of water and tallied the votes. The criteria were taste, which accounted for 40 percent of the score; appearance, 20 percent; originality and creativity, 30 percent; and simplicity and ease of preparation, 10 percent. ``The winner's recipe is immediately faxed to the Land O' Lakes' offices following the competition, and that recipe is tested in their national kitchen,'' said Phyllis Kidd, contest coordinator. Kidd said that 28 other county fairs across the country will be participating in the competition, and the entrant with the overall best recipe will be selected as the national contest winner. The winner will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid shopping spree, she said. Vickie Damarjian walked away with the first-prize ribbon and is one step closer to national recognition based on her unique macadamia nut sugar cookies, called Vic's Macs. ``I'm thrilled - really overwhelmed. This is just so great,'' she said. After sampling her share of sweet treats, contest judge Fran Abbott seemed more than pleased with the cookie court's final decision. ``All the entries were great, no question,'' she said. ``But the winning recipe was really unanimous.'' THE FACTS The 1999 Ventura County Fair will run from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Aug. 15 at Seaside Park, Harbor Boulevard Harbor Boulevard is a major divided street in central Orange County. It runs from Costa Mesa through Santa Ana, Anaheim and La Habra before it ends at Fullerton Road in Rowland Heights just over the Los Angeles County border. and Figueroa Street in Ventura. Admission is $6 for adults; $3 for seniors age 55 and over; $3 for children ages 6-12; and children 5 and under are free. For additional information, call (805) 648-3376 or log on www.seasidepark.org. All entertainment is free with fair admission: VENTURA COUNTY FAIR 1999 - GRANDSTAND ENTERTAINMENT 7:30 p.m. Today - 1970s singing sensation Peter Frampton. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos, Box PHOTO (1--Color) Cookie contest winner Vickie Damarjian of Camarillo, right, lets fourth-place winner Julie Eldridge of Somis try a couple of cookies. (2--Color) Cookie judge Dolores Dolores (or Delores) was a common given name (until the 1960s in the USA); it is cognate with the English word "dolorous" (meaning sorrowful) and equivalent in meaning. Frias bites into one of the 21 cookies judged at the Ventura County Fair. (3) Cookie judge Dolores Frias assesses the appearance of cookies at the Ventura County Fair. Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer BOX: (Ran in SAC Edition only) THE FACTS (see text) |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion