Amanda Boury dominated the cooking contests at this year's N.C. State Fair. She took home seven ribbons, more than any other competitor.
Boury, 34, of Youngsville won four first-place, two second-place and one third-place ribbon. She placed in contests ranging from the N.C. Pork Producers' Tarheel pork challenge to the N.C. Peanut Growers Association's vegetarian recipe contest. Her winning recipes in those contests were Grilled Pork Cranberry Brie Paninis and Crispy Thai Chik'n Wraps with Peanut Sauce, respectively.
"I can't believe it," Boury said last week about winning that many ribbons.
Boury and her mother, Mary Boury, 60, of Knightdale, entered their first cooking contest together at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh three years ago. They both placed. As many repeat competitors will tell you, one win will hook you for life. And so, their early successes led to an annual mother-daughter ritual.
Mary Boury also placed in two State Fair contests. Her Italian Egg Pockets won an honorable mention in the N.C. Egg Association's recipe contest. Her Cherry-Almond Batter Bread won best batter bread recipe in the Fleischmann's contest.
Amanda Boury is a graduate student studying zoology at N.C. State University. She says these contests provide a creative outlet after working in a laboratory all day. Does she expect to be able to repeat this year's performance next year?
"I think I've set myself up. This was every creative idea I had," she says.
So there is hope for the rest of us next year.
