Details about the cooking contests at this year's N.C. State Fair are now available online at bit.ly/dbWRBu.
This year's contests include a K.C. Masterpiece competition that will include two categories: a best barbecue category and a "wild card" category.
The latter brings to mind the entry from a couple of years ago, when a contestant won using a K.C. Masterpiece barbecue sauce in a spice cookie recipe.
The other contests include eggs, pecans, sweet potatoes, pork, beef, peanuts and others.
The 2010 Premium Book details all the contests, from flowers to sewing to canning.
More tomato dinners
Raleigh's Zely & Ritz has added three heirloom tomato dinners: Tuesday, Thursday and Aug. 11.
The dinners cost $49 per person without wine and $75 with wine pairings.
The menu includes:
Heirloom tomato gazpacho with basil oil
Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, German Johnson, Green Zebra and Mr. Stripey heirloom tomatoes with Chapel Hill Creamery fresh mozzarella cheese, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil and sweet balsamic vinegar glaze
Roasted tomatoes stuffed with chicken and techina over sweet corn risotto.
Roasted new potatoes, grilled and slow roasted roma tomatoes
Sungold tomato panna cotta
You can call 828-0018 to make a reservation for the dinners.
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