There’s still time to enter NC State Fair cooking contests

Every year, I think this is the year I’m going to enter one of those cooking contests at the N.C. State Fair. And every year, I miss the deadline.

If you have ever had a similar thought, I’m here to make this your year. The deadline to enter a recipe in one of almost a dozen special cooking contests is Friday.

Unlike the baked goods or canning goods contests where you drop off items a few days before fair for judging, these special cooking competitions happen once a day during the fair’s 11-day run and competitors drop off their dish for that day’s contest by a certain time each day.

These cooking competitions highlight such ingredients as eggs, pecans and beef. There’s a Gold Medal Flour pie contest, a House-Autry Mills grits contest, and a peanut butter and jelly contest sponsored by the N.C. Peanut Growers Association. (For the latter, they are not just seeking sandwiches but appetizers, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks and desserts using that classic flavor combination.) You can win up to $250 in some contests.

To help wannabe competitive cooks, I reached out to two Wake County women who have taken home dozens of ribbons between them: mother and daughter competitors Mary and Amanda Boury.

They got their start when they entered the annual strawberry recipe contest at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh in 2007. Amanda Boury won first place, and her mom won third place. After that they were hooked and have competed every year at the State Fair.

The mother and daughter have very different approaches.

Once the contest details are announced in the summer, Amanda Boury, 40, of North Raleigh, will think up a recipe and submit it by the deadline. She often takes home a ribbon and cash prize. She does not test the recipes beforehand.

“This is totally annoying,” said Mary Boury, 66, of Knightdale.

Amanda Boury is also vegetarian. One would think that would put her at a disadvantage in the pork and beef contests. But it has not. She attributes that to being able to imagine how well flavors go together, a skill that amazes her mother.

“It drives her nuts, especially when I win,” Amanda Boury said.

In comparison, Mary Boury is a recipe tester. She comes up with her recipes and will make them several times, tweaking each version based on her taste testers’ feedback. She’s also learned the hard way what judges want.

“One year, I tried to do low fat,” Mary Boury said. “That’s not what they want. They want good tasting, well-prepared food that you can make at home.”

Here is the Bourys’ advice:

▪ Remember that you are cooking for other people. Your personal likes and dislikes matter less. Choose flavors that appeal to a broad audience.

▪ If you decided to test your recipe, find people who will offer critical, helpful feedback.

▪ Just do it. Peruse the contest rules, submit a recipe and see what happens. You never know. You could take home a ribbon and a cash prize.

This story was originally published September 29, 2015 at 7:30 AM with the headline "There’s still time to enter NC State Fair cooking contests."