The National Cornbread Festival
The 12th Annual National Cornbread Cook-Off
The finals of the National Cornbread Cook-Off, sponsored by Martha White® and Lodge Cast Iron®, took place in South Pittsburg, Tenn. on April 26-27, 2008. The challenge? Finding who could make the best main dish cornbread recipe in the United States prepared with Martha White corn meal or cornbread mix and cooked in Lodge cast iron cookware. The ten competitors served up quite a bit of competition as expert judges from across the country judged these delicious meals.
And the winners are...
Lori Stephens of Hendersonville, TN, won the first prize of $5,000 and a 30-inch Five-Star® stainless steel range from Brown Stove Works, Inc. of Cleveland, Tenn. for her Grand Prize winning recipe, Ancho Shrimp on Smoked Gouda Corncakes. Cook-Off judges were impressed by the way Lori focused her creativity on the delectable corncakes dressed up with corn, green onions and smoked Gouda cheese. To serve, the corncakes are topped with a simple shrimp and tomato sauté flavored with mild earthy ancho chile peppers.
Teresa Ralston of New Albany, Ohio came in second place and won a $500 cash prize for her Zesty Italian Sausage Skillet with Sundried Tomato Cornbread Crust – a creamy sausage and tomato filling blanketed with an easy-to-make cornbread crust. Ralston (who was celebrating her birthday) added refreshing flavor to the dish by topping the warm cornbread with balsamic vinaigrette-dressed baby greens and creamy crumbles of Gorgonzola. The unexpected combination earned high marks from the judges.
Earl Bandy, Jr., from Knoxville, Tenn., the only male finalist, took home third place and $300 for his imaginative and colorful Sausage Pepper Cheese Quiche with Cornbread Crust, brimming with hot sausage, red and green bell peppers, mushroom and green onions. Earl brought along a large group of family and friends for support and clad in matching t-shirts, they cheered enthusiastically as he added sour cream, avocado, tomatoes and cilantro to complete the dish.
Other National Cornbread Cook-Off finalists were Susan Scarborough, Fernandina Beach, Fla.; Janet Gilbert, Oneonta, Al.; Susan Robenson, Hot Springs, Ark.; Erin Bray, Knoxville, Tenn.; Lynn Mears, Bessemer, Al.; Julie Hession, Las Vegas, Nev.; Ann Piscitelli, Nokomis, Fla. They each took home $100 cash and special gifts from Martha White® and Lodge® Cast Iron.
About the National Cornbread Festival
The thirteenth annual National Cornbread Cook-Off will be held April 25, 2009, in conjunction with the National Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburg, Tenn. We hope to see you at next year's National Cornbread Cook-Off. Complete rules and entry requirements will be posted after the first of the year. For more information about the National Cornbread Festival, click here.
Or contact us by mail at:
National Cornbread Festival
P.O. Box 247
South Pittsburg, Tennessee 37380
423.837.0022
*Lodge and National Cornbread Festival are registered trademarks of Lodge Manufacturing Company. Five Star is a registered trademark of Brown Stove Works, Inc.