ly, Edwardsville and Champaign, have drawn cake duty. “This is a perfect carrot cake,” says Falconnier. “It’s just exactly what carrot cake should be.” She sets a slice aside: “That’s for my 92-year-old mother.” As they begin tasting pies, an assistant talks about two cousins who rarely see each other, but meet each year at the fair culinary competition, bringing pies in honor of their grandmother; afterwards it turns out one of them won this year’s blue ribbon for best crust.
It’s a sugar high, not just for the judges, but also for the assistants shuttling entries back and forth. Some are official, others are spouses who’ve come for sweet rewards: the remains of the judging samples set out on tables for all to enjoy, including outside clued-in fair workers.
By Wednesday’s end, the first judges leave, but Griswold and her assistants aren’t through. Eighteen special culinary contests throughout the fair are sponsored by organizations or companies. Entries are brought in for same-day judging; including Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance’s Family Heirloom Recipes, American Egg Board’s Breakfast on a Stick [!!], Spam’s “Effortless Main Dish, Fleischmann’s Bake for the Cure, and The Anton and Helen Holas Meat Loaf Contest.
The biggest event is the Illinois Blue Ribbon Culinary Contest, which takes place onstage every fair day except Sundays, at nine and again at noon. “Actually, everybody onstage is already a winner,” says Griswold.
That’s because contestants must submit recipes in advance. No mixes or pre-measured ingredients are allowed. Categories are Cakes, Pies, Yeast Breads, Baked Dairy Desserts, Chicken, Beef and Pork. An expert team studies the recipes in advance and decides which qualify; those are published in a booklet that’s sold onsite. There are different judges each day; the tasting is blind.
Many Blue Ribbon contestants have competed for years, and in multiple categories. This is Amy Wertheim’s 16th fair as a Blue Ribbon contestant; she began entering fair food contests at age eight. “It’s a fun group,” she says. “Everybody knows everybody, and newcomers are welcomed like family.” They’re competing, but contestants help each other, lending ingredients and equipment.
(The fair supplies ovens, refrigerators, sinks and tables; contestants have to bring all other equipment.) “There’s always some kind of mixup,” Wertheim laughs, recalling the time her son Nick assured her he’d checked that everything was packed, only to discover at the fairgrounds that “everything” was only the equipment; not a single ingredient was in the car. “The Sangamon Avenue Schnuck’s people see us once a year,” she says, “But they know why we’re there, and greet us like long-lost friends.”
Wertheim, who has a full-time Bloomington job as well as working in her family’s Atlanta candy company (see “A Tasty Visit to Candyland” in IT’s 12/11/08 issue at www.illinoistimes.com), says the contest relaxes her. “I take a vacation week, and tell Nick ‘this is my time.’” On the last Saturday, the winners in each category will compete for the Blue Ribbon Champion title. Then it’s time for Griswold, her assistants and the competitors to get some rest. But before long, they’ll begin planning for next year.
Contact Julianne Glatz at [email protected].
