Rice and Creole Cookery Contest details set

The Rice and Creole Cookery Contest, an outstanding feature of the International Rice Festival, will be held Friday, Oct. 18, at the Acadia Parish LSU AgCenter, located at 157 Cherokee Drive in Crowley. Rice dishes and recipes must be brought in between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Judging will begin at 9:30 a.m. The “food safety rule” will again be in effect this year. All dishes entered must be thoroughly cooked and chilled when brought to the contest for judging. Failure to meet this standard will result in the dish being disqualified. Excepted are items that would not normally need refrigeration such as cookies and cakes. Contest divisions are Adult, Teen, Intermediate and Children’s. Categories in each division are Rice and Meat, Rice and Seafood, Rice Salad/Vegetable and Rice Desserts. Prize money and ribbons will be given to the top ten winners in each category. The Chef de Riz, or Master Rice Cook, will be selected by the first place winners in the eight categories between the Teen and Adult Divisions. A group of judges will select this winner on the basis of the dish score and an interview of the chef regarding knowledge of uses of rice and rice cookery. The winner of the Chef de Riz title will be awarded a $100 premium as well as an engraved plaque. This contest is sponsored by the USA Rice Federation. The Junior Chef will be selected from the first place winners in the eight categories between the Children’s and Intermediate Divisions. The new Junior Chef will be awarded $25 cash as well as an engraved plaque. This contest is also sponsored by the USA Rice Federation. Judges for the contest are Angie Abshire, Alice Pastor, Allison Clark, Barbara Simon, Barrett Courville, Ben Mitchell, Candy Leger, Cheryl Signorelli, Claire Dore, Clay Lejeune, Connie Lacombe, Debbie Dore, Dora Johnson, Doug Lacombe, Ellen K. Baggett, Helen Turner, Joan Finley, Julie Borill, Keith Latiola, K.P. Gibson, Letza Fogleman, Lyle O. Fogleman, Martha Mendoza, Mike Pastor, Nellie Cheek, Patricia Steele, Phyliss Cart, Phyliss Crawford, Quincy Cheek, Roberta Guidry, Roland LeLeux, Rose Breaux, Sharron LeDoux, Steve Dollison, Steve Duplechin, Forrest Strickland, Susan Dollison, Susan Ohlenforst, Yvonne Cramer and Yvonne Menard.