The Australian Blue Ribbon Cookbook

Early starts have never been my forte, but on Sunday the alarm rang at 5am so I could catch an early bird flight to Melbourne and take in cookery judging for the city’s 2010 show, which starts on Saturday. In Melbourne, most of the cookery is judged a whole week before the hall opens, with two public judging sessions following a few days later so competitors can attend and listen to the judges giving direct feedback as they work their way through the entries. Different classes are judged in this way each year, with breadbaking and preserves taking the spotlight this time around.

A wonderful team of enthusiastic volunteers from across the State help to run the cookery and preserves sections, drawing on a team of judges with either professional training or a long personal history as show cooks and judges. This year they had to work their way through a record number of entries in the cookery section – more than 700. The stand-out in terms of number and shear creativity were undoubtedly the decorated cup cake classes, with some of the entries from junior cooks defying belief. And just imagine what is to come, if Junior Masterchef has the same impact on young cooks as it has the rest of us in terms of inspiring more people to bake.

Millicent cook and Blue Ribbon Cookbook contributor Gloria Buck has won the South Australian Genoa Cake Competition and come second in the State Rich Fruit Cake Championship, judged in Adelaide on Thursday before the Royal Adelaide Show kicked off for another year.

Gloria (pictured making yeast buns with her mother Nestor) only turned her hand to show cooking after her aunt and formidable show cook, Dorothy Alleyn, died in 2001, leaving behind a box full of recipes and a house full of cooking paraphernalia. Gloria’s first rich fruit cake won a regional final and she has had regular success ever since, both in SA and across the border where she won the Victorian senior title in 2007.

Joining Gloria on the winner’s podium this year is Brigitte Taylor from Lucindale who won the main Rich Fruit Cake Championship for the second year in succession. Another Blue Ribbon Cookbook contribitor, Gwen Beare, from Kadina, came third and Anne Innes from Encounter Bay received a highly commended. Wendy McDonald from Port Lincoln was second in the genoa cake event, and Kirsty Pfeiffer from Hahndorf was third.

Nanette Simpson from Jamestown won the state scone championship, with contestants being asked to make a sweet scone using the CWA Scone Mix.  Mark Grossman from Angaston came second and Callie Wilson  from Mount Barker, who is only 13 years old, was third.

The cookery sections at this year’s Royal Adelaide Show have apparently attracted record entries this year. Take a trip to Wayville and the Goyder Pavilion before the show closes on September 11 to check out the winners.