By FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com
Linda Cifuentes will have to take the word of others that her cornbread recipe creation is a good one.
“I didn’t even taste the dish because I am on a diet and I knew it would throw me off, but it looked really good,” Cifuentes said.
Her opinion is shared by others.
She was one of 152 people to enter the 23rd-annual Lodge National Cornbread Cook-off and is one of the 10 finalists who will cook before a panel of judges — including the 2018 champion — later this month.
At stake is a $5,000 top prize, plus a 30-inch stainless steel gas range (valued at $3,250) from FiveStar Professional Cooking Equipment.
Cifuentes called her entry, “Sweet and Sassy Cornbread and Chicken Stack.”
A nurse for nearly 43 years (the last 23 at Carle), Cifuentes is a contest veteran. She has entered the Lodge National Cornbread Cook-off for the past decade, but is a first-time finalist.
This year marked a breakthrough.
“The recipe that was picked is a play on chicken and waffles with a sweet gravy,” Cifuentes said. “I came up with the idea and made it once, took the picture and sent the entry in to the contest.
“I like this recipe because it has crunch, sweetness and a little spice.”
Contest spokesman Mark H. Kelly said there is a process that is followed to determine which candidates reach the finals.
“Our culinary team reviews all of the recipes and then picks 20 to prepare, taste and determine the top 10 contestants (with two alternates in case someone cannot attend the cook-off),” Kelly said.
Cifuentes may — or may not — have an advantage over some of the other finalists. Five of the 10 remaining competitors have seafood-related dishes.
Cifuentes does not.
“My dish is very simple and tasty, but it will depend on what the judges are looking for,” she said. “I think some of the other finalists are pretty in-depth.
“I’m hoping I have a good chance because this is just a good plate of food.”
When Cifuentes was notified last month that she was a finalist, she received some encouraging feedback.
“They said they loved my entry,” she said.
Kelly said there are two basic requirements which must be met.
“This is a main dish or entrée cook-off,” Kelly said. “The contestants must use a cup of Martha White Cornmeal and seasoned Lodge Cast Iron item.
“Everything else is left to a contestant’s creativity.”
Cifuentes is working with ingredients she knows well.
“I make a lot of cornbread and it is almost always with a savory twist,” she said. “I like to add herbs and hot peppers.”
The contest format is structured along the lines of Iron Chef competitions, “with the contestants starting and finishing 15 minutes apart,” Kelly said.
Cifuentes and her husband, Bill, have called Mahomet home for the past 23 years.
During the decades, she has regularly entered contests.
“I have won a few big contests,” she said. “About 13 years ago, I won the national pork crock pot contest.”
For that, she received $5,000, a large crock pot and $500 worth of pork donated to the food pantry of her choice in addition to an all-expenses paid trip to New York.
“I have won two big drink contests,” Cifuentes added. “The first one was 15 years ago; it was for Canadian Mist and I won a weekend trip to New York and stayed at Trump Towers.
“Three years ago I was a finalist in a Maser Mixes contest (in Louisville, Ky.) and got fourth place (winning $2,000).”
She keeps abreast of contests by following a website.
“I subscribe to the site called ‘Cooking Contest Central’ and the (cornbread) contest was posted there,” she said. “It is really easy to enter contests through this site and I have been doing it for years.”
The Berwyn native also competes annually at the Illinois State Fair “and cooks on-stage in the blue-ribbon culinary contest,” she said.
During her 17 years of participating at the State Fair, Cifuentes has earned both the grand champion and reserve champion designations.
The upcoming cornbread contest is held in conjunction with the 23rd Annual National Cornbread Festival, which takes place April 27-28.
The Lodge National Cornbread Cook-off begins at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 27.
“I am very excited to compete and of course will be a bit nervous,” Cifuentes said.
The Lodge National Cornbread Cook-off finalists represent a large portion of the country, ranging from New Jersey to California.
In addition to the top prize, a runner-up and a third-place finisher will be selected.
“The second-place competitor receives $1,500 and the third-place competitor receives $1,000,” Kelly said.
The others don’t go home empty-handed.
All finalists are given $500 for travel reimbursement, plus those outside the top three receive an additional $150.
A panel of seven judges are in charge of determining the winners.
“The recipes are judged on taste, creativity, appetizing appearance, ease of preparation and appropriate use of product,” Kelly said.
He described the judging panel as “well-respected chefs, culinary influencers and food writers.”
The cook-off stage is located on Third Street in South Pittsburg, Tenn.
The list of finalists in the 2019 Lodge National Cornbread Cook-off:
— Nancy Angelici, Wyckoff, N.J.; Sweet and Spicy Seafood Corncakes with Toasted Sesame Slaw;
— Judy Armstrong, Prairieville, La.; Shrimp Boil Cornbread and Étouffée;
— Julie Beckwith, Crete, Ill.; Mexican Corn Cakes with Charred Corn, Carne Asada, Refried Beans and Guasacaca (Avocado) Sauce;
— Gloria Bradley, Naperville, Ill.; Cajun Shrimp ’n Grits, Cheddar Cornbread, Tabasco Butter Sauce;
— Linda Cifuentes, Mahomet, Ill.; Sweet and Sassy Cornbread and Chicken Stack;
— Lidia Haddadian, Pasadena, Cal.; Smoky Cajun-Style Shrimp ’n Bacon Pizza with Crispy Cornbread Crust;
— Chelsea Hanson, Nashville, Tenn.; Nashville Hot Chicken and Cornbread Waffles;
— Shauna Havey, Roy, Utah; Korean BBQ Pork Cornbread Totchos;
— Shannon Kohn, Summerville, S.C.; “East-Meets-South” Moo Shu Sausage and Bacon with Scallion Cornbread Pancakes;
— Chera Little, Cedar Creek, Texas; Sesame Shrimp Corn Cakes Toasts with Warm Asian Slaw and Fried Vermicelli Noodles.
