Foodie Field Trip- Culinary Food Fight 2017

Once again, it's all about who you know!! Or in this case- who you are related to! Once again I got to enjoy the fun and excitement of culinary competition as a spectator, not a frazzled contestant, at the most recent installment of Culinary Fight Night, Des Moines. How? Well, let me explain. See.....I have told you guys before about my younger daughter, Laurie- the restaurant general manager. As is often the case when you know someone "in the scene" she would often invite me to different food events and a couple years ago she invited me to a Culinary Fight Night, the first of it's kind in Des Moines. You can get all the details by clicking HERE, but briefly- boxing rink, two chefs, six course, loads of great food, one winner. This time around, she is not only in the scene, her chef is one of the competitors, and she is helping in the kitchen! Talk about exciting! Since Laurie would be in the kitchen for this event, my other daughter Debbee joined me for this fun evening of sampling some of the best dishes Des Moines has to offer. Laurie's restaurant, Magnolia Wine Kitchen, was represented by their very own Chef Nico Ebtinger.

Chef Nico comes to Magnolia Wine Kitchen with a pretty impressive resume. Before joining Magnolia as a chef he was the executive chef at Prime Land and Sea in West Des Moines, the sous chef at Pricci and chef de partie at Cherokee Town and Country Club, and cooked at Bistro Nikki in Atlanta, GA. He attended Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta. Chef Hailey Dixon is the chef at the new West Des Moines brunch spot, Eggs and Jam Brunch Cafe. The restaurant boasts a fun hp hp theme and creative dishes with clever names such as Slim Shady, Flava Flav Flatbread, Rumpshaker, and Ludabiscuits. It's brand new on the culinary scene and lots of people are talking about it.

Of course, I would be a terrible mother if I didn't boast about my daughter, Laurie. She, as you know, is the general manager of Magnolia Wine Kitchen, the fantastic downtown restaurant and wine bar that provides the total girlie dining experience and even lets you bring the guys if you must. The restaurant is gorgeous, the menu very chick-centric. Beautiful ingredients and interesting combinations dominate the menu. Charcuterie and cheese plates are all the rage and Magnolia features some wonderful selections. The salad combinations are some of the most creative I have seen in years, the lobster roll- oh man, HUGE chunks of lobster, and the dinner menu is just stunning. Anyway, Chef Nico is in the ring and Laurie is supporting him in the kitchen, prepping foods, preparing sauces, and plating the courses. Laurie made the lemon picatta sauce for the salmon entree and it was heavenly- you better believe she is going to be teaching Mom how to make that sauce at home!

Now, let's get down to business- the fight and the food. The appetizer round always starts off the event and this time we sampled two dishes that were somewhat similar in flavor, but totally different presentations. Chef Nico prepared a beautiful panzanella salad with big chunks of chewy focaccia, lovely baby lettuces, heirloom tomatoes, bright red sweet pepper, cucumbers finished with a cherry vinaigrette and balsamic. The salad was a gorgeous plate. The colors of the vegetables were so vibrant, tip top freshness, and not overly dressed. The cubes of bread were dense and chewy, not like rock hard croutons, and were perfect for sopping up that delicious sweet and tangy vinaigrette.

Chef Hailey's appetizer was a favorite at our table, and a quick glance around the room, was a favorite of most people. She featured charred baby tomatoes, with the perfect kiss of flame and just perfect char marks, not enough to cook the tomatoes, just enough to give that hint of charred flavor, nestled alongside a scoop of creamy burrata, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic syrup. Perfectly crispy croustades alongside made this the perfect bite- a little smear of the cheese, a chunk of tomato, and that crispy crunchy toasted baguette. So delicious. My daughter Debbee has never had burrata before- she was sold! This was a very delicious and creative take on caprese salad and something I'd love to eat every day.

In between the courses our host and organizer of the event, Walt Henderson,  brought members of the audience up to the ring for some fun and games and prizes. He held a blind tasting, a Name The Celebrity Chef, and Identify the Herb contests, and drew for cash and gift card too.

The entree round was even better. This time the chefs went in very opposite directions. Chef Hailey created a Pistachio and Ricotta Raviolo, with Sauteed Shrimp, Golden Raisins and Brown Butter Cream Sauce. For me, Hailey won in creativity but fell down a little bit in execution. The flavors were fantastic. This dish was a textural masterpiece. The creamy ricotta filling was peppered with bits of crunchy pistachio and herbs. More pistachios adorned the top along with the surprise of golden raisins and sauteed shrimp, with a healthy drizzle of the browned butter sauce. The filling was delicious. It was not sweet, definitely savory, and the pistachios added a much needed texture. The pasta was a little too thick in spots, especially the edges, so it wasn't evenly cooked, and had some tougher spots. The butter sauce and raisins were an interesting addition but the shrimp seemed out of place. They were simply sauteed- nothing more, and perched atop the raviolo with a little garnish of micro greens. Stunning presentation though.

Everyone who knows me knows I HATE salmon. Hate it. Detest it. Except for raw in sushi, to me salmon looks, smells and tastes like cat food. Gross. I dreaded the salmon entree but Chef Nico totally changed my opinion with his entree- Roasted Faroe Island Salmon with jasmine rice, Haricot Verts and Lemon Caper Picatta. Was it the roasting that made the difference? Was it the type of salmon? I don't know what, or why, but I was in love at first bite. The salmon was perfectly cooked, flaky and tender. The haricots verts were roasted and some of them had crispy ends and those little touches make me so happy. The jasmine rice could have been a little more elevated but it was absolutely delicious, and my tablemates raved about it. I just could not get over that salmon! Nor could I put my fork down! We were served a very generous portion and we were getting full but I could not stop!!! Yes, it was THAT good. I really want to talk about the lemon sauce. It was phenomenal. Creamy and lemony and sprinkled with capers it was the perfect accent for that gorgeous piece of fish, and for dragging a forkful of rice through. Amazing, and so simple- nothing but freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest and butter. Lots of butter. You can bet I'll be getting this chef's secret recipe and making this at home.

In spite of all that salmon and me being unable to stop eating it, we had to save room for dessert. Chef Nico's dessert, Bourbon Apple Crepe Flambe with Jack Daniels Chantilly Cream and Honeycrisp Apple Compote was the ultimate autumn dessert. The apple compote was amazing. The apples were bathed in bourbon, you could taste it without any icky boozy taste- just the woody warm bourbon and a kiss of honey. The chantilly cream again, the essence of Jack Daniels but not a whiff of harsh boozy edge. But that crepe though! It was thin and light and perfectly cooked, just perfect. I have made more than my fair share of crepes and this one was flawless.

Chef Hailey present us with a crispy Lemon Shortbread cookie with White Chocolate Mousse and Blueberry Compote. Everyone at our table raved about the mousse. It was very good. Not perfect, but very good considering it was made for a crowd. Kudos to Chef Hailey for that. The blueberry compote was a much needed touch but not truly special. Could have been kicked up with some limoncello or Gran Marnier or something. The lemon shortbread was delicious and lemony and buttery. The ladies at our table went crazy over the cookie. Hailey's dessert was good but it didn't have the wow factor for me or Debbee like Chef Nico's did.

The judges completed their scoring, the audience filled out their People's Choice ballots and the winner...... by the tiniest of margins....... was Chef Hailey. Our host Walt presented her with the Culinary Fight Night Championship belt as the crowd cheered. It was a great food fight, and we, the audience, got the real prize- all those delicious courses. The food fighting doesn't end here. November will host another round of courses with two different chefs, and the two winners, Chef Hailey and whoever wins the next bout will compete in the third Culinary Food Fight for a grand prize. I am looking forward to these events- and you should too. Keep watching my blog and social media for a chance to grab your tickets!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

FoodieLife- Iowa Taste of Elegance

One of my foodie resolutions for 2016 was to attend more foodie events this year, and thanks to the awesome people at Iowa Pork I am kicking the year off with a foodie event in January- the Iowa Taste of Elegance culinary competition. Every year the Iowa Pork Producers hold this competition where chefs from all over Iowa battle it out for prize money and bragging rights in this invite-only event focusing on pork and some of the most fantastic dishes imaginable. This event not only give the chefs a chance to show their culinary skills, but highlights the hard work and dedication of Iowa's pork farmers, and their commitment to safe, wholesome and budget-friendly fresh pork. Held on January 25, 2016 at the Downtown Des Moines Marriott, this is some serious competition with some serious recognition-

• Chef Par Excellance wins a trip to the National Pork Summit at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, California and a $1,000 cash prize.
• Plaque and cash prizes for Top Three Chefs and Peoples' Choice
• Evening reception to celebrate the dishes, present awards and select the Peoples' Choice

This event is also a very important fundraiser for the Food Bank of Iowa's Back Pack Program. Matt Unger,  program manager for the Food Bank of Iowa shared the story of Iowa's hungry children and how important the Back Pack Program is. The statistics he shared about hunger in my home state were truly shocking, and the Back Pack Program helps fight childhood hunger by sending needy kids home over the weekends with a back pack filled with nutritious food. Listening to him talk about how some kids literally survive on the weekly school lunch program broke my heart.

The Chefs- photo courtesy of Jenny Unternahrer
from In the Kitchen With Jenny

This is not the first time I have sat in the comfort of the Marriott's elegant banquet hall, enjoying food the likes of which some people will never experience. The story of the Food Bank of Iowa's program reminded me of the previous year's Culinary Fight Night, which benefited Des Moines' homeless and also brought a lot of awareness to the suffering around us.

For this 30th year of the event, the folks at Iowa Pork invited a group of Iowa bloggers to attend. Many of us were invited to attend the Iowa Pork Tour last July- you might remember the two day event that featured a tour of a modern pork producing farm, an exclusive multi-course pork dinner with wine pairing, and a day of cooking and food styling classes. I made some great new friends over those two days, and I am so looking forward to seeing them again at this event! I asked my very good friend Vivian to go along. She and I went to the Cooking With George class a year ago and had a wonderful time, and we share so many things in common, not the least of which is our appreciation for good food, good conversation and good wine and beer. We had a great time sampling all the goods and chatting with Shawnee, from the Iowa Pork Board, other Iowa bloggers Jenny Unternahrer, Cristen Clark, Jenni Ward and Erin Brenneman from Brenneman Pork.

Who is competing? Let's run down the chefs for 2016-

Brian Pomerenk from the Iowa Machine Shed restaurant prepared his pork dish, Country Harvest, a tender juicy roast pork with a homestyle sage stuffing and two sauces. 

Chad Myers, Dubuque Golf and Country Club's dish was Wickham Farms Red Wattle Pork Shoulder with Sausage and Pork Tenderloin Roulade. This dish was stunningly beautiful and surprisingly, served cold. It made me think of a a French style picnic.

Daniel Dennis, from Lion Bridge Brewing Company also used Red Wattle pork in his Red Wattle Torchon in Four Seasons. The torchon was a headcheese type sausage, thickly sliced and garnished to celebrate each season, with flavors ranging from bring green arugula puree to pickled Hubbard squash. Another beautifully prepared dish, but one that just didn't do it for me.

The Wood Fire Grille in the Diamond Jo Casino in Northwood, Iowa sent Chef Jon Nelson to share his Ad Porc de Trois. This was one of my favorites. Handcrafted pork sausage, grilled and sliced, along with a hunk of roasted pork and a jerky-like thick cut cured pork served on a white bean puree with greens, presented in a paper thin wooden canoe.

Chef Carina Fleetwood from the Calypso Isle Casino prepared a beautiful Latin dish- Citrus Barbacoa Sopa with Smoky Tomatillo Salsa and Pickled Relish. Served on a thick masa cracker the pork was spicy and tender, the spiralized veggies made a gorgeous accompaniment. This was a favorite too.

Barry Greenwood, Executive Chef at the University of Iowa had MY vote, and my friend Vivian's vote too! His skewer of smoked pork shoulder, handmade chorizo, and hominy fritter draped with green chile sauce was my absolute favorite dish of all. The hominy fritter nailed it for me- creamy, crunchy, spicy and sweet all in one perfect bite. The pork was tender and perfectly smoked and the chorizo was so delicious. The sprinkle of pepitas brought some salty crunch. Perfection!

Anthony Valvoda of Bata's Restaurant in Cedar Rapids crafted the Duo of Pork Shoulder. Roasted pork shoulder and handmade mortadella spiked with pistachios and aronia berry reduction was an interesting and creative combination.

Des Moines' chef Aaron Holt, of RoCA, brought his Root Beer Braised Pork Shoulder Sliders with Crispy Sriracha Onions and Aioli in a root beer reduction is the restaurant's top selling pork entree, and I could see why. Homey, delicious, just the right amount of "messy" this sandwich would be equally at home in a trendy restaurant and a Super Bowl party. Definitely a crowd favorite.

The West Des Moines Marriott's Donald Garrett had another one of my very favorites. It was hard to decide who to vote for....... and when the chef offers up Mulled Apple Butter Bacon Wrapped Barbeque Pork with a crunchy slaw and corn muffin on the side, the stakes get raised significantly. This was comfort food hands down but a LOT more upscale than grandma's country kitchen.

Pam Oldes, from Eat on the Green in Oskaloosa created an Asian Pulled Pork Taco with Kimchi Slaw and spicy mayo. Yum yum YUM!!! The wonton shell was super crispy,light and not greasy AT ALL, the filling had the perfect kick of spicy heat. This one almost had my vote.....if not for that hominy fritter.

The chefs are judged on their entree recipe, but not the sides and accompaniments. Points are awarded on taste, appearance and originality with a total of 100 points possible. After the judging each chef will have a booth so they can meet the guests, share info about their restaurant and offer samples of their dishes. Guests vote on the samples and select the Peoples' Choice at the end of the reception. The evening's entries were judged by Chef Brad Scott, culinary instructor and head chef of Scott Community College; Chef Jonathan Cook, Executive Sous Chef of the Iowa Events Center, and Matt Unger. And the evening's results were.......

Peoples' Choice- Aaron Holt from RoCA

Premier Chef- Daniel Dennis from Lion Bridge Brewing Company

with the 2015 Iowa Pork Queen Christy Calderwood

Superior Chef- Anthony Valvoda from Bata's Restaurant

with 2015 Iowa Pork Princess Emily Cook

Chef Par Excellence- Jon Nelson from Wood Fire Grille

Several Iowa wineries and breweries were represented at the event as well..........which meant lots of fantastic beers and wines, from many new wineries I have never visited. I have several new favorites to hunt down, so look for some Happy Hour features in the future!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received passes to attend the event with no expectation of providing a written post- my post is entirely voluntary. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Foodie Field Trip- Culinary Fight Night

It's all about who you know!! Seriously! I thought this year I would have to scale back on my Foodie Field Trips and spend more time poring over the cookbook stash and cooking at home for entertainment, but when you have a child in the culinary industry you sometimes have a bit of an edge! My lovely daughter Laura graciously invited me to go with her to the 2015 Culinary Fight Night in Des Moines and of course, I said yes!

I'd heard about this event a while back and really wished I could go. As a charity event, the chefs will be raising money to help support the Central Iowa Shelter Services as well as winning some cash for themselves and a black boxing glove as the trophy. As a food event, there will be some amazing dishes to experience. 

Along the line of a Chopped meets Iron Chef type competition, the chefs battle face to face in a Vegas-style boxing ring and each of the chefs will create an appetizer, entree and dessert, and guests vote for their favorite. Besides the exciting menu, guests get to meet and greet with the judges, chefs and other guests, enjoy appetizers and cocktails before the event and take home some swag as well.

The swag was not your typical bag of goodies. Intended to bring home the importance of helping people in need, it was a stark contrast to the typical "goodie bag" at events. While we were dining on filet mignon, lobster, uni, truffles, and enjoying cocktails in a beautiful ballroom, there are people living in shelters, in cars, without even the basic needs. 

Who are the chefs?

Chef Dominic Iannarelli is a graduate of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, with a degree in hotel restaurant management. After cooking around Ames and Des Moines for a while, he became the Executive Chef at Splash Seafood. Working with Bruce Gerleman, Chef Iannarelli opened Jethro's BBQ, and we all know how successful Jethro's has been! Besides having numerous locations around the Des Moines area, they have been featured on many television shows including Man vs. Food on The Travel Channel.

Chef Mike Holman is one BUSY guy! He is the Executive Chef for Dos Rios, Big City Burgers & Greens and Catering DSM. Also a former Ames resident he began his cooking career at the Iowa Culinary Institute and after, headed to France where he practiced in the St. Etienne region. A passionate advocate of local sources and products, and a supporter of various charities in the area, Mike sounds like a fierce competitor and a peek at the menu he has created for this event demonstrates his skill and vision.

Students from the Iowa Culinary Institute assist the chefs

The scene. The Iowa Ballroom at the Des Moines Marriott was transformed into a boxing arena, surrounded by tables for the guests to watch the action. The pre-fight Meet and Greet gave everyone a chance to visit with the judges, chefs and other locals, and enjoy a cocktail or two and appetizers.

The secret ingredients. All the guests were able to vote ahead of time for a secret ingredient they would like to see the chefs use, and the top three voted were jelly beans, marshmallows and root beer. The chefs could use one ingredient per course OR all three in one course.

The menu. Can I just say WOW? Two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts, and are they are exciting. Chef I used jelly beans to create a gastrique for his shrimp appetizer and Chef H used marshmallows in his white chocolate sauce. The food fight starts with-

Crispy sugar cane shrimp, raspberries, rocket salad and Manchego dressing (Chef I) AND 

Tabasco-seared scallop, gingered sweet potato puree, warm white chocolate sauce and crispy bacon (Chef H). I am dying and headed to the Pearly Swinging Kitchen Doors! So much delicious and we have barely started. The shrimp was speared on a sugar cane stick and placed atop a fresh and crispy salad, with this amazing and light dressing. The scallop was delicious, tender and perfectly cooked, nestled onto a bed of the most delicious sweet potato puree I have ever tasted. Little bits of ginger lingered in the puree. The scallop was my favorite appetizer.

Then we move on to entrees. The entrees had to use the secret ingredient of root beer. Both chefs incorporated it into a sauce-

Honey glazed BBQ duck, sesame seared baby bok choy, garlic and leek fried rice (Chef H) AND 

Szechuan peppercorn crusted filet medallions, lobster XO sauce, uni risotto (Chef I). I am officially in culinary heaven. I have never had uni before so this is an amazing and rare treat for me. Duck......one of my lifetime favorites. I wish I could describe the duck- it was perfectly cooked, rare, juicy with perfectly cooked skin, nestled onto an Asian-inspired fried rice. Lobster and  filet are always perfect, but paired with a lovely risotto and topped with a shaving of black truffle, it was truly elevated. 

No room for dessert? Well here are two anyway. Chef I used his last secret ingredient, marshmallow, in the tiramisu, and Chef H created a jelly bean sauce to top his ice cream dish-

Hot Chocolate Tiramisu with peppermint Schnapps (Chef I) AND 

Brown sugar glazed bananas, Orange coconut cardamom ice cream, toasted walnuts and salted caramel whipped cream (Chef H). There just are no words. The ice cream was very light, the banana was caramelized beautifully and not too sweet, and the drizzle of jelly bean sauce brought that touch of sweet. The tiramisu brought the sweet in a big way. Soft ladyfingers, creamy mascarpone, drizzled with the hot chocolate sauce, it reminded me of cannoli.

The judges. Five dignitaries/personalities were on hand for the official judging, and they were KCCI Reporter Emmy Victor; Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie; Miss Iowa 2014 Aly Olson; cookbook author, writer and TV Host Wini Moranville and Juice Magazine's Rebecca Sidles. As guests we also had a say in the competition after trying all the courses by casting our vote for the best chef.

The competition was incredibly close. By a score of 379 to 377.......the winner of the 2015 Culinary Fight Night Des Moines is...........Chef Mike Holman of Dos Rios! This event was so much fun, I want to visit some other cities and experience what their chefs bring to the ring!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

http://www.culinaryfightnight.com/des-moines/

Trending: Inside the World of Competition 'Que

Imagine the scene- dozens of RVs and camping setups line the roadway. Stacks and stacks of coolers lined up and ready to go. The haze and smell of smoldering apple and cherry wood. Brightly colored banners of logos, team names, cute cartoon pigs and cows. Lawn chairs and beer cans sprinkled about the grounds. You're at a barbeque competition and things are about to get pretty interesting around here.

These teams mean business- big business. From hobbyists to professional chefs and restauranteurs, the barbeque pitmasters take this competition VERY seriously. To them, it's the Olympics of ribs and brisket, chicken and pork butts. The competition is tough, and losing even tougher. Reputations are at stake, bragging rights are on the line, and some of the best 'que is about to be sampled. What does it take to be a winner? The perfect rub? The right kind of wood? Will that smoke ring take you into the winners' circle? 

With the incredible popularity of food television it's no wonder shows like BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Crawl have thrust this craft into the spotlight. Bobby Flay's Barbeque Addiction makes it seem so easy. These shows go way beyond the humble backyard grilling party. The teams have attention grabbing names: Smokin' Triggers, Wood Chick's BBQ, Slap Yo Daddy, and many more. Pitmasters like Johnny Trigg, Shad Kirton, Ray Lampe and Bubba Latimer have become household names and are celebrities in their own right. They love what they do, and they are committed. Winning means everything.

But have you ever wondered who are the lucky souls that get to judge all this expertly prepared barbeque? I'll admit, I never have- I was more interested in following the teams and watching them go to great lengths to hide their secret ingredients from their competition, but then a friend of mine, Janice Squire, who I have known since we were teenagers, and now lives in Texas, the heart of barbeque country, happened to mention she had been a judge in the Recess on the River competition in Smithville, TX., hosted by the International Barbeque Cookers Association. Well, I just had to ask her a few questions about this! So let's find out what Janice had to say about her barbeque judging experiences-

1. I was so surprised to see you say you had been a judge at a barbeque competition. How did you get involved in this?   We were invited by folks who had judged other contests. In this particular contest, we didn't need to be prequalified for judging. We just followed the rules.

2. Barbeque is obviously HUGE in Texas. How would you describe the perfect Texas barbeque?   Perfect barbeque is tender and juicy, yet not quite falling apart, has a nice bark and well rounded flavor profile.

3. What is YOUR personal favorite barbeque style- wet, dry, etc? Spicy, sweet?   My favorite flavor profile here is moist, a hint of sweet and spicy and plenty of sauce. Just a little salt and pepper. A bit of savory after flavor is pleasing.

4. How about meat- what is your favorite kind of meat to have barbequed?   As a semi-finalist judge we sampled about 15 pork ribs first. They must be the same cut. About an hour later we sampled a little over 15 brisket entries. Personally, I like all types of meat but I prefer the taste and texture of grassfed organic beef and humanely raised pork.

5. What's the most unusual thing you have seen in a competition? This was my first experience so nothing seemed unusual to me.  I did learn that most of the meat is brined. Personally, I usually brine with Himalayan or Celtic sea salts.

6. Barbeque teams are well known for their clever names and outrageous rigs. Did any really stand out to you? Favorite names or teams?  We got a laugh out of the team names but spent most of our time in the pavilion judging anonymous entries. We stayed for the awards ceremony too.

7. Can you break down the different things you look for when judging an entry in a barbeque competition? What are the basic requirements and are bonus points awarded for anything?  There were five criteria for judging: appearance, aroma, flavor texture and seasoning, but with one overall rating.

8. Many of the competition barbeque folks are pretty well known- do the judges get to hang out with the "celebrity chefs" at all? Did you recognize any famous names?     Didn't see any celebrities at this particular competition but several had barbequed for celebrities before.

9. Is there any special training required to be a judge? Any official governing body? Any sort of certification or credentials required? This one had no certification necessary, though plenty of the other judges had done it before. The folks conducting us had plenty of schooling in showing us the rules. One fork and knife per taste, then discard it, clearing your palette with a variety of items provided between tastings. No talking about the food you're eating, and take your time. It entry is judged on its own merits.

10. Finally, let's say you are having a special get together for 200 friends and family. What would be the perfect barbeque menu for you?   Wow, 200 is a lot of folks! I think it would be homespun style in a backyard or park. The menu would include brisket, burgers, chicken, beans, fresh lemonade, sweet potato salad and coleslaw with a vinegar based dressing. As for dessert- fresh peaches on the grill- yum!

Now, let's get the perspective from the other side, from a competitor. Jason Crees hails from Adel, Iowa and is the pitmaster for Jaestar BBQ. He and his team compete in the Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctioned events all over the midwest. As you can see, these guys have it down to a science- just look at a few of the many awards they have won!  I asked Jason ten questions about his experience and here is what he had to say-

1. Jason, how long have you been competing in barbeque?  This is my third year competing. I compete in contests sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS). They are the largest organization in the world and sanction contests in the US as well as other countries around the world. In KCBS competitions we compete in four main categories: chicken, pork ribs, pork shoulder/butt and beef brisket.

2. Were you in a culinary profession before this or was it just a passion you really wanted to get into?  Cooking has always been a passion of mine. My mom owned restaurants and I grew up in them. I am a competitive person by nature, so once I started learning how to barbeque, competitions seemed like a great next step.

3. I had no idea barbeque was so popular in Iowa. Do you think there will ever be a competition in central Iowa? Are competitions separated by divisions/regions?  This is one area I think that a lot of Iowa are in the dark about. There are actually quite a few contests in Iowa. A good resource to find them is to go to the Iowa BBQ Society's website. They have KCBS sanctioned contests and local, unsanctioned contests listed there. I think there are around 15 KCBS contests in Iowa this year! With KCBS,there is no separation by division or regions. They have an overall point system that they rank teams. They have them for each of the four categories and an overall ranking. One other thing that many people don't realize is that Iowa teams are some of the best in the country. In the past five years or so Iowa BBQ teams have won the Jack Daniels World BBQ Championship twice, the American Royal World Series of BBQ three times, the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour two out of three years, as well as many KCBS team of the year category and overall Top Ten finishes. It is not uncommon to go to an Iowa competition and have a good portion of the top 20 teams in the country competing. There isn't another state that can claim all of that!

4. Barbeque is so big now with all the tv shows and huge winners, some of the competitors have become celebrities of sorts. Have you ever competed against someof them? Ever hang around with them at competitions?  Television has been great for increasing the popularity of BBQ and BBQ completions. I think that participation increased around 17% last year, making it one of the fastest growing "sports" out there. I have competed against a lot of the BBQ celebrities and have become friends with quite a few of them.

5. When you set up your cooking/camping area for a competition, what's the overall atmosphere like? Is there a camaraderie between the teams? Is it like one big party or everyone sizing up the competition?  There is definitely a camaraderie between teams. Some of the best people I have ever met in my life are BBQ competition people. This is not just the other teams, but judges, organizers, contest reps and volunteers at events. Having competed in such a vast number of states has also allowed me to meet and become good friends with people across the country. Friday afternoon and evening we are all usually busy at our sites prepping meat and getting everything ready to go on the smoker. Usually around 8-9 pm we start wandering around socializing with each other. It is also not uncommon for us to have potluck meals on Friday night.

Jason in the kitchen with "Dr. BBQ" Ray Lampe.

6. Are the teams pretty hardcore about preserving secret formulas and recipes? Does Jaestar have their secret formulas?  What's really interesting is that we are all using very similar rubs and sauces. The secret comes in how much of them we use, how we mix and match or how we blend them with other ingredients. One of the other pretty amazing things about competition is how willing teams are to help each other out. We all come to a competition wanting to win, but if I forgot something or needed something I would have ten teams there ready to help out. I was ready to hang it up about mid way my first year of competing. One of my friends gave me some advice on rubs and sauces and it helped me move from a bottom of the pack finisher to finishing in the Top Ten. If someone is truly needing help and struggling, most of us would be willing to help out and give advice to help correct what they might be doing wrong.

7. What is your favorite part of competition- which meat do you like working with the most and which do you like the least? How about the most unusual food?  Nothing beats hearing your name called at awards. Second to that is being able to relax and do something that I love with great friends. I like brisket the best because it is considered the most challenging to cook. Contests can be very easily won or lost on brisket and I have been on both ends of that. I don't know that it's unusual but I have smoked salt, butter, cheeses and made my own bacon. Nothing too exotic. An interesting one is you can smoke water, make ice and then use it in cocktails.

8. Home many competitions do you normally compete in every year? Is it seasonal, since you're based in Iowa or do you travel to warmer states also?  I will probably compete in 30 competitions this year. I mainly compete in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas and Minnesota, but I will travel to other states. Last year I competed up until the middle of December at a contest in Georgia. This year, a friend and I am setting up a west coast operation and plan on competing in Arizona, California and Nevada this fall and winter.

9. How did you come up with your team name?  The back story is long and boring on the name. I have used it as my email address since around 1995. I was filling out my first BBQ contest application and couldn't think of a name. My email address was listed so I just added BBQ to the end.

10. Are there any champs out there that you'd LOVE to go head-to-head with- and beat? I have competed against many of them. Some days they win, some days I do. In KCBS competitions, each entry is judged separately from the next. This is no comparative judging. You may finish better than someone else but there are a lot of variables that play into it. You may not have been judged by the same people or maybe hit a hot or cold table. Now if we are talking about a heads up competition, comparative cook, there are a lot of teams that would be fun to compete against. I could easily come up with a list of 10 teams from Iowa, but Darren Warth with Iowa's Smokey D's would be towards the top of the list. He can cook well and win any given week, anywhere in the country and has done so consistently for eleven years.

I don't know about you guys, but this sounds like a wildly fun-filled experience. Seeing and hearing the passion these folks feel about the food, the barbeque, the history, their rigs (and let me tell you, some of them are INCREDIBLE), it's like the Super Bowl. If you ever get the opportunity the check out a barbeque competition or festival, you absolutely MUST do it! I know I plan on it. The barbeque bug is highly contagious. Who knows......you might get bit too......

****BIG thanks to Janice and Jason for spending time talking with me and allowing me to use their pictures.