Another Day...ANOTHER COOKING AWARD!!

Jing Xia won FIRST PRIZE today in the Savory Category of the Squash Competition at the Athens Farmers Market. That's THE very Squash Competition of Athens, mind you. VERY big deal, LOTS of intrigue and backstory. Reporters and cameras. Pictures to come. Jing Xia made fried springrolls stuffed with mushroom, pork, and shredded zucchini, and a bit of wine. They were delicious, and the presentation (Steven and I) was impeccable of course. We went and shopped for our vegetables and fruits for the week while the 30 minutes or so of judging happened, but LAIYEE stayed there at the cafe tent the WHOLE time!! Good for us, she took all the pictures below. She could not tear herself away from the intrigue for a second!

(*Oh my Carole only got THIRD place?? A pizza placed?? Oh that lemoney zucchini pie is to die for!! OMG that soup is out of this world!! You mean to tell me they submitted a dish WITHOUT supplying the required recipe before the Wednesday deadline?!*)

The whole town was there. Well, at least the people of OUR town!

FIRST PRIZE!!

Zhuhe Jing Xia!













Here she is, frying up the winning Birdsnest Springrolls on the outside cooker.









Girl Friday, arranging JingXia's creation and prepping the presentation, and trying to help Steven.









Steven preparing his Birds Nest Noodles. The judges--
apparently--did not like his dish at all. Whatever. I loved it.









The completed Bird's Nest Noodle dish and Birds Nest Springrolls, with fireworks of purple basil going to seed at center. And a little chopped parsley. Both dishes' presentations were inspired by the debut the previous evening of the stunning Bird's Nest in Beijing.

















VERY careful transport. Notice we didn't even bother with film.





The spread. In all, we think there were a couple dozen dishes. Three prizes for savory. Three for sweet.









Quiet! The judges are busy concentrating!






Posing. Shopping. It was a drop dead GORGEOUS day Saturday. It hasn't been really hot and humid here alot this summer, which makes moi tres tres tres heureux.









The announcement! Notice the surgical glove backup singers, accent on hygiene, ready to serve Athens!


The WINNER! Notice her creation in the lower foreground, all scissored up for consumption by the masses.









The masses waiting to consume.









The prize winner with her booty!









Prize winner's son, cleverly stealing the booty!