After carbing up at The
Southern Grind Coffeehouse, it was time to head down to Kitchen Arena for
the first competition of the day, Bacon World Championship Opening Round. As we
walked over, we saw the competitors wheeling/carrying in their cooking
equipment and ingredients towards the tent. You could feel the “buzz” of
excitement, nervousness, tension, and love of bacon in the air. I have been
covering World Food Championships
since 2014 and in that time I have met so many nice people that have become
part of my ohana. One person in particular is Rebecka Evans from At Home with Rebecka. I met her during
the 2015 World Food Championships in Celebration, FL. We were attending a
Blogger Summit prior to the Championships. My biggest memory was being packed
into a rental car so the girls could get back and shop for their competition
the next day and I could attend a media event that evening. Even though we were
squished like sardines, we had so much fun on the ride back. I have never
laughed so much in my whole life!
The Bacon World
Championships was presented by Lipton
Iced Tea and the Opening Round included two builds: Structured Build and
Signature Dish. The Structured Build for Bacon World Championship was “Quiche
Lorraine” (defined as a savory open crust pie, filled with custard flavored
with, but not limited to, bacon and cheese). The Signature Dish was the
competitor’s choice, although it needed to fit the general “theme” of bacon to
receive maximum points.
After a few minutes into
the round, Kitchen Arena became bacon heaven with 34 competitors cooking bacon!
Jodi Taffel’s man, David,
was one of the Cheferees during the Bacon World Championships. Staying Alive!
Bacon Team Saucy Mama team
members were Renee Robinson (on the left), Rebecka Evans (in the middle), and
Lynn Beamer (on the right).
Rebecka’s Quiche Lorraine
entry called, Three
Cheese Quiche Lorraine, came together beautifully – beautiful golden crust,
perfectly yellow custard color speckled with snipped green chives and reddish
brown bacon bits. The full quiche was her “presentation plate” and slices were
made for the judges’ plates. The taste was amazing with buttery crust, savory
custard, creamy cheese flavor, and lots of bacon. E.A.T. Score: 92.375 out of
100.
After turning in her
quiche, it was time to work on her Signature Dish, Dutch Crunch Baby. Instead
of creating three separate recipes for each entry, Rebecka decided to make her
Dutch Crunch Baby as her Signature Dish and Top 10 Infused Ingredient dish. Her
infused ingredient was a choice of three Lipton Iced Tea flavors: Peach, Green
Tea Citrus, and/or Mango. Rebecka went with Lipton
Mango Iced Tea.
The crunch had lots BACON
along with freeze-dried fruits and other ingredients.
The sweet and spicy sauce
and filling were made with Lipton Mango Iced Tea, Saucy Mama Taste Domination
Scotch Bonnet Pepper & Blackberry Wing Sauce, and other ingredients.
Dutch Crunch Baby all set
to be turned in. It was such a beautiful presentation with the cast iron
skillet contrasting the golden brown dutch baby, orange mango peach sauce and
filling, and blackberry/mint garnish. The taste was also amazing! Delicate
dutch baby contrasted with the crunchy topping along with a sweet yet savory
flavor from the sweet peaches and tropical mango and smoky, salty bacon. It was
a little sweeter than I would have liked but would absolutely love to eat it
again! E.A.T. Score: 91.625 out of 100. Final score for the opening round: 92
out of 100, placing her in 8th place. Placing 1st through
10th qualified her to move on to the Top 10 Infused Ingredient
Round. Stay tuned!
