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Gina Hobbs takes first place in contest
TIFTON — It was a tough decision for the judges, but when all was said and done – and tasted – Gina Hobbs’ “Spinach Artichoke Rotisserie Chicken” took the grand prize at Saturday’s “Great Tifton Taste-Off” recipe contest held at the Georgia Agrirama and sponsored by The Tifton Gazette.
Coming in second place overall was Vann Thornton’s “Shrimp and Grits” dish and third place overall honors went to Stephanie Crays for her “Mojito Cake.”
Thornton’s dish also took top honors in the “Old Family Recipe” category, which was added to this year’s annual recipe contest in recognition of the Taste-Off being held in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution’s “Key Ingredients: America by Food” traveling exhibit at the Agrirama.
Cray also took top honors for both her Mojito Cake in the “Dessert” category and her “Ybor Salad” in the “Salad” category.
Hobbs took first-place honors for her grand prize-winning recipe in the vegetable category.
Other category winners included: Linda Horten for her “Special Mexican Corn Bread” entry in the “Bread” category; Ethel Walker for her “Chocolate-Covered Peanut Brittle” in the “Cookies/Candy” category; and Marva Brinson’s “Honey-Orange Glazed Cornish Hens” in the “Meats” category.
Brinson noted that she was 21 years old in 1962 and living with her mother, Havana Matthews, when she entered The Tifton Gazette’s first cooking contest. On Saturday, she brought with her copies of that cookbook and other Gazette annual cook book editions she had saved through the years, several from the 1960s.
Prizes for the winning cooks Saturday included cookware, a cookbook and gift certificates donated by local sponsors, which included Badcock, Lamplighter Pub, Curtis Packing, Towson Cold Storage, Harper’s in the Myon restaurant, Belk, the Party Station, Turner Fine Furniture, Southern Bodies, Oil Masters, Shear Perfection, Target, the Agrirama and Traditions.
The judges for the event — Katie Barnes, Jetty Tanner, John Johnson, Chris Parrot and B.J. Smith — deliberated for almost 45 minutes before making their final decisions.
All recipes entered in the Great Tifton Taste-Off will be published in a cookbook to be distributed in the Gazette later this month.
The “Key Ingredients” Smithsonian exhibit had been on display at the Agrirama since late June and was a partnership between the Smithsonian Institution and state humanities councils. Events in Tifton have included the South Georgia Foodways Festival, the Incredible Egg exhibit, a screening of the movie “King Corn,” a Sustainability Fair focusing on recycling and composting and a Foodways Day Camp for children.
The exhibit also featured special displays on community canning, organic gardening and the farmer’s market.
The exhibit’s finale was act from the play “Turpentine Jake” on Saturday afternoon.
John Johnson, the Agrirama’s curator who coordinated the local exhibit, said Saturday that the opportunity for Tifton to have the exhibit was a blessing and that members of the Smithsonian organization had told him that the community here had been one of the best to work with.
“I think the most important thing we’ve gotten out of this is the partnership in the community,” Johnson said. “I’ve been super pleased with that.”
To contact senior reporter Angie Thompson, call 382-4321.
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