Cook-off Background | Be a Cook | Be a Judge | Prizes | Rules | Past Recipes | FAQ

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GENERAL RULES. Cooks may reside anywhere in the world, but all entries must contain citrus and/or celery as an ingredient. All cooks must submit an entry fee along with a registration form and a copy of the cook-off recipe no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4, 2012. Recipes may be e-mailed (preferred) or sent via regular hard mail to 6007 Lake Charm Circle, Oviedo, FL 32765. There are 16 openings for cooks in each division (for a total of 32 cooks).

PRESENTATION. Dishes may be presented in any manner that the chef sees fit. However, for purposes of scoring, only the portion of the recipe that is located on a single-serving size dish will be evaluated (see JUDGING, below).

PORTIONS. Up to 54 judges will be sampling each recipe. Four of those judges' opinions will count for 80% of the score and those judges will sample as much as necessary to accurately score the recipe. The remaining 50 judges will be using toothpicks and ice cream sampler spoons to draw their portions and will have only one shot at evaluating favorites. Therefore, if a cook believes that the community's opinion of his or her recipe is important, then that cook will want to be sure to bring enough for everyone to have a decent taste. You may bring as much or as little as you desire, however all samples, regardless of the recipe, will be of roughly equal size to eliminate portion size as a factor in the voting process.

SET-UP. All entries must be set up no later than 10:20 a.m. on Saturday, April 14, 2012. Cooks may begin setting up no earlier than 9 a.m. Health Department regulations prohibit cooking on site. Each recipe will be allocated a space 18 inches wide and 14 inches deep to display the plated entry. Additional portions and any equipment may be stored under the tables and in an area designated for that recipe (that area, like the presentation, will measure 18 inches wide and 14 inches deep). A dark green tablecloth will be provided as a backdrop for all dishes.

LABELING. The Citrus & Celery Committee will label all entries with the recipe name, but not the cook's name. Entries containing both citrus AND celery will be marked as containing both, however the cook must select which category to place the entry in. Masking tape and markers will be available on site to label additional dishes that a cook may wish to bring to accommodate serving samples to community judges.

PUBLICITY. A list of all cooks and recipes will be available at the physical contest site, though a list telling which cook made which recipe will not be available until after the cook-off results have been announced.

JUDGING. Each division (Citrus and Celery) will be judged by 4 individual judges whose scores count for 20% of the dish's total score. The remaining 20% will be the cumulative opinion of the 50 members of the community who sample all of the entries into the division.

• TRADITIONAL JUDGES. There will be four Traditional Judges per Division, and each judge's score will count for 20% of the cook's total score. Traditional judges will rate dishes using the following criteria: 60 points for taste, 25 points for novelty (which includes originality, difficulty, and creativity), 10 points for plating, and 5 points for decorations that compliment the dish containing food (for a total of 100 points).
  
• COMMUNITY JUDGES. There will be 50 Community Judges per Division, and the collective opinion of these people will constitute the remaining 20% of each cook's score. Community Judges will rate dishes by sampling all of the entries in a division and selecting four (4) favorite dishes. Community judges will receive no further instruction than to pick 4 favorite dishes. Judges may judge based on looks, taste, decorations, or whatever criteria the judge deems important. Votes will be cast directly with the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections who will be on site at Taste of Oviedo
• JUDGE QUALIFICATIONS. Judges need not live in Oviedo. Traditional judges will consist of (1) the Mayor of Oviedo, (2) the President of the Oviedo-Winter Springs Regional Chamber of Commerce, (3) a designee of The Oviedo Preservation Project, (4) a designee from the Oviedo Historical Society, (5) Oviedo High School's Teacher of the Year, (6) Hagerty High School's Teacher of the Year, (7 & 8) and two cooks known for catering and cooking in Oviedo city limits. Community judges consist of the first 50 people per division to volunteer for the taste. TOPP would appreciate a $2+ donation from those who wish to participate. Relatives of cooks and cooks may be judges as well.

SERVING. After the Traditional Judges have sampled all entries, the Citrus and Celery Committee will prepare 50 bite-sized servings so the Community Judges can get samples efficiently. Cooks should make sure that the Committee knows the whereabouts of any additional portions that may be available for this phase of competition. Cooks are encouraged to bring either pre-portioned samples (using the Official Portion Guidelines) or tools that they consider best-suited for that purpose (so the volunteers scooping portions don't have to guess the cook's intentions. For example, green salads with multiple ingredients might not reflect the "perfect" bite when portioned by volunteers).

SCORING. Each Individual Judge's score will count for 20% of the cook's score, with each judge able to award up to 100 points per dish. The Community Judges will have their point values added together for each dish, and points will be awarded based on cumulative rankings using the following formula: 100 - 5 x (community ranking -1). Here is a partial list of that line of calculations: 1st - 100 points, 2nd - 95 points, 3rd - 90 points, 4th - 85 points, 5th - 80 points, and so on. The community judge results will be available after the results are announced, purely for informational and statistical purposes.

PRIZES. There will be 1 Award of Distinction given, and dishes in both citrus and celery are eligible for this award. There will also be a 1st through 4th place awarded in each Division. Prizes will consist of recognition and one or more of the following: CA$H, tangible gifts donated by local businesses, and gift cards.

CONTACT INFORMATION. Please visit www. OviedoTraditions.org for more information on the Citrus & Celery Cook-Off. You may also reach the Committee via e-mail, phone (407-365-1433) or by sending a letter to 6007 Lake Charm Circle, Oviedo, FL 32765.