Media Contact: Kaitlyn Romitti
Cook This! Event Coordinator
3630 Extension 4-H Youth Building
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
Email: kromitti@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-2644
Cayla Taylor
Campus 4-H Program Specialist
3630 Extension 4-H Youth Building
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
Email: cayla@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-1877
Bringing Home the Bacon: Winning Teams Announced for the 2013 Cook This! 4-H Culinary Challenge
Ames, IA –The Iowa State Fair started with a bang when youth from across the state showcased their skills in the
kitchen during the 2013 Cook This! 4-H Culinary Challenge.
Teams competed in a culinary, comunications and nutritional challenge at the junior, intermediate and senior
levels. Teams were provided their respective ethnic cuisine recipes to practice making as a team prior to
competition. The teams also presented information on different food and nutrition related topics during a
communications challenge in addition to testing their expertise in produce and equipment identfication, food
safety, and culinary knowledge challenges.
Teams were judged based on creativity, food safety, communication, and teamwork. Scores for the
communications challenge and identification challenges also factored into each teams score. Winning teams
from each age division are listed below.
Junior Level (5th-6th grade)
1st Place-Cookin' Crusaders (Woodbury County)-Jessica Kratz, Anna Plathe, Lauren Sobaski
2nd Place-The Three Amigos (Warren County)-Ally Olson, Sarah Mumm, Meredith Hoffman
3rd Place-Sizzlin' Sweetie Pies (Warren County)-Gabby McCoy, Ashlynn Williams, Vanessa Hautekeete
Intermediate Level (7th-8th grade)
1st Place-Kitchen Heat (Warren County)-Hannah McCoy, Leonora James, Lucas Henkelman
2nd Place-Shooting Stars (Madison County)-Grace Erpelding, Alaina O’Connor, Paige O’Connor
3rd Place-Gourmet Girls (Polk County)-Evalina Grimaldi, Freedom Clark, Aspen Davis
Senior Level (9th-12th grade)
1st Place-The Three L's (Marshall/Boone Counties)-Lauren Mosher, Leah Mosher, Landra Reece
2nd Place-Stud Muffins (Woodbury County)-Nicole Kratz, Karissa Fjeldheim, Tyler Paulsen
3rd Place-The Spice Girls (Mahaska County)-Sandra Blom, Lexi Randau, Jennifer Ackers
Teams received a prize package sponsored by the Iowa Beef Industry Council, Iowa Turkey Federation, Iowa Pork
Producers Association, Fareway, Iowa Egg Council, Successful Farming Magazine, Iowa 4-H Foundation, Iowa
State University College of Human Sciences and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the North Central
Cheese Industry Association, Maytag Dairy Farms, AgVenture, Two Chicks from the Sticks, Our Iowa Magazine,
Cookies, and C&H Sugar. The Three L’s, 1st place senior-level team, will have their recipes tested in the Better
Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen and featured in Successful Farming magazine. In addition, each winning team
member who enrolls in an academic program in Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
or College of Human Sciences will receive a $500 scholarship.
Judges for the event included Erica Beirman, culinary science advisor at Iowa State University; Jan Temple, a
retired ISU Extension Nutrition Program Specialist; Anne Rehnstrom, a member of the National Pork Board;
Kathy Sibbel, the owner of a preschool in Ankeny, Iowa; Diane Ward, an egg specialist with the Iowa Egg Council;
Annie Peterson, a freelance food editor at Meredith Corporation; Lois White, Director of Consumer Affairs with
the Iowa Egg Council; Susan Hoss, co-owner of Main Dish Media in Des Moines; and Rosemary Hutchinson, a
former food editor at Meredith Corporation.
Boilerplate:
4-H is the nation’s largest youth development organization, serving more than 6 million young people across
America with programs in leadership, citizenship, communication and life skills. One in five Iowa school-age
youth participates in 4-H. In Iowa, 4-H Youth Development is headquartered at the Iowa State University campus
in Ames. 4-H is supported by federal, state and county funding, private grants and donations, and fees. For more
information about joining 4-H, contact your Iowa State University Extension and Outreach county office at
www.extension.iastate.edu/ouroffices.htm or visit www.extension.iastate.edu/4H
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