Tasting Smorgasbord allows youth to showcase cooking skills
2 min readCOSHOCTON — One might think the junior fair is only focused on livestock, but there are other projects where students showcased their skills.
The Tasting Smorgasbord gave Coshocton County 4-Hers, ages 9 to 18, the opportunity to highlight their cooking skills by competing in several categories that included appetizers, meats and main dishes, bread, pasta and rice, fruits, vegetables and salads, desserts and snacks. Judges critiqued the dishes on recipe, texture, flavor and appearance.
There were 25 cooks taking part, including Cloverbuds who were not part of the active competition.
‘They’re learning to share something that they’ve made’
Emily Marrison, family and consumer sciences educator for the Ohio State University Extension Office of Coshocton County, said the smorgasbord allows 4-H members to explore their cooking interests while interacting with the public. Many also do cooking projects.
“They’re learning to share something that they’ve made,” Marrison said. “We also talk a little bit about food safety too.”
Madison Hammond, 13, of Keene Kountry Kids 4-H Club won first place in the meat and main dishes category and judges’ choice for best overall for a white chicken chili. She said the chili was a family favorite bursting with fall flavors.
“I do actual cooking projects for 4-H. I love to cook and I love to bake. It interests me a lot,” she said. “I’m just really happy we’re able to do something like this.”
Chocolate chip cheesecake bites won dessert division
The biggest division was desserts and that was won by Emily Fechuch, 15, of This-N-That 4-H Club with her chocolate chip cheesecake bites. She said it’s a recipe her mother uses to make full cheesecakes, but making small samples felt like a better fit for the contest.
Makenzie Specht, 10, also of This-N-That 4-H Club, took part in the smorgasbord for the first time. She made pumpkin cookies. Her sister Katelyn, 7, is a Cloverbud and made orange cookies.
“I like to bake, you can bring your family together when you do it,” Makenzie said.
Avery Stewart, 11, of Keene Kountry Kids made cookie shooters. They were to look like sunflowers with the shape, color of icing and a chocolate chip in the middle. He had been in the smorgasbord six years.
“I like just giving food to people,” he said with a bright smile.
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Thursday Highlights
10:30 a.m. – Skid steer rodeo at pulling track
5:30 p.m. – Sale of Champions and junior livestock sale at Hunter Arena
7 p.m. – Motocross at the grandstand
