The I Inaugral Quina's Cook-Off!

[Formalhaut]

42633

:save: Do you enjoy cooking? Do you like competition? Do you like winning?! :save:


42910 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-4.html#post3248196)42911 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-4.html#post3250876)42912 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-5.html#post3250882)42913 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-5.html#post3250901)42914 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-5.html#post3251179)42915 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-5.html#post3251184)42916 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-5.html#post3251233)42917 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-5.html#post3251371)42918 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-5.html#post3251388)




Then why don't you step right up and take part in our very first Quina's Cook-off extravaganza! There will be blood, sweat and tears going into this as you try and score that 'Best in show' ribbon! While there isn't actually a "prize" as such, take pride in the fact that you will be forever known as "Master of the fork". Who knows, you might even get a custom title if the administrators are kind enough!

Detailed in this opening post is all the information you will need to get involved in this lucrative enterprise!


http://static-files1.modthesims2.com/images/smilies/icon2.gif The Sign-Up Phase

Starting from today (Monday 22nd) you will have until Sunday 28th to take an interest! One thing I should stress, is that everything is confidential. Do not post in this thread!! If you are going to take part, then PM me, and I will get back to you to confirm your lovely placement.

You can, however, post in this thread for general chatter about the proceedings, such as "Ooh, what a great idea for a contest" or "That's a great recipe, I wonder who created it". You cannot reveal that you are taking part as this may influence the judges.

I'm trusting you guys to post in this thread for spectating purposes only. I'm kind like that see. I do understand that you would want to discuss recipes and stuff, so I'm giving you that freedom to do so. Don't disappoint me on this one!


After I've gotten the sign-ups, what happens next is the cooking phase! Lovely! I'll send you all a PM at the end of the sign-ups phase to honour the start of the cooking phase.

http://static-files1.modthesims2.com/images/smilies/icon2.gif The Cooking Phase

So you've signed up, and so Week Two (29th April - 5th May) is the cooking phase. You have to select a dish/recipe that you would like to cook. The dish can be dinner, dessert, breakfast...anything! Be aware that this is all being judged, so try to make it as original and exciting as you can. Push the boat out!

After your dish is cooked, you MUST take a picture of it that is of a reasonable quality and PM both the picture, and the ingredients list and recipe. Below is an example of what I expect to be sent to me via the PM to avoid any confusion:



Here's my dish guys! I hope you all enjoy it. It took awhile getting the whole thing together, but it's quite a cheap, yet effective recipe!

Thai Noodle Soop


http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/food/ic/food_16x9_448/recipes/thaiinspirednoodleso_92377_16x9.jpg





Add the paste to a large shallow pan and cook for a few minutes to release the aromas, stirring frequently. Roughly crush some coriander seeds with a pestle and mortar and add to the paste with a pinch or two of turmeric and the vegetable stock and simmer for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, pour some boiling water over the rice noodles in a bowl and let them sit until they have softened, about 4-5 minutes, then drain and set aside.
To soften the heat of the sauce, add the coconut milk to the pan and bring back to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes while you devein the prawns by cutting along the back of the prawn with a small sharp knife and removing the black 'thread' using the point of the knife. Add the prawns to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until pink and tender, finishing off with splashes of Thai fish sauce, to taste, and more chopped fresh coriander, to your taste.
To serve, divide the drained noodles between two bowls and ladle over the aromatic soup with the prawns and serve straight away. Chicken, scallops or mushrooms are a great alternative to the prawns.


Ingredients



1 good knob fresh root ginger (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/ginger), peeled and roughly chopped
1-2 red chillies (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/chilli), seeds removed (optional), roughly chopped
1-2 stalks lemongrass (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/lemongrass), tough outer layers removed, roughly chopped
2-3 garlic (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/garlic) cloves, peeled
1 handful fresh coriander (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/coriander_fresh), a few sprigs reserved and chopped
a glug or two vegetable oil (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/vegetable_oil)
1 tbsp coriander seeds (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/coriander_seeds)
1-2 pinches ground turmeric (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/turmeric)
small jug vegetable stock (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/vegetable_stock)
a couple of handfuls rice noodles (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/rice_noodle)
1 x 400ml/14fl oz can coconut milk (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/coconut_milk)
1 large handful raw, peeled tiger prawns (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/prawn) (the shells and heads can be reserved for making stock in another recipe)
a few splashes Thai fish sauce (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/fish_sauce), to taste



Again, just an example of what I'm expecting. Any entries that do not include a picture, ingredients list or a decent recipe will not be accepted. Sorry if that sounds harsh!

Right, so you've cooked your dish, sent a picture, presumably ate it or given to a significant other as a romantic gesture... now what?


http://static-files1.modthesims2.com/images/smilies/icon2.gif The Judging Phase

This is the most critical phase, and as such lasts three whole weeks. I have a panel of four experts who will take your recipes and try them out, and then report back to me via PM with their thoughts! It's all very exciting, so let me introduce them to you! We have:

- Lulu! She specializes in tropical Besaid dishes, though she's willing to venture out and try something more Lucarian in nature. She's a stern woman: it'll take a lot to impress her!

- Zell! This excitable teenage SeeD goes absolutely crazy about hot dogs. Try to wrench him away from his fast food favorites!

- Lightning! Her birthday meal didn't go down well, but here's hoping that when she tries one of your recipes, she won't frown! Who knows, maybe we'll make her smile for once!

- Gau! Well, he was tempted to join Sabin with some dried meat, but will he be tempted to give you high scores with your dishes? Only time will tell!

These judges will be cooking your dishes and taking pictures, and will send those in a PM to me together with their scores! There are five categories that are marked, you guessed it, out of five!



Taste: Simply, how nice does it taste? A low score will involve Lightning making her characteristic frown, while a high score will make Zell go bananas and start jumping around like a small child.
Appearance: Based solely on the image that you take, how nicely presented is the dish? Is it just slopped on like a hunk of dried meat, or is it arranged beautifully? This category makes your serving of the dish all that more important!
Value: Food costs money, for the ingredients and stuff. Even Zell had to cut back on his daily hotdog intake! Basically, is the dish worth the money it took to produce? If it's an expensive dish, does it taste expensive and high-end, and if it's quite cheap and simple, does it still taste great even with a low-budget?
Difficulty: Subjective category, I agree. How hard is it to make this dish? The easier the dish, the better, because no one would want to be tearing their hair out getting that sauce juuust right, or getting that steak to the optimum rarity. Bear in mind that simply sourcing the ingredients can be a part of difficulty, so if your ingredients list includes exotic fruits such as Rambutan, Lychee or Dragon Fruits, then expect difficulty to rise and your score to lower!
Originality: Anyone can whip up a hotdog. Anyone can bake some simple cookies. But it takes skill to make a judge go "Oh Snap!" and gaze upon a wonderfully inventive and unique dish. This isn't about how exotic a dish is (though that is one option), it's about taking something common and putting your signature on it, a certain twist to the old. You know what I mean right?



These criteria are what you need to think about if you want to claim that top spot. Remember, these are out of 5, so 5 x 5 equals... 25! Yup, it's out of 25, with the highest score being the winner! It's so simple.

Unless you are a judge reading this, you shouldn't worry too much about the judging phase, as that's their task. You contestants can sit back, relax and enjoy the ride while I slowly trickle information through. As I get the results back from the judges, I'll slowly start to compile them in this here thread as the tension grows... and grows... until a winner is crowned!


http://forums.eyesonff.com/images/icons/redexcl.gif A serious note with judges, if there is an ingredient in the recipe that you are allergic to, then for goodness sake don't consume it! Instead, if you can, omit that from the recipe, or find an alternative if you can as well. If there's any problems at all with any dish, then by all means, drop me a PM!

http://static-files1.modthesims2.com/images/smilies/icon2.gif The Cooking Phase, Redux!

The judges have three weeks to judge, so that's from May 6th - May 26th. After that phase, I will reveal who was eliminated, and who wasn't eliminated and went into the final! The finalists will be based on the scores, of course, and it will be the top half who goes through! It's capped at 6 finalists however. As it stands, there's 11 contestants, so it's the top 5. 12 or more will be top 6 to go through. Don't worry so much about that though. Just do your best!

If you're one of the lucky ones who got through, great! You have to cook again! This final dish will be based on a theme that I will announce at the start of this final round. You again have a week to cook this final dish. This is from the 27th - 2nd of June. Again, same entry requirements apply here. Send me a PM, with a picture of the dish, a recipe and ingredients list. You know the drill here by now!

So, after that, what do you think will come next?


http://static-files1.modthesims2.com/images/smilies/icon2.gif The Judging Phase, Redux!

Yup, the judges will mark and cook your final dish. Again, this is out of 25 as per normal. Now that there's less dishes to mark, the judges will pretty much have a week to do the dishes, though if needed, time can be added onto this phase.

Now, the key here is that the winner will be based on both this final dish AND the qualifying dish scores! Basically, it's:


Qualifying Score + Final Score = Overall Score

The overall score is the key one here and makes your qualifying dish all the more important. A weak final dish can be supported by a strong qualifying one, and vice versa. Of course, try to get both up to an A grade standard!

At the end of this phase, then the scores will be revealed, and the contestants! The winner will be crowned "Master of the Fork" and such. Yay!

http://static-files1.modthesims2.com/images/smilies/icon2.gif The "No-Brainer" Step By Step

Below is a no-brainer step by step if you've been inflicted with "Wall O' Text" syndrome and haven't taken in everything.



Between Monday - Sunday, PM me, stating that you want to be included. I will get back to you to confirm.
During the second Monday - Sunday, begin cooking your dish. Take a picture of the finished product, write an ingredients list and recipe, and PM me all of that information.
Wait for three weeks while the judges, you know, judge...
Eliminated contestants revealed, finalists begin cooking their final, themed dish, and you have a week commencing the 27th of May.
After the second round of cooking, judges judge again. The first round and final round scores will be added together to make up a final score out of 50.
Winners crowned, celebrations and stuff. Yay!


The process seems complex, though really I've summed up a good page of writing in that four step process. Seriously, it's that simple!


http://static-files1.modthesims2.com/images/smilies/icon2.gif Anything Else?

Not that I can think of. If there are ANY questions whatsoever regarding the process, then by all means, send me a PM and I'll be happy to help.

Remember, the whole point of this is to have fun! I really am proud that I've been chosen to host such a prestigious event in Quina's Kitchen, and I hope to make it a fantastic one. So, what are you waiting for? Get messaging me!

:quina:

[sharkythesharkdogg]

This should set the tone! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1f8t-PcIZs)

I'm excited! :jess:

[Pumpkin]

So exciting :plumcheer:

[LocoColt04]

I can't wait to see all of the delicious pictures that I won't be able to eat because they're not real.

I'll just have to print all of them. Add salt to bring out the ink flavor. DELICIOUS :quina::quina::quina:

[chionos]

This should set the tone! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1f8t-PcIZs)

I'm excited! :jess:

Brill. :thumb:

[KH-Cloudy]

I want the winner to send his/her dish to everyone that posts in here!!

I look forward to seeing what the chefs of EoFF has to offer. :)

[sharkythesharkdogg]

Maybe a Mod should sticky the thread?

[Formalhaut]

Maybe a Mod should sticky the thread?

Why sharky, what a lovely idea. I'll go grab a Cid's Knight and badger them for awhile. :)

So far guys, I've had one person sign-up on the first day! Fantastic. I hope for many more!

[Calliope]

I kinda feel like contestants should be given some sort of guideline, even if it were only "prepare a dessert". I'm not sure how one would otherwise compare a casserole to a flan, for example.

[Pumpkin]

The judging will be based on five things. Taste, appearance, value, originality, and difficulty. We have four judges with different tastes and cooking styles, so that different dishes will get different kinds of recognition and points. In your example of a flan vs a casserole for example, one might prefer the taste and look of a flan, but find them difficult to make. The scores would reflect that. Meanwhile another judge might enjoy cooking such dishes, and score it easy to make, and well tasting, but find the casserole more original (since there are many many variations on a casserole.) That's why its good to have judges with different tastes and cooking styles. If all of the judges liked steak and potatoes it wouldn't be fair to someone submitting anything other than that. It's really based on personal preference for some dishes, but we will also assign points for how well the recipe is objectively before adding in personal preference. I don't like onion for example, but I understand they have their place in cooking, especially in dishes like stews where they influence the flavor a good bit. If I were to see onion in a stew recipe, no points would be removed based on taste because I know it's a good ingredient to have in a stew.

The goal of the competition is to just have fun making recipes. If you like to cook, just make a dinner you would make anyways, jot down a recipe (adding things like salt and pepper to taste is perfectly acceptable, because this is how most people cook), take a pic and send it in. The judges then have fun trying new dishes and expanding their tastes.

[Formalhaut]

I kinda feel like contestants should be given some sort of guideline, even if it were only "prepare a dessert". I'm not sure how one would otherwise compare a casserole to a flan, for example.

Maybe in future competitions, perhaps we can employ a 'theme'. However, the important thing to remember here is that the judges aren't comparing dishes, they are only scoring them based on their own merits using the five point system - comparing dishes isn't the purpose of the judges.

[Calliope]

Yes, I read the instructions. I guess I've only heard of cook-offs where the contestants are all cooking the same sort of thing. I look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with.

[chionos]

Yes, I read the instructions. I guess I've only heard of cook-offs where the contestants are all cooking the same sort of thing. I look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with.

You say that as if you were only going to be a bystander.

You will be competing, for course, yes?

[Formalhaut]

Yes, I read the instructions. I guess I've only heard of cook-offs where the contestants are all cooking the same sort of thing. I look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with.

Funny you should say that actually, because the British cooking programme Masterchef, if it's still the same as I remember it, had episodes where the contestants cook various dishes.

Anyway, I'm liking the support so far, but we need more! We currently have 3 entries messaged to me, which is fantastic, but I know there's many more budding chefs out there!

[LocoColt04]

Certainly at a forum where you have an entire FOOD SUBFORUM, there would be people willing to participate in something so awesome.

[Pumpkin]

Certainly at a forum where you have an entire FOOD SUBFORUM, there would be people willing to participate in something so awesome.

This ^

Come on guys, it's not hard to cook something up and take a picture. Sign ups end Sunday but you have a week after that (plus this week) to do it. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. It's just all in good fun :jess:.

[chionos]

Well, once this one's over and they see how happy the winner is with his/her super duper secret prize, they'll join in the next one.

[Formalhaut]

We're almost halfway through the sign-ups and now we have 4 entries! It's gathering steam, though I know Shion messaged loads of people about the competition, and so potentially we have alot more waiting in the wings! Don't be shy!

[Pumpkin]

If there is a second one, I'm going to step back from helping run things and participate. I've already thought of some recipes I want to submit :D

[Formalhaut]

If there is a second one, I'm going to step back from helping run things and participate. I've already thought of some recipes I want to submit :D

Shion, it's your idea; you're more than entitled to help run it! Particularly the first one ever. I'm planning on doing this bi-yearly, similar to the ciddies: One in say April, one in October/November. This one has been an open contest with no theme, but I'll probably run the next ones with some restrictions or whatever.

I'm just the frontman host in all this, you deserve the lionshare of the credit Shion! :D

[Pumpkin]

You've done a great job hosting and I'm very grateful to you! I think those are good timelines. They won't interfere with the Ciddies and one in the fall might line up well with a thanksgiving theme. This is so exciting!

[Formalhaut]

You've done a great job hosting and I'm very grateful to you!

You give me too much credit. :)

[chionos]

MY TURN

I WANT IN ON THE CIRCLEJERK

Someone tell me how it's really all thanks to me. Tell me tell me tell me.

[Pumpkin]

This entire event is thanks to chionos. In fact... I... I owe him my life really.

[chionos]

:smug:

[Formalhaut]

MY TURN

I WANT IN ON THE CIRCLEJERK

Someone tell me how it's really all thanks to me. Tell me tell me tell me.

Don't worry, after the contest is over I'll be veritably circle-jerking everyone who took part.

[Faris]

Aw man, I'd love to take part but there is no time! :( What if I make a Wendy's meal magically appear?

[chionos]

Aw man, I'd love to take part but there is no time! :( What if I make a Wendy's meal magically appear?

Bollocks! Of course there's time.

[Formalhaut]

Aw man, I'd love to take part but there is no time! :( What if I make a Wendy's meal magically appear?

Technically cooking time is next week Monday-Sunday, however if time is a constraint, then you can cook during this week if you need to!

It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Sometimes the simple foods are best for me.

[Faris]

The Wendy's IS directly across the street from one of my jobs... :plotting: Actually, so is the Tim Hortons to make it more Canadian.

Edit: I'll know how next week is on Friday so you'll secretly know then~

[Formalhaut]

The Wendy's IS directly across the street from one of my jobs... :plotting: Actually, so is the Tim Hortons to make it more Canadian.

I'd love to see the PM to me on that one:


Wendy's Burger


Ingredients List

- Money.


Recipe

- Go to Wendys.
- Order a burger.
- Pay for burger.
- Go home.
- Eat.

[Faris]

Better yet:

Tim Horton's Timbits

Ingredient list
Monopoly Money

Recipe:
- Go to Tim Horton's
- Say "I'd like some timbits, eh."
- Make sure you only get chocolate and honey dip
- Say "Thank you" and pay the nice coffee person
- Go home
- Devour
- Have a sugar rush and crash

[Formalhaut]

And I've just had another entrant, meaning....

5 entries so far! It's definitely getting there, slowly but surely.

And damnit Faris you will enter if all you serve up is biscuits with tea!

[Pumpkin]

I have one thing to say to this.

:hyper:

[Formalhaut]

I've been busy storing away your sign-up mognets guys and while we still have Friday, Saturday and Sunday to go, we now have...

6 entries! Fantastic. This was actually my minimum number that I was hoping for, so thank you guys for taking in such an interest! I know there's more out there, waiting to cook out there, so don't be shy and sign-up!

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

I dunno if I am going to. If I do, part of me wants to take advantage of working in a fine dining kitchen. The other part of me wants to make something my mom makes.

[Formalhaut]

I dunno if I am going to. If I do, part of me wants to take advantage of working in a fine dining kitchen. The other part of me wants to make something my mom makes.

The good thing about the competition is that there's room for both traditional, earthy rustic food, and more haute cuisine that requires real complex skill to create. Both 'types' of food is credible for the contest.

It doesn't have to be that time consuming either! If you decide you want to or have any further questions, then PM me!

[Freya]

Okay so if we do this then we have to cook it, then give you the directions, then you guys cook it?

[Pumpkin]

You make the dish, take a pic, send in recipe/ingredients list and the pic, and then the judges make it at home and, well, judge it.

[Formalhaut]

Great news this day with a massive surge in numbers. As of now, we have...

8 entries! Superb! As it stands now, there will be two heats, followed by a final round. This is due to the judges having to cook ALL OF THESE dishes, you see, so by splitting them up, the judges have time to have their bank balance restore itself and not be stressed cooking all of these dishes! So, let's assume that we have 8 entries (could be more still!)

Heat A

?????? - Qualify
?????? - Qualify
??????
??????

Heat B

?????? - Qualify
?????? - Qualify
??????
??????

Final

?????? - Master of the Fork
?????? - 2nd
?????? - 3rd
?????? - 4th


Bear in mind those ????? will turn into fun codenames. I've yet to sort that out yet, but each contestant will have a FF themed codename to differentiate themselves!

[Jinx]

Moogle
Moomba
Cactuar
Tonberry
PuPu
Chocobo
...

I'm drawing blanks for two more!

Or you could just do summons.

[chionos]

I like the summons idea.

Or Quina's blue magic:

Angel's Snack
Frog Drop
Mustard Bomb
Pumpkin Head
Mighty Breath
White Wind
Magic Hammer
Mighty Guard

If there were three more with some kind of foody theme it would be perfect. :p

[Pumpkin]

Omigosh yes, do summons.

Shiva
Ifrit
Ramuh
Bahamut
Leviathan
Carbuncle
Alexander
Odin

[Formalhaut]

My my, plenty of Friday entries! Perhaps it's the fact that it's Friday and everyone's happier, perhaps that's why their signing up now! But...


9 entries!

[Formalhaut]

Right, there's been a few changes now that there's been a really large turnout (and a thank you to all who did!) and so the competition format has changed. Originally, it was going to be a straight contest, but given the numbers, the judges will have their work cut out cooking all of these recipes in such a short time. I've collaborated with the judges, and together we've come up with a competition schedule that should work for everyone. Great! :D

Oh, and also... 10 entries! And an old EoFF friend who I have on Facebook wants to participate as well, so that knocks it up to 11! This explains why the format has changed.


http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon2.gif So what's changed then?

In terms of players, not a great deal. You still have between the 29th - 5th to cook your first dish! That part doesn't change. Unless I've given you permission to cook earlier than that date (due to time constraints, etc) then you begin cooking and photographing on the 29th.

I'll send everyone participating a PM to confirm this, and to start cooking! You all still have to send me a PM and stuff with photo, recipe and list, but I'm repeating myself now and the opening post has all the details you could possibly ever need. Ever.


What does change though is afterwards. We have many players and so the judges have to cook in excess of 11 dishes (maybe more if I get late entries either Saturday or Sunday) and so to help them cook all of these dishes, they have 3 weeks to cook all of them. If they need anymore time, to be honest that could be extended further. But the judges will do their best to cook all 11+ dishes in 3 weeks.

In terms of dates, the judging phase is May 6th - May 26th!


http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon2.gif Then what?

I was getting to that! Sheesh. After the first judging phase, the scores will be tallied up and the top half of the players will enter into the final! This is all based on the overall number of entries: as it stands, there's 11 entries so 5 of you will go through, if there's 12, then it will bump up to 6 and will most likely remain at 6 after that regardless of whether there's 12 or 120 entries.

For the most part, don't worry too much about that, it's my job as host to get the scores and whatnot and tell you all what's up. However, don't slack off though! You still need to put in a good performance to get through, and also...

...in the final, you will have to cook again! This time, there's a theme involved, so your dishes all have to be of a similar type. The theme will be revealed at the end of the judging phase in May 26th. I know what the theme is, but that's my little secret until then!

On May 27th, the scores of the eliminated contestants will be revealed, and the finalists will also be named. That's their cue to start cooking their final dish, based on the theme. You all have exactly a week, just like the first cooking phase. You have from May 27th - June 2nd to cook your final dish.

The judges will then have time to judge just 5 or 6 dishes, and after the final score is revealed to me by the last judge, that phase will end.


http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon2.gif Okay cool, can I go now?

Not just yet! I mentioned earlier that your first dish will have to be stellar. This is to get you through to the final yes, but also, your qualifying dish and your final dish will be tallied together!

Essentially, it's:


Qualifying Score + Final Score = Overall Total


The final ranking will be based on your overall score, so it's important to get both your qualifier and final dish to be as best as you can!


And that's all the changes done. If you have ANY questions with anything, then don't hesitate to PM me. Besides this post, I will also update the opening post as well to reflect the changes. Thanks guys for your patience!

[Pumpkin]

I'm happy with the amount of participation :jess:. The judges are going to have their work cut out for them. The trade-off is they get to eat many delicious foods :D.

[Depression Moon]

Wish I knew about this earlier, well actually I probably still wouldn't have been able to enter. Looking forward to seeing the pics and reading the judgment.

[Formalhaut]

Updated the OP post to make the difficulty rating clearer: The easier the better!

[Formalhaut]

Right then, it's the end of Sunday (where I live anyway) and so that means the sign-ups phase are....



CLOSED


Thank you to all eleven participants who signed up! I never would have expected to have double digits for contestants, but you guys haven't failed me and I can only shower gratitude onto you.

But it's not over yet! You now have a full week to cook your chosen dish and message it to me in a mognet! I've already got one full recipe up, and I'll post that on this here thread shortly, but before that, let's meet our contestants!

From the top, we have:




Ramuh - He's definitely a real archon of the storms, and he cuts wheat from the scythe. But will he cook up a storm in the kitchen?
Siren - This sweet siren is hoping to make sweet music with her food. Will it connect deep within the judge's soul?
Sacred - The younger brother of Minotaur, Sacred is competing to try and win the approval of his older brother!
Yojimbo - He's being paid mega-gil to cook his favourite recipe, but who exactly is paying him? You'll have to find out later!
Ifrit - Undercooked food certainly isn't a problem for Ifrit! This summon certainly knows how to sear steak. Let's just hope he doesn't overcook it...
Ultima - Competing for the rest of the scions, Ultima is trying to make sure they win this war! Shame about the other war though.
Hecatoncheir - This eidolon has four arms, which makes multi-tasking in the kitchen an absolute cinch!
Odin - Here's hoping when the pressure is on, Odin won't just stand around doing nothing like he did in VIII...
Bahamut - The lord of the summons. The heat from the megaflare can scorch the earth...and a few eggs as well.
Leviathan - A specialist in sea food, Leviathan knows his way around prawns, fish, even diced blowfish!
Gilgamesh - His success in the kitchen is mixed, to say the least. Sometimes, he scores perfection, other times it's very poor indeed.



These eleven summons are going to give it all their all during the first round, so show them much support!

The cooking phase begins...


NOW!


I'll send out confirmation PMs to all the summons involved, with instructions and stuff. Remember, you guys have from the 29th to the 5th of May, so don't leave it too long! :)

[Formalhaut]

And without fail, Sacred has come in quick as a flash and cooked us his delicious dish! Remember judges, the judging phase is next week, so don't jump the gun just yet, but I think it's fine to reveal the recipes, one at a time, as the tension builds!
:jess:



http://guides.gamercorner.net/images/ffviii/sacred.jpg Sacred



"Sacred is serving a barbeque marinated meatloaf, with green chillies, chopped chives and seasoned with ground cayenne"






One large mixing bowl
Standard meatloaf tray (around 9x5x2.5)(disposable ones can be found at your grocer)
Muffin tray (optional)
oven
measuring spoons/cups
spoon
knife
oven mitt




10 oz. ground beef (80/20 blend)
10 oz. ground pork (you can find packages of half ground beef, half ground pork at most groceries to save money)
1 medium sized egg
4 tblspoon basalmic vinegar
1/8 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon ground cayenne
2 oz. chopped green chiles (NOT bell pepper. I bought a four ounce can of Old El Paso brand and used half.)
1/2 cup freshly chopped chives
1 1/2 tblspoon Bar-B-Que Seasoning (Hickory/Apple/Maple etc. You can usually find this in the steak rub section of the seasoning isle. I used McCormick brand Smokehouse Maple)
1 yellow corn bread muffin (if you can't find them for sale, add the ingredients below to make your own.)
Some Hickory and Brown Sugar based Bar-B-Que sauce. (I used Sweet Baby Ray's brand)
1/2 cup corn muffin mix - For the muffin
1-2 tblspoons of milk - For the muffin
1 teaspoon vegetable oil - For the muffin



The Recipe

If you could not find a corn bread muffin, start with that first. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. (If you found a muffin in the store, preheat to 350) Mix the three ingredients for the muffin in a bowl until the batter consistency is even. With the small amount, it will not take long. Apply a thin layer of oil to one of the muffin tray slots with a napkin, then pour the mixture into the tray. Allow the muffin to cook for 10-15 minutes and slightly golden, depending on your oven. You will know the muffin is ready when you can insert a knife into the center and it will pull out with no batter stuck to the blade.

While that is baking, rinse our your bowl and add the other ingredients (except for Bar-B-Que sauce) for the meatloaf into the bowl. The baking time will give you a chance to chop and measure all the other ingredients to be added. Once the muffin is done, turn your oven down to 350. Then crumble the muffin into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Now thoroughly mix them together by hand. Once again make sure the consistency is even throughout.

Take another napkin, or the same one, and apply another light film of oil along the meatloaf tray. Spread the meatloaf mixture evenly across the whole pan. You should have some space left at the top. (Around and inch/10cm) It's not exact, so don't break out a ruler.

Allow the meatloaf to bake for approximately 40 minutes. Every oven is different so observe it often and use common sense. Once the loaf appears mostly done along the top surface (Close to the 40 minute mark.), add a layer of the Bar-B-Que sauce along the top. Allow the loaf to cook for another 15 minutes. This makes sure it is thoroughly cooked into the middle, and allows the sauce to caramelize further and lock in the moisture of the loaf.

After that amount of time (or shorter/longer depending on your observations), it is ready to serve!


42716"Mmm, looks delicious!"

[Pumpkin]

:excited:

[LocoColt04]

I cannot wait to cook ten thousand delicious dishes as these recipes are posted. DO WANT.

[Goldenboko]

Wait a great competition :) I look forward to stealing recipes as well!

[Formalhaut]

So far, I have exactly 1 recipe out of a possible 11. It's nearing the mid-week, so I'm expecting a whole horde of recipes bearing down on me soon! Don't leave it too late summons!

[Jinx]

So far, I have exactly 1 recipe out of a possible 11. It's nearing the mid-week, so I'm expecting a whole horde of recipes bearing down on me soon! Don't leave it too late summons!

Is there a time limit to submit recipes? It wouldn't be fair to the judges or other contestants if someone waited until the last day of the competition.

[Pumpkin]

They have until May 5th.

[Formalhaut]

There absolutely is a time limit in submitting recipes in to me: This Sunday. If no recipe is submitted to me by a contestant by this Sunday, then I will assume a zero score, which naturally leads to them not going through to the final. You've got to be stern with time limits, I've given them plenty of time and no-one has said that they couldn't cope with a week, so Sunday it is.

Naturally, if you have a VERY GOOD reason for missing Sunday, then I might give you an extra day or two, but only if you have a good reason for that. I don't want to be giving freebie days for nothing you know.

I'll send every contestant who hasn't submitted a recipe by Friday a warning that time is running very short and they should do their recipe soon!

[Pumpkin]

That being said, I would like to think people didn't sign up for nothing :P.

Judging by the number of entries that came in on the last few days, it isn't very late at this point (about halfway through). I'm sure there will be some more entries up in the next few days.

Looking forward to seeing 10 more recipes!!!

[Formalhaut]

Two more recipes have been sent in but that still means that there's a full 8 recipes yet to be cooked, or they are cooked and they just need to be sent to me via PM. The weekend is here, so I definitely am expecting a huge flood of recipes. Right? Right?

Below is Ramuh's recipe. The next (double) post will be Odin and his marvellous curry!



42844Ramuh



"Ramuh is serving a 'fiesta' stir fry; with fresh limes, chili peppers, all together with unseasoned chicken breasts"






Wok - if you do not own a wok, a large frying pan can be substituted but the end result will not quite be the same.
Casserole dish (or similar, for baking the chicken)
Skillet
Large pasta pot & strainer
Cutting board (or plate) and good knives
A plate or two to store ingredients as you move through them
Salsa cup or other tiny bowl to mix sauce in
Spoons





16oz (1 pound) bag of extra wide egg noodles. This can be exchanged with another size/shape of egg noodle according to preference. You will use 12oz for this recipe.
Two medium-sized chicken breasts (unseasoned)
Red, orange, and yellow sweet chili peppers
1/2 of a large yellow onion
1 or 2 fresh limes
Soy sauce (low sodium recommended)
Dill weed
Lemon pepper
Garlic powder
Chipotle powder
Butter or margarine (or buttery cooking spray)



The Recipe

Start with the chicken. If you are going with frozen/precut, follow the directions on the package for oven baking. Ensure the chicken is fully cooked. If using raw meat, ensure the chicken is properly cleaned and prepared before the baking process. Baking the chicken breasts should take roughly 45 minutes at 375ºF, so go play a videogame for about 15-20 minutes, because you will have time to spare.

Next, take your yellow onion and slice it in half. Store one half for later use. With your remaining half, slice again in half, and then quarter the remaining pieces. This will give you thick onion slices for the stir fry. Take the skillet and put about a tablespoon of butter/margarine (or spray) and heat a burner until it sizzles. Caramelize the onions slightly. You will know this is complete when the onion pieces turn a little brown around the edges and are somewhat translucent. Move the onions to the storage plate, allowing them to cool.

If you picked up full-size peppers, one of each will be plenty. If you picked up a package of small assorted sweet peppers, pull 3-4 of each color. On each pepper, chop the ends off and dispose. Remove seeds with the knife or a spoon and discard. Cut each pepper in half vertically, and then into slices lengthwise that are roughly half an inch wide. Perfection is discouraged in the slicing process. Once you have completed slicing the peppers, add them to the plate housing the onions.

Check your chicken. Poke it with something to see if it bleeds. If the juice isn't clear, you're not done yet.

Boil roughly six cups of water for your noodles. Prior to reaching boiling point, stir in a teaspoon of chipotle powder. This will allow the egg noodles to absorb the flavor, ensuring a smoky kick to every bite. Pour about 3/4 (12oz) of the egg noodles into the pot. Cook your noodles for 6-8 minutes (until they're almost tender), then set them aside. DO NOT STRAIN until just prior to adding them to the wok. You do not want the noodles to dry out.

Check your chicken. Remove from the oven if complete and allow it to sit aside and cool down for a few minutes.

While waiting on the chicken breasts to be manageable, begin work on the sauce. Grab your salsa cup and add roughly a quarter cup of soy. Take two pinches of chipotle powder and mix well. Add a thin layer of dill weed until it coats the top of the liquid. It will float, so it's easy to know when you've got the right amount. Do the same with your lemon pepper, and then a little lighter with the garlic powder. Mix well. If you opted for standard limes, grab one and slice it in half. (If you chose tiny limes, grab two and slice those in half.) Using a spoon, scoop around the inside of your limes, releasing juice into your sauce. Get as much pulp out of the lime and into the sauce as possible; the pulp will help provide texture as well as cut into the smoky kick of the chipotle. Stir your sauce excessively until everything mixes. It will likely settle, so keep the spoon handle to stir again before use.

Check your chicken. It should be cool enough now for you to maneuver it. Chop the chicken roughly, into reasonable bite-sized chunks. It's okay for it to be a little shredded - it's a fiesta! Once your chicken is chopped, heat the skillet you used for the onions earlier (again, with butter/margarine/spray) and brown the edges just a little bit. When complete, put the skillet aside with the chicken still on it.


42875
"Heating the chicken. Hmm. "

Now it's time for the wok (or giant skillet).

In the base of the wok, add one tablespoon of butter. Heat the wok, and as the butter begins to sizzle, dump the plate with the peppers and onions into the wok. Using your sauce spoon from earlier, scoop three or four spoonfuls of soy mix into the wok, and then stir your vegetables. As the peppers begin to brown, add the chicken into the wok along with three or four more spoonfuls.

Take your noodles and strain them. Shake out excess water, and then move them immediately into the wok. Dump the remainder of your sauce over the noodles, and proceed to stir your ingredients. Sauces collect in the bottom of the wok by design, so ensure that all of your food manages to spend some time on the bottom. The entire wok process should only take about five minutes, until all noodles are no longer white. You may need another dash of soy during the stirring process to ensure proper coating.

Allow to cool for two or three minutes, then serve and devour like a ravenous beast.

~

Optional additions which complement the flavors of this dish based on your personal preference:
• Baby carrots, sliced lengthwise
• Broccoli, chopped rough
• Green bell peppers, sliced like the other peppers



42846
"Yummmy!"



42874
42876

[Jinx]

Oh, I know who Odin is!

[Formalhaut]

42845 Odin



"Odin is serving a signature curry (Odin's Zantetsuken), made primarily of spinach and chickpeas along with a menagerie of mixed spices"





Serves 2!




1 Clove of Garlic
1 Onion
1 tbsp Turmeric
1 tbsp Cumin
½ tbsp Ginger
¾ tbsp Paprika
1 tbsp Chilli Paste
1 tbsp Tomato Puree
1 Dollop of Butter
1 Can of Chopped Tomatoes
4 Sticks of Celery
1 Can of Chickpeas
Handful of Spinach
2 tbsp Natural Yoghurt
Rice and Poppadums (optional)



The Recipe

Firstly you want to chop up the onion. Now, I would chop it in quite big chunks to soak up those flavours and give the curry a truly hearty appearance. Chop or crush your garlic and add it with the onion into a large frying pan. Don’t put the heat on yet though, we still have more to add. Sprinkle your spices over the onion and garlic, and top them with a generous dollop of butter. Now you want to squeeze out your chilli and tomato puree over what is in the pan. Splash in a little water just to cover the ingredients – don’t drown them! Turn on the heat and stir the mixture up, let the butter melt and look at that wonderful colour. Can you smell how good it is too?

Once it’s sufficiently mixed and appears to be boiling, tip in the can of chopped tomatoes and stir that through, allowing the two to combine. You’ll notice a change in colour and texture here, it might look very watery, but don’t worry, that water will cook off. Next add the chickpeas and celery. Allow to cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mostly just allow it to simmer. This is a good time to do a taste test. The thing about curry is, I could recommend a specific measure of spice, and you know what, you might not like it. It might be too bland for you. So have a taste and see if you need to add in more chilli or tomato. If it’s tasting rather spicy, don’t worry just yet.
Once the curry is looking like it is almost done and everything in it so far has cooked, add in your spinach. You can chop it in or just put it in whole. I tore mine up because I’m a beast and don’t you forget it. Alternatively, wait until right at the end to add it so that it has more of a crunch to it.

Now, let it just soak in for a couple of minutes and get your next ingredient ready. The yoghurt. This is the hard part, you need to take it off the heat. Maybe take this opportunity to get your plates ready, arrange your rice or something. But allow it to cool just slightly. The last thing you want is for your yoghurt to hit the curry when it’s too hot and ‘split’. Add it in spoonful at a time, and stir slowly, it’s quite a delicate process. Adding the yoghurt will create a new depth to the flavour, change the colour and cream it up a little, toning down any chilli that might be poking through the other spices too much.

And that is it! You’re ready to plate it up! Any true curry connoisseur will know that the only way to eat a curry is not with a knife and fork, but scooped up in lavish amounts on poppadums’. So dig in and enjoy! The best thing about a curry is how versatile it is, if you don’t like celery – don’t add celery, throw a carrot in there, some squash, anything. This is also vegetarian friendly, and as well as that it just happens to be wheat and gluten free. It’s completely tasty, cheap, impressive, and filling. Go on, have some of Odin’s Curry for dinner.



http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/CutieTarey/OdinsCurry_zpsef732678.jpg
"Lovely! It can all be cooked under 20 minutes (http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Odin_(Final_Fantasy_VIII)) as well!"

[Jinx]

Poppadum is gross.

This looks really good, though! I might have to try making this, since my mom and I both eat gluten free.

[Formalhaut]

I forgot to check my facebook. Here comes a new challenger!!


42847Gilgamesh



"Gilgamesh is serving a cannelloni, with thick tomato/pasta sauce, chopped mushrooms and spinach and topped with a sprig of basil"





Serves: 4!
Prep time: 30 minutes!
Cooking time: 40 minutes!




250g ricotta
Basil (pinch)

1 red onion (/Spanish onion)

400g chopped mushroom

400g spinach chopped

2 chicken breasts

Grated cheese (as much as required)

Cannelloni tubes (approx 5 per person)

Tomato/pasta sauce



The Recipe

*A very no-nonsense recipe here compared to the others! F.

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Smurf your Fahrenheit!
2. Dice onion and chicken and cook in frying pan until chicken is done.
3. Add diced mushroom and spinach to pan until spinach is at desired consistency.
4. Put ingredients from pan into a bowl and add ricotta. Mix in together.
5. Add basil.
6. Stuff cannelloni tubes with this mixture and place tubes on a cooking tray.
7. Pour pasta sauce over stuffed cannelloni tubes until fully covered (any extra stuffing mixture can go on top also).
8. Cover tubes with alfoil/baking paper and put in oven to cook for 30 minutes, take out and put grated cheese on top and then cook for another 10 minutes.
9. Feast my pretties, feast!


42848
"Cannello what now? Lemme google it"

[Pumpkin]

So exciting :hyper:

[Jinx]

Mmm, that one sounds pretty yummy, too!

[Denmark]

250g ≈ 1 cup (8 oz)
400g ≈ 14 oz (7/8 of a pound)
180 C = 356 F

just in case any other americans don't have metric cooking devices

[fire_of_avalon]

Man, these look so good. Prepare a feast for me, all you guardians things!

[Formalhaut]

I've got two more recipes for you guys as it right up to the end of the cooking phase. There's still 5 recipes outstanding, and I'll be sending urgent PMs to those contestants shortly (I.E, after these posts). Should any contestant not meet the Sunday deadline, I do have a plan for such a situation, but bear in mind - you won't like it. I'm not disqualifying anyone, so don't worry, but you still won't like it. With that veiled warning out of the way, let's see Siren and Hecatoncheir's dishes!


42866 Siren



"Siren is serving a 'Hippopie', a meat pie using the meat of your choosing blended with minced meat and Grillkorv"





Pie Dough



1dl flour
80g butter
5 ml milk


Filling



Grillkorv (a sausage meat)
Minced meat
A meat of choice (I don't remember what i used at that moment, probably some regular cow meat)
Minced meat sauce
Some cheese


Egg Sauce



1 egg
1dl milk
Some salt



The Recipe



Take 1dl of flour and mix it with the butter (margarine) till it gets all kinda dried up mixed
Then add the water and beat it into a dough
Take the dough and fill up a pie form, puncture the filled up dough with a fork
Leave it for 10-15 mins while preapering the filling
turn the oven to 200 C
Take 1 eggs and 1dl of milk and mix it up with some salt (egg mix)
slice the meat into little pieces and mix it together with some seasoning (filling)
put the filling in the pie dough evenly, then pour the egg mix on it
put it in the lower half of the oven for about 45 minutes


Siren forgot to add this: "use the remaining dough to seal the top!"



42867
"Meat pie. It does what it says in the tin really"


4286942868

[Formalhaut]

42870 Hecatoncheir



"Hecatoncheir is serving a plate of chicken parmesan meatballs, marinated with a coating of olive oil and tomato sauce"






1 1/4 pounds minced chicken
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 minced clove garlic
1 egg, whisked
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 14-oz canned tomato sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 oz fresh mozzarella



The Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees
2. Put all the ingredients together in a bowl besides the last 3. Mix Well!
3. Make meat balls! Spread them out on a sheet of foil or a flat pan.



42871
"Mix well!"


4. Using a seperate bowl, put a spoonful or so of the tomato sauce and mix with 3 tsps of olive oil.
5. Using a brush or even just a spoon, brush the mixture onto the meatballs
6. Bake for 15 mins!



42872
"Brush the mixture on the meatballs"


7. When the timer goes off, brush more sauce mixture on top again and then put the mozzarella on top of that!
8. Put meatballs back in for 3-5 mins (or until cheese is melted)
9. Serve with sauce and a salad! Or use the sauce to make some noodles and have some spaghetti!



42873
"All served up. Delicious!"

[Formalhaut]

42877 Leviathan



"Leviathan is serving a Broccoli Cheddar soup with marbled cheddar cheese, whole milk and a dashing of salt and pepper"







½ cup butter
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
2 cups half-and-half
4 heads broccoli, stems removed and discarded, and florets cut into bite-size pieces
3 cups of marble cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper
2 cups vegetable broth



The Recipe

1. In a large pot melt butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to combine, cooking for about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and half-and-half.

2. Add the broccoli, a pinch of salt, and ground black pepper. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring to melt the cheese after each addition.

3. Finally, whisk in the vegetable broth, and re-warm over low heat if needed, and serve.




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v358/Ashley-pie/b1f36c7b-f9bf-40a1-8b7f-8d6652741f32_zps3d017ea7.jpg
"Looks...uh...delicious!"

[Jinx]

MMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Boud33reau]

I'm excited! :jess:

[Shaibana]

hhhmm... they all look nice :D maybe i should write some down to make it myself :D

[Formalhaut]

Hello all to the final day of cooking in the first round! I hope we are all well. Remember, the cooking phase ends essentially before I go bed, and to make sure that the remaining three contestants gets their dish done, will probably be later than usual. There's been a real surge of entries in lately and I've got exactly 8 entries, with 3 still to go. Should those 3 miss the deadline, there will be no disqualifications, but there will be penalties imposed, which I will reveal later if I have to. Anyway, I've got one new entry for you guys, so here it is!


42885 Yojimbo



"Yojimbo is serving a Swedish Mudcake, served with whipped cream and infused with vanilla essence and finally dusted with a sprinkling of icing sugar"








2 eggs
100g of butter
130 ml plain flour
240 ml brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 1/2 tbs cocoa
Pinch of salt


Garnish:


Icing sugar for dusting the cake with


Serve with:


Whipped cream

​

The Recipe

Keep in mind everything will be mixed in one pot.

x Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
x Melt the butter in a pot and turn off the element and remove the pot from there.
x Add brown sugar and vanilla essence to the melted butter and use a rubber spatula to thoroughly mix the ingredients together.
x Add the flour and cocoa and mix again, and lastly add the eggs.
x Mix very thoroughly, making sure to scrape everything off the sides of the pot as well.

x Grease a round baking tin (preferably one where the bottom can come off once it's baked) with some butter.
x Pour the mixture into the tin and bake in the oven for 15-20 min.
x The center should wobble every so slightly if you carefully shake the tin, and the outer corners should be firm.
x Wait 5-10 min before dusting with icing sugar.

Serve warm with some whipped cream on the side.

Enjoy~!


42887
"Looks very festive!"

[Formalhaut]

After some technical difficulties (which got the contestant slightly stressed, bless!) we now have this very interesting dish up next. I was looking forward to this one! I actually specifically asked for the actual name (not the translation), and it sounds like one of the locations from the Great Crystal from FFXII. Fitting then, I guess.


42892 Ultima



"Ultima is serving 'Kdeirat of im chumus velimon kavush'. This is a chicken stew served with chickpeas and pickled lemon"





http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon4.gif Group meal Indication: it feeds six so invite some friends if you want!
http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon4.gif Overnight Preparation: Begin the night before!



2 cups of chickpeas
1/2 cup of olive oil
6 chicken legs
2 onions, diced
6 garlic cloves, diced
1 hot pepper, diced
celery root, peeled and cut into small cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup parsley, finely chopped
4 pickled lemons, cubed (take care to remove the seeds, if any)



The Recipe

1. Soak the chickpeas in water overnight. Drain the water, put the chickpeas in a pot, cover them with fresh water and bring to a boil. Cook on low heat for 1 hour and 15 minutes, then drain.
2. Heat up the olive oil in a large, heavy pot and fry the chicken legs on both sides until they turn golden. Take the legs out and put them on a plate.
3. Add all the vegetables (onion, garlic, pepper, celery) to the pot and fry for 10 minutes. Return the chicken legs to the pot, and add all of the remaining ingredients along with one cup of water.
4. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, lower the heat and cook for an hour and a half. Serve warm.


42893
"Food for the soul this!"

[LocoColt04]

I think I'm going to gain ten pounds preparing all of these meals, and I'm not even judging!

I just like food. :3

[Formalhaut]

The cooking phase begins...


NOW!

It's been seven, long, tough days, but our contestants have churned out some fantastic recipes! There's still two left to go, and that means penalties. Unfortunately. Here's a recap of what's about to happen!

http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon2.gif So, it's the judging phase right?

That's right! From between the 6th of May and the 26th of May, it is the judging phase and the four judges will have those 3 weeks to cook all of the recipes featured. It'll be a hard slog, and you should thank them for spending copious amounts of time over the stove! But anyway, what's going to happen during the judging phase?

The judges are going to score the dishes out of 25, and 5 points are going to each of these categories:



Taste: Simply, how nice does it taste? A low score will involve Lightning making her characteristic frown, while a high score will make Zell go bananas and start jumping around like a small child.
Appearance: Based solely on the image that you take, how nicely presented is the dish? Is it just slopped on like a hunk of dried meat, or is it arranged beautifully? This category makes your serving of the dish all that more important!
Value: Food costs money, for the ingredients and stuff. Even Zell had to cut back on his daily hotdog intake! Basically, is the dish worth the money it took to produce? If it's an expensive dish, does it taste expensive and high-end, and if it's quite cheap and simple, does it still taste great even with a low-budget?
Difficulty: Subjective category, I agree. How hard is it to make this dish? The easier the dish, the better, because no one would want to be tearing their hair out getting that sauce juuust right, or getting that steak to the optimum rarity though bear in mind that a simple peanut butter sandwich is not going to impress. Simply sourcing the ingredients can be a part of difficulty, so if your ingredients list includes exotic fruits such as Rambutan, Lychee or Dragon Fruits, then expect difficulty to rise and your score to lower!
Originality: Anyone can whip up a hotdog. Anyone can bake some simple cookies. But it takes skill to make a judge go "Oh Snap!" and gaze upon a wonderfully inventive and unique dish. This isn't about how exotic a dish is (though that is one option), it's about taking something common and putting your signature on it, a certain twist to the old. You know what I mean right?


The judges are impartial because of the code-names, so don't worry about that! In fact, during the judging phase, don't worry too much as it's not your turn to act. Do keep an eye on the thread though for updates.

http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon2.gif Oh snap, I didn't get my dish in on time!

Naughty naughty indeed! Don't worry, you're not going to get disqualified. However, deadlines have been broken and so penalties do need to be imposed.. sorry!

The penalty is a accumulating point deduction, every day you go over. This begins immediately. Therefore, Bahamut and Ifrit automatically have a 1/2 point deduction from their overall score now. If they don't get their dishes into me by Monday mid-night (GMT), then they will incur another 1/2 point deduction, and so it goes on on and on until it gets sent to me via PM.

I should clarify, the deduction is added after the average score has been totalled.

So, say Ifrit got an averaged score of 20, and missed the deadline just once, then the total score will be 19.5. If Ifrit missed two days, then it's now 19. Get it?

http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon2.gif An example?

Certainly!

Ifrit

Lightning: 20/25
Zell: 22/25
Lulu: 18/25
Gau: 22/25

Average Score: 20.5

Deadline Deductions: Missed two days

Overall Score: 19.5

http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon2.gif Anything else?

It's a very simple scoring procedure. It's a very simple phase if you're a contestant. Any questions, then feel free to mognet me!

Have fun judges!

[Formalhaut]

Here are all of the recipes thus far. Clicking on their icon will take you straight to that recipe, so it's handy for both judges and those who want quick and easy access to the recipes located within the (long) thread.

I'll do the same in the Opening Post as well as a fully permanent feature. If you're trying to locate a dish, then take a gander to the opening post!


42901 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-4.html#post3248196)42902 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-4.html#post3250876)42903 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-5.html#post3250882)42904 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-5.html#post3250901)42905 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-5.html#post3251179)42906 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-5.html#post3251184)42907 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-5.html#post3251233)42908 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-5.html#post3251371)42909 (http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/149732-i-inaugral-quinas-cook-off-5.html#post3251388)

[Freya]

mmm those recipes all look delicious!

[Yerushalmi]

I submit for your approval the following recipe for a Babylonian Sandwich:

Ingredients:
- 3 slices of bread

Instructions:
1. Place one slice of bread between the other two slices of bread.
2. Serve at room temperature.

[Denmark]

man i love bread sandwiches

[sharkythesharkdogg]

Sounds like it would pair really well with my water soup.

Ingredients:
Water
Bowl
Stove
Pot

Heat water to preference and ladle desired amount into bowl. Sip and enjoy.

[Formalhaut]

Here's my recipe for 'tea':

Ingredients:

- Hot water
- Tea bag
- Milk (optional)
- Sugar (optional)

Recipe:

1. Boil water, preferably using kettle.
2. Get a mug, place teabag in the mug.
3. Pour water in mug.
4. Stir the blend, squeeze teabag using teaspoon to get maximum tea juices, and remove teabag.
5. Add milk and sugar as appropriate.

Done! Such a simple recipe, but so wonderful. For others, I don't drink tea or coffee or any other hot drink.

[Jinx]

You're English, and you use teabags. :stare:

[Formalhaut]

You're English, and you use teabags. :stare:

Well, I don't, as I don't drink tea. Why, what are you supposed to use? You seem surprised somehow.

[Shaibana]

well.. if we're going like that, here is m Oreo recipe

1. Go to the store and buy Oreo's
2. open package and take the oreo's out
3. ejoy.

(optional)
- dip it in milk

.. i wanna try this 1x
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmdc9RIhmOI
but not sure how to 'make' it

[Yerushalmi]

My Oreo recipe is better. I take them out of the package one at a time.

[Formalhaut]

I think until the judging phase is over, this thread will turn into the 'joke recipe' section until the judges do their thing.

I'm expecting comedy gold guys.

[Yerushalmi]

Comedy Gold

Ingredients:
1 standard Ryan Stiles or Colin Mochrie. If none are available, Greg Proops, Brad Sherwood, Wayne Brady, or Clive Anderson will do. Using a Drew Carey is not recommended.
1 King Midas

Instructions:
1. Briefly bring the two ingredients in contact with one another.

[Denmark]

You're English, and you use teabags. :stare:

Well, I don't, as I don't drink tea. Why, what are you supposed to use? You seem surprised somehow.

my guess is that she was going for loose tea

however "no tea" is the best answer come at me britbros

[Calliope]

I like this recipe. (http://www.food.com/recipe/ice-cubes-420398)

[Shaibana]

I like this recipe. (http://www.food.com/recipe/ice-cubes-420398)

wow!! im goin to make that!! wish me luck!!

[Faris]

I like this recipe. (http://www.food.com/recipe/ice-cubes-420398)

I bet I would end up burning it somehow :(

[sharkythesharkdogg]

I like this recipe. (http://www.food.com/recipe/ice-cubes-420398)

I bet I would end up burning it somehow :(

freezer burn obvs

[Formalhaut]

It's been a full week and now it's time to catch up with what's been going on in the past week: how are our judges doing? Well, this week, it's been a thunderstorm as Lightning racked up an impressive four dishes! The other judges will have to make sure they don't fall behind!

I'm trying not to make this sound like a race or anything :p
Good luck judges going into week two, and everyone else: keep your joke recipes coming!



Judging Phase
The First Week


43150 Lightning http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon2.gif Siren 43151

43150 Lightning http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon2.gif Sacred 43152


43150 Lightning http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon2.gif Ramuh 43153


43150 Lightning http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon2.gif Gilgamesh 43154

[LocoColt04]

The Cooking Phase is drawing to a close - are there more reviews waiting to be posted? Is everything a big secret? Did everybody forget to cook? THESE ARE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS OF THE PEOPLE!


This inquiry brought to you by: the Ace Party

[Formalhaut]

Sorry! Sorry, I just forgot about the update. It completely went off my mind, and what with exams I just forgot.


Anyway, what's been going on in the second week of judging?


43357 Lightning http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon2.gif Leviathan 43358

43357 Lightning http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon2.gif Odin 43359

43362 Zell http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon2.gif Gilgamesh 43360


43362 Zell http://home.eyesonff.com/images/eoff_smilies/icon2.gif Yojimbo 43361

[Depression Moon]

You know that's Zell in those bottom 2 pictures.

[Night Fury]

Eh?
I thought we got to read the comments?

[Pumpkin]

Well it was suggested by someone that it was too confusing posting the comments as they come in and that the comments should only be revealed at the end.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

So, how's this thing coming along?

[Shaibana]

so... are you ppl 4 days late? or is it till 26th of june? xD

[sharkythesharkdogg]

Is judging time??? :quina:

[Shaibana]

or they forgot and are 16 days late.. or they still have 14 days

[Pumpkin]

We had some unexpected circumstances involved with the judges.

It should be posted up soon! :monster:

[noxious.sunshine]

What the hell ever happened to this? And when will it happen again?

[Formalhaut]

http://home.eyesonff.com/quinas-kitchen/150557-i-quinas-cook-off-results.html

The results nox, that's what happened. :)

To be fair, I'm surprised it's still stickied as 'important'. Need to ask someone to unsticky it. Thanks for reminding me!

[noxious.sunshine]

Ohhhhhhhh. lol got'cha. When we doin this again? XD

[Formalhaut]

Ur... maybe around Thanksgiving. Who knows. I do want to do at least one more and make it a bi-annual event.

[noxious.sunshine]

Thanksgiving? Lord. Everyone'll be frying up turkeys.

Hope y'all like turkey. XD