The Great Jewish Bake Off: From Soup to Cookies
A blog post by JMM Program Manager Trillion Attwood. To read more posts from Trillion, click here.
As the clocks have changed, the nights draw in, and there is a chill in the air, it can only mean one thing: here comes the Great Jewish Bake Off! Now in our fourth year, I thought I would take a moment to reflect upon what has become one of my favorite annual JMM traditions.
The contest started in 2016 with the Great Chicken Soup Cook Off, inspired by our exhibit Beyond Chicken Soup: Jews and Medicine. The event was such a success that it has inspired an annual tradition at JMM. Attendees of the first event were asking what the theme for the following year would be before they even left the building! As a result, in 2017 we selected a kugel theme and in 2018 we hosted our first baking contest. This year we have decided to again focus on baking but specifically holiday cookies.
Over the years we have learned a lot from hosting the contests, the need for a clear theme that still allows for a variety of interpretations, how best to attract a team of fantastic amateur chefs and how much easier it is to select a dish that can be served at room temperature!
One lesson taken from last year is that we want to give our judges greater flexibility in recognizing the best bakes, as such we have decided to remove entry categories this year. We do still have a selection of titles and accompanying trophies to award, which all bakers are eligible to win, including Most Moorish and Most Impressive. We have kept the awards open to all entrants including Bake Off Champion and the all-important People’s Choice award.
The People’s Choice award is always a favorite, unlike some cooking contests we ask our bakers to make at least one hundred servings of their bake so that everyone who attends the day can taste all the delicious bakes and vote for their favorite. This is the one category that the judges have no control over, however seems to mean so much to our bakers.
One recurring element of the festival is the support of Eddie’s of Roland Park. Each year they have provided not only an expert judge but also an amazing hamper to be awarded to our overall winner. They along with all our judges, including Sam Gallant and Martine Richards who will be returning this year, have really helped to make the event what it is.
The contest this year is shaping up to be another great event, I am especially excited to see more entries on the under-16-year-old category than ever before. The creativity of our entrants is amazing and truly the thing that has made this event an important annual tradition. This year, entries include baklava, chocolate olive oil crinkle gelt cookies (what a mouthful!) and macarons amongst many others – all of which sound delicious.
There are just a few spots available for competitors, so if you are interested in showing off your culinary skills register today. If you, like me, are better at the tasting than baking, come join us on Sunday to taste a selection of amazing cookies, cast your vote for the People’s Choice winner, enjoy some great arts and crafts, and visit our latest exhibit Scrap Yard: Innovators of Recycling. I hope to see you soon!
