My first attempt at Show cooking (a fruit cake, of all things) was 15 years ago.
While I was delivering the children’s ‘cookery’ entries (undercooked jam drops) in the absolute mayhem school drop off/ Show entries 9am deadline at the A&I Hall, I noticed there was no entry in the Light Fruit Cake section.
By chance, at home I had been toiling away at a fruit cake over the preceding weeks, following (and I use the term loosely) a recipe from my favourite Sydney bakery, The Bourke Street Bakery.
I had every intention of putting the cake aside and ‘feeding’ it booze from time to time, as the recipe suggested, but when I casually mentioned said fruitcake was sitting at home, Donna Jenner, now Show President, urged me to go home, immediately, and bring back the cake to enter into the Show.
So, I did, and, despite my controversial use of whole blanched almonds to decorate the top (the Show has strict rules about such things), I was awarded an encouraging Second Place. A red ribbon!
I was delighted. Living proof that a girl fresh from the Big Smoke could have a crack at one of the most revered and hotly contested competitions in regional life: Show Cookery.
October traditionally marks the start of Show entry prep. The schedule is studied, jars are sterilised, entries envisioned.
School holidays are a great time to get kids busy on the nonperishable side of Pavilion entries such as art, the Written Word, photography and Lego. The Lego section this year includes creating a barnyard scene with chook pen, while other ‘only in Bangalow’ events include a crowing competition (for real), and the ever-popular Team Ironman event – which showcases farm skills and the ability to drink a warm beer and eat a cold meat pie.
More on the Show next month. Grab a copy of the Schedule (printed copies are around town or available on the Show website) and get excited!
Sally Schofield
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