We recently had a wonderful weekend judging the 40th Annual National Oyster Cook-Off at the US Oyster Festival in St. Mary’s County, MD. We jumped at the opportunity to spend time with fellow judge John Shields (of Gertrude’s restaurant in Baltimore), and eat wonderful food in a picturesque part of the country. The oysters were of course fresh and delicious.

The highlight of the recipe contest was the winning dish, Buffalo Oysters in Blue Cheese Grits. The crunch and spice level of the fried oysters went well with the creamy grits. The Cream of Oyster Soup with Bacon was great as well, with a creamy texture, and smoky flavor. Now that I have the festival’s cookbook, I can prepare either of these dishes at home.

The judge’s dinner was the night before at the No Thyme to Cook (cooking school) in Solomons, MD overlooking Solomons harbor, and was amazing of course, since Gwyn Novak (one of the judges), and her staff and school are top notch. Gwyn even has a new book, How to Cook for Beginners, which covers all the basics (including knife skills, measuring, and cooking methods) for someone who wants to learn to cook. The book includes some great recipes, including Cinnamon Crunch Muffins, Garlic & Tomato Steamed Mussels, and Pasta Bolognese. One lucky DCFUD reader will get a copy of the book mailed to them (US addresses only):

We will randomly choose one entry (out of the first 100) to receive a copy of How to Cook for Beginners. To be entered in the contest, email your first and last name to Contest (AT) dcfud (DOT) com with the subject line “Cookbook Contest” by Saturday November 16th at 6pm. I’ll pass the winner’s email address to Gwyn’s marketing person (who will ask you for a US mailing address). Good luck!

-JAY