More on International Sportsman's Expo in Pleasanton

We originally had a three-pot cookoff scheduled for the International Sportsman's Expo in Pleasanton, California on Saturday of the weekend. But, unfortunately, we didn't receive any applications. Next year we hope to get the word out earlier with wider distribution.

To keep public interest up, ISE staff asked us to hold a gentleman's cookoff. The president of International Dutch Oven Society thought a two-pot cookoff would work. So, Saturday, February 26, four contestants started cooking a main dish and a dessert.


Bakin' Bill Johnson explains how he makes his apricot coconut coffee cake to an interested lady and the gentleman. Bill's ultimate orange turkey is cooking in Camp Chef's Ultimate Turkey Roaster (the large pot to the right).

The contestants and their recipes were:

Dana La Grutta -- Dana cooked his 4x4 chili with a hot fudge pudding cake for dessert.

Randi Macari -- Randy cooked garlic mustard chicken and baked apples with apricot sauce.

Ron Hill -- Ron cooked shrimp scampi and Ron's magic surprise bars.

Bill Johnson -- Bill cooked an ultimate orange turkey and apricot coconut coffee cake.


Cookoff contestants are expected to interact with the spectators. In a regular IDOS regulation cookoff, a field judge grades the teams on interaction with the public, willingness to answer questions and preparation technique.

I have to say all the dishes were good. It's interesting what four men can produce when their asked at the last minute to cook in a cookoff. Dana took first place for the main dish and Ron for the dessert.

The interesting thing is judges John Valente and Gary Armstrong (both ISE staff members) wouldn't break the tie! So we had two first place winners.

I'll post recipes if I can get them. This affair was so informal that everyone threw their dishes together from memory. I'll post more photos tomorrow.

Cookoff participants, from left: Dana La Grutta, Bill Johnson, IDOS vice president Randy Macari and IDOS past president Ron Hill. Dana and Ron, the two first-place winners, each received am IDOS cookbook and Camp Chef Dutch oven candle for their efforts.