Fairgoers brave mud to cook chickens, enjoy games and rides

Elizabeth Aufdenberg of Burfordville, Mo., grew up on a farm and knows just about every detail of preparing chicken for a meal. So finding a recipe to enter in a poultry cooking contest wasn't much of a task for her.

"I know just about everything from butchering to dressing it for the table," she said.

Her recipe for party chicken was chosen as a second-place winner in the Midwest Food and Poultry recipe contest. The contest was held Saturday afternoon in the R&R Tent at the SEMO District Fair.

First place went to Pauline Nitsch of Sedgewickville, Mo., for a chicken salad, and Joan Weeks of Cape Girardeau received third place for her chicken tetrazzini entry.

A three-member panel of judges selected the winners based on appearance, taste, ease of preparation and originality.

Aufdenberg admits that her recipe is probably one of the easiest she prepares. It calls for a half-can of beer and seasoning salt as a marinade for the grill. The remainder of the beer can is placed on the grill while the meat cooks.

"I wanted to go with a moist chicken," she said, adding that the recipe can be used for any cut of the bird, not just skinless breasts that most people cook with.

The judging wasn't easy: Among the 19 entries were appetizers and entries. So judges had to be selective. Grace Hoover tried to determine what ingredients were used based on what she tasted in each dish. Matt Ochs examined each piece of chicken for texture and Susan McClanahan looked for the foods that tasted best and were presented well.

"We're looking for something that isn't involved and the whole family can come home and cook without a lot of preparation time," said Ochs, vice president of Midwest Food and Poultry Inc., which sponsored the contest.

Rides open at noon

While Ochs and the other judges looked for family-friendly recipes, many were enjoying an afternoon of games and rides on the midway at the SEMO District Fair. The 29 rides on the midway open at noon today. Armbands giving unlimited access to rides cost $14.

"If it's not thrilling and turns you upside down so you lose all your change," people don't want to ride it, said Pete Poe, a member of the fair board since 1987.

Fair officials were pleased by the turnout Saturday, which was opening day.

Rain on Thursday evening and Friday made for some soggy fairgrounds. Two trailer loads of sawdust and another 16 loads of chat were dumped on the midway grounds to absorb the water.

An antique tractor pull scheduled for Saturday morning was postponed. It has been rescheduled for next Saturday, with registration at 9 a.m. and the pull at 10 a.m.

A gospel concert set for Saturday night also was canceled because of wet conditions in the grandstand.

Barring heavy Saturday rains, today's pet parade and horse show were still on tap. The parade is at 1 p.m. and the horse show begins at 1:30 p.m.; both are in the grandstand area behind the A.C. Brase Arena Building.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126