Newspaper food editors make up the largest portion of judges. They're a generous lot, giving over a weekend to be sequestered in a hotel under high security. They have the tremendous responsibility of choosing among 100 great recipes and picking the Grand Prize winner--and all for the love of good food.
* One judge said, "There is a palpable thrill surrounding the event. I found it on the faces of finalists as they hurried between preliminary events. I could feel it on the contest floor, where I surreptitiously snooped and sniffed for a few minutes before entering the security-ringed judging room." But how do they finally choose? "Truly great dishes are almost instantly evident. You could literally smell a winner. One bite essentially confirmed or denied."
* A judge at the nineteenth Bake-Off® Contest said: "Judges of each category group choose their favorites, then present them to other judges and thus begin the long process of narrowing the field. I can say that there was no violence but there were strong arguments. The tension was great, with concern that winning recipes would be liked by everyone. I loved every part of it-even the five extra pounds I now carry."
From "Pillsbury Best of the Bake-Off® Cookbook." Copyright 2004 General Mills. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.