About a year ago, a news photographer snapped my picture. He then asked me how to spell my name, for the photograph's caption. Without hesitating, I spelled it "Glen (G-L-E-N), C (as in 'Chocolate'), Pruitt (P-R-U-I-T-T)." Anyone who knows me very well would realize that statement is not far from the truth. My middle name might as well be "Chocolate," considering how much I love it. I love it in almost every shape and form: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and chocolate that wraps its sweet embrace around coconut creme, or almonds, or mint. Just thinking about chocolate makes many think in romantic terms. Isn't a Hershey's "Kiss" chocolate, through and through?
You can imagine my delight when I was asked to be a judge in the Seventh Annual Chocolate Festival, held on Saturday, March 22nd here in Rehoboth Beach. What an opportunity! The chance to seeand tastethis year's entries, before they were available to the general public, and for FREE! It was too sweet of a deal to miss. But wait! In a fit of religious fervor several weeks before, I had given up chocolate for Lent. I wouldn't be able to eat chocolate until Lent ended on Easter morning. What was I going to do? After several moments of soul-searching, I rationalized that being a judge for the chocolate festival was my civic duty. It was my responsibility to the community in which I live. It was practically a sacred calling! With my conscience eased, I quickly agreed to the offer.
The big day finally arrived. I joined the other judges in a waiting roam at 8:45 a.m. on Saturday morning. A couple of judges grumbled at the thought of eating chocolate at 9 in the morning. It didn't bather me. Heck, I've done it in real life on many occasions! I looked around the room, and saw many familiar faces, including Wayne Hodge, Natalie Moss, Terry Plowman, David Payne, John Hulse, Evelyn Maurmeyer; and Ellen Pugh. I didn't know that Rehoboth Beach had so many chocaholics! I was pleased to be in such good company.
I had been chosen as one of the Head Judges (obviously, my reputation as a chocolate connoisseur had preceded me!). We were gathered together and given our instructions.. three times. Judging was serious business! Judges were put in teams of three. Each group judged a different category (cake, candy, cheesecake, etc.) and a different level (professional, amateur; kids). Entries were to be rated on appearance, texture, and taste.
I called together the other two judges on my team, and we were given our category: "Amateur; Most Unusual Entry." Augh! My teammates groaned in disappointment. Why couldn't we get a prestigious category, like "Professional, Cheesecake"? Competition there would be so heated that we just knew the judges would have to sample each of the entries several times. 'Amateur; Most Unusual"? These entries were going to be the rejects, the weirdoes, or so we thought.
We thought wrong. The entries in this category were not rejects, by any stretch of the imagination. They were chocolate concoctions so creative that they didn't lend themselves to being included in the other categories. The three of us began tasting each of the seven entries. Between each taste, we would cleanse our palates with a drink of water. I told you, this judging was serious business! After serious thought, we made our decision. Third place went to Mark Albin, for a chocolate chip bread pudding; second place went to Susie Bond, for a delightful chocolate blanc mange with hazelnut liqueur, and first place went to (drumroll, please) Judith Newton, for a marvelous Italian feast made Of chocolate. The platter contained three entrees: Linguine with mushrooms, Lasagna, and Pizza. The noodles were made of white chocolate, the tomato sauce was actually a strawberry sauce, and the mushrooms and pepperoni were dark chocolate. Each entree looked like the real thing, but as they say, the proof is in the taste. Taste it we did, and it was wonderful! Congratulations to all the winners!
All the judges were then asked to vote on the "Showcase Category." These entries were ornamental uses of chocolate. They were to be judged strictly on presentation, not on taste. frankly, I think that having chocolate and not being able to eat it is a waste of good chocolate. It's like being asked your opinion of a record album only by looking at its cover art! However; we judges did our best, and I believe we selected the best entry: a dark chocolate tree adorned with white chocolate birds, created by Bill Raney of "A Taste of Heaven" in Lewes. It was beautiful... and I'd bet that those white chocolate doves were delectable, too!
Our judging duties completed, we were free to look at all the entries, in all the categories. The variety of chocolate creations was overwhelming, but everything looked delicious! Several entries stand out in my mind. Marla Sierzega of the Blue Moon Restaurant had several entries in the professional category. Let me tell you: Marla and the Blue Moon know a thing or two about presentation! They put the "art" into "culinary arts"! On the other end of the spectrum was an entry in the "Kids Category." Eleven-year-old Beth KaweckiWright created an all-chocolate stove, complete with chocolate saucepans on the burners and individually-decorated chocolate cakes cooling on the rack. It was absolutely adorable-and very tasty, too! A lot of work and love went into that entry, and I am pleased to say that it won first place in its category and a "Best in Show" ribbon as well.
My favorite chocolate confection there wasn't even in the judging. It was a Rice-Krispie bar; covered in milk chocolate, on a popsicle stick. Incredible! It was so large that I couldn't even eat all of mine at one time (though my friend Judy Moore polished hers oft with no problem!) Thanks to Georgiana and Tom Ibach, of Ibach's Candies, for a wonderful treat!
However; the sweetest thing at the Chocolate Festival wasn't even chocolate. It was the feeling of community that you feel at events like this one. It's the friendly rivalry between our local chefs to come up with the most decadent chocolate creations. It's the kids having their faces painted (and being proud of having a frog painted on their cheeks!). It's the congenial chatter of neighbors, sharing laughter and a taste of chocolate cheesecake. In the words of Jackie Gleason "Ah, how sweet it is!"
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3/28/97 Issue. Copyright 1997 by CAMP Rehoboth, Inc. All rights reserved.