Bring your taste buds to Indiana's Public Radio contest entitled "All Things Chocolate" on Feb. 13 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Contestants will enter their favorite chocolate baked good to be evaluated. After all the desserts are judged, the public is invited to indulge in the tasting party at 3 p.m. Satisfy your sweet tooth with the variety of entries, ranging from homemade cakes, cookies, pies, candy -- basically anything that contains chocolate.
A team of three judges will decide who gets to take home the blue-ribbon prize from each of the six categories for their chocolate creation. There are separate divisions for amateur, professional and youthful chefs.
Sharon Cheslik, a retired local resident, was the amateur blue-ribbon prize winner the past two years for her chocolate tart in 2003 and her pecan torte in 2004. "The first year I won I was very excited; when I won again last year I was shocked," Cheslik said. "I think it would just be a fluke if I won a third time."
The idea of Cheslik winning for the third time in a row for her cake she will be entering this year might not be that far-fetched, considering she has been baking since she was an early teenager. "I have always loved to cook, but now I enjoy gourmet baking. The unique restaurants that my husband and I dine in are what inspire me to try new gourmet recipes," Cheslik said.
Cheslik doesn't create her own baked goods, but she alters other recipes to her liking. "I'm careful about what I change, but I've baked long enough to know how to adjust recipes," Cheslik said.
One of Cheslik's competitors for this year is a faculty member in Ball State University's chemistry department: Professor Jason Ribblett. "I've always enjoyed cooking," Ribblett said. "I started with regular food and then got into cake baking and decorating. I even showed my wife how to do it, and now it's something we often do together."
Ribblett is not necessarily looking to win; he is just entering his "Ho-Ho cake" for fun. "I think the cake is good, and I'm hoping I'll present it well enough for the judges to like it too," Ribblett said. "As long as I don't receive a black ribbon, I'll be happy."
Ribblett likes the competition but he enjoys tasting the other contestants' baked goods as well. "I love the tasting party because you get to eat as much as you want. I hope to gain about five pounds from that part alone," Ribblett said.
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