I will have to agree with most of the attendees at this year's cook-off, that this event just keeps getting better every year. Dan said it best: Every dish was a winner and not a runt in the bunch!

This year 23 of us located ourselves at the Russian Gulch group campsite, and we filled it up! Josh, Dan and Greg, (the twins) arrived Friday and staked out the best spots and got wet, diving for abalone.

Everybody else showed up at various times on Saturday and we had a nice pot luck and great campfire thanks to Josh's pallets and the other wood brought by many others. Numerous guests were invited this year by members and many guests became new members as well.

There was a forecast of 30 to 40 percent rain on Saturday and Sunday evenings but we got lucky because the weather people were dead wrong. We had great weather on Sunday, it was sunny and warm and the ocean laid down until the waves were lapping on the shoreline.

We all put our kayaks in and paddled North around the point and found great diving conditions. Carol, Jean, Dan and I paddled further North than the rest of the group and found an area to dive in that was new to us.

We all found nice size abalone, so the cook-off was a go!

There were 12 cooks this year in the cook-off. That means there were twelve recipes to taste. Every one is a judge so if you don't taste them all you can't vote. Additionally, the guests brought side dishes to go with the abalone dishes. What this means is; nobody goes hungry!

Everybody started cooking in the late afternoon and it was all tasted and judged by dark. Everybody got three votes by sealed ballot, 1st choice, 2nd choice and best presentation. The prizes were the usual flea market treasures we found throughout the year, but everyone strives to win the golden abalone trophy and have their name placed on it along with the bragging rights that goes with best cook-off dish. Next year's prizes promises to be better with Ginny's help.

The BIG ABALONE contest was won by me with a 9 ½ inch fatty. Josh said it was only because Wilderness Will could not make it this year due to firefighter training to defend his title from last year.

The prize for BEST PRESENTATION went to Josh with nobody even close in second place. The big leaves were a nice touch to enhance the Aw-AB-e Maki Rolls, but the Primo Sake that went with it won me over.

I was lucky enough to win the cook-off again with a new idea I called AB-alone Cupcakes.

It was mainly bacon, garlic, abalone, morels and cheese, (no sugar) baked in a dough cup cake. I am already thinking about what to make for next year's cook-off, maybe something with sugar? I want to thank everyone present this year for making our event special, unique, and a total success. See you all next year, or better yet, underwater!

2008 BCD 6th annual Abalone Cook-Off Results:

Big Abalone Contest Curt Haney
Best Presentation Joshua Haney
1st Place Curt Haney AB-alone Cupcakes
2nd Place Joshua Haney Aw-AB-e Maki
3rd Place Dan Schwartz J-AB-alaya
4th Place Ginny Branco Lettuce Wrapped AB-alone
5th Place Pete Davis Pesto AB-alone
6th Place Carol Reed Sl-AB-by Joes
7th Place Dan & Greg, (the twins) AB-alone Tacos
8th Place Jean Lundeen, Ted & Misha AB-alone Saute
9th Place, (4 way tie) Nick Dheedene AB-alone Chowder
Polly Shaw AB-alone Taragona
Roy Coto AB-alone Pasta
Sako Curry AB-alone