***OOT COOKOFF FINALISTS***

[DoomSlice]

When there was a thread about posting your best pictures all that were posted were remarkably good and professional. Unless they for some reason decided to steal pictures for that thread, they probably didn't do the same here.

[4_2_it]

The presentation of dish 1 put it over the top for me. It didn't hurt that I [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] shrimp and zucchini.

Every dish looks excellent and I think I would enjoy each in its own right. Well done.

[nation]

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LOL @ someone accusing Mrs. Utah of cheating. I'm sure a lot of people don't have much better to do than CHEAT at a cooking contest on a poker forum.

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There's a lot about the Utah's that A- is very weird B- makes you not trust them... plus it isn't like googling images would have been hard.

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You're really paranoid...I really doubt they felt the need to cheat. You're on spot sometimes Dids, but sometimes you're just weird.

[P Chippa]

I vote for #5.

I've never tasted moose before so that grabbed my attention from the start. I imagine it might have a slightly gamey taste to it. This in conjunction with the root vegetables and makes me think of a very hearty and "earthy" dish. That, IMO, makes the pumpkin dessert an awesome idea for finishing off this meal, adding a touch of autumn-ness.

[octopi]

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I vote for #5.

I've never tasted moose before so that grabbed my attention from the start. I imagine it might have a slightly gamey taste to it. This in conjunction with the root vegetables and makes me think of a very hearty and "earthy" dish. That, IMO, makes the pumpkin dessert an awesome idea for finishing off this meal, adding a touch of autumn-ness.

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As the ladyfriend of one of the finalists, I would just like to thank CardSharpCook for initiating this contest and for prompting my boyfriend to cook one of the more delicious meals he has made in quite some time; and there have been some wonderful ones.

I was pleased when he took up hunting, even more pleased when he started bringing home some game meats. When I was younger I ate one of the most delicious meals I can remember, a venison burger cooked over open flame at a lake in Northern Ontario in Canada, after a long day of swimming and hiking and whatever kids do at lakes. I've been a fan of game meat or meat in general since then, and have not gotten my fill yet. I have never found it to be gamey, and this baby moose was no exception. It was sweet and tender and had a wonderful texture. The sauce, which some people misconstrue in the pictures to be the juices of the meat as it photographed a bit thin, added the perfect complement to the flavour of the meat and the feel of the season. It could be a bit of an autumny meal, but to me, after spending another winter in Canada, it was like a quiet goodbye to the cold season and a wakeup to spring and summer.

I just finished eating some of the pureed bean leftovers today, they were fantastic, and I'm already craving more. But I think I might get my man to try some of the other recipes in this thread. We're all winners if we can cross test these menu choices, IMO. Thank you everyone and wonderful work.

[BobJoeJim]

Salmon is one of my favorite foods, so even though the moose/mousse combo sounded tremendous, and the shrimp/risotto dish is currently sitting on top of my "to try" list, my vote for "best" immediately came down to dishes 3 and 4.

The cream sauce looks great, and I'm sure the cauliflower soup would be good if you like cauliflower, plus the parfait sounds wonderful, but I would have liked sides with the salmon.

On the other hand, salads with avocado in them, pistachios, mashed potatos, strawberries, and balsamic vinegar are all near the top of my favorite foods list as well, so Mrs. Utah basically cooked the PERFECT meal for me. Add in the excellent photography, and my vote is a no-brainer.

Congrats to all the finalists though, everything is spectacular!

[SackUp]

These all look really good.

#5 does it for me. Hard to beat good ol' meat and potatoes.

[Utah]

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There's a lot about the Utah's that A- is very weird B- makes you not trust them... plus it isn't like googling images would have been hard.

[/ QUOTE ]I must admit I admire the way you introduced negativity into a fun thread and fun contest by falsely accusing someone. Then when you were shown wrong you showed class by throwing around insults. A lesser man would have just apologized and moved on. The quality of this contest is clearly enhanced by your accusations and insults [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

Here are some of the shots from Mrs. Utah's camera. She certainly did a lot of googling to get all these pics [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] The quality of her pictures certainly werent do to the fact she spent hours getting things exactly right and that she recooked 2 of the dishes when she didn't like the first effort. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Autocratic]

Good, controversy over. This whole cook off challenge has inspired me to teach myself my way around the kitchen.

[CardSharpCook]

heh heh, heehee. Now now, don't mind Dids, nobody likes him anyway. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]