So many cream puffs...so little time!
Posted on 08/02/2007 5:31:22 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
(But competition isn't the only thing that draws her)
West Allis, WI - When friends and family laughed at Sheila Bethia's decision to enter her baked goods for judging at the Wisconsin State Fair, Bethia's retort was simple, "I'll enter every year until I don't get a ribbon - then I'll quit."
Thirty years later, Bethia, 60, has yet to come home empty.
With more than 200 ribbons and 30 years of State Fair experience, Bethia's enthusiasm for the fair is contagious, a fever likely to be caught by thousands of Wisconsin residents as the fair opens its 11-day run today.
"I just like to saturate myself in the atmosphere," Bethia said of the fair, which runs through Aug. 12. "I don't care what your taste is - there is something for everybody. There's tradition, there's animals, there's every kind of music and food that you could want."
Never interested in cooking as a child, Bethia knew how to bake only cookies on her wedding day. Learning by trial and error, with the help of TV and reading, Bethia quickly learned her way around the kitchen, well enough to garner 15 minutes of fame on the Food Network's "FoodNation with Bobby Flay."
"It's such a fast-paced world," Bethia said. "It's nice to know how to make things homemade."
Entering 12 to 15 categories a year, Bethia, of West Allis, bakes six to seven items on each day before judging, which is a two-day process in late July. Bethia doesn't plan or practice her recipes in advance but relies on tried and true staples with some modifications, such as orange honey cake.
"I'm always a little bit nervous," Bethia said of the judging. "I wonder about the competition, how many other entries there are. I always say, 'Oh I got junk today, I'm never going to win anything.' "
Running on nerves and little sleep, Bethia moves through the kitchen on instinct the day before judging - rolling out pie crust, checking for proper color on butter molds, and selecting the right mixture of apples. While making everything the day before each judging is more stress for Bethia, she wouldn't dream of freezing her items ahead of time.
"Every year I look so forward to this," Bethia said after winning six ribbons this year, including a blue for a butter mold. "Your adrenaline is going and pumping away. I got my high."
Reuniting with fellow competitors, friends she sees only once a year, is a highlight of the fair. Like all good friends, they save each other seats on judging days, send Christmas cards, root each other on, and even attended the funeral of Bethia's husband in 2000.
"This is not a bloodthirsty sort of competition," Bethia said. "You have these feelings. You root for each other so much. Of course you want to get blue, but Wisconsin has so many good cooks you're thrilled just to get a ribbon."
The thrill of the ribbon adds to the thrill of the fair for Bethia, who takes time off from her job at Sears, where she has worked for 30 years in various positions, including store trainer.
The place to be
With the many activities and sights to see, there's something for everyone at the fair, said Patrice Harris, spokeswoman for the Wisconsin State Fair.
"Come ready to have some fun," Harris said. "It's the best entertainment value in the state, and I don't know if you can beat that. Bring your family to the fair for cheaper than filling up your gas tank. It's only 11 days a year."
Those 11 days will feature the quintessential cream puffs - the State Fair makes one every second when the line is at capacity - free skating at the Pettit National Ice Center, deep fried s'mores on a stick, and Timber Tina's World Champion Lumberjills, whose specialties involve ax throwing, chainsaw carving and log rolling.
New this year, the textile, culinary, crafts and horticulture ribbon winners will be reuniting for exhibit in the horticulture building, allowing fairgoers to catch all of the Wisconsin creations, including six of Bethia's, in one building.
Blue Ribbon Foodie Ping! :)
CREAM PUFFS
1 cup water
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
4 eggs
Place butter and water in saucepan and bring to a quick boil. As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, remove pan to cool a little, add the sifted flour all at once and with a spoon stir or wire whip vigorously for 2 or 3 minutes until mixture leaves sides of pan. Continue to let it cool a little more and then add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, until the dough is smooth and glossy. Drop mixture by tablespoons, 3 inches apart, on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in hot oven 425-F for 10 minutes, then at 375-F for about 25 minutes. Cream Puffs should be puffed high and light golden-brown. Remove baking pan from oven and place it somewhere to cool. Slice each one in half and spread thick with cooled filling, sandwich like.
CREAM PUFF CUSTARD FILLING*
2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 egg yolks
Warm milk, add sugar which has been mixed with the flour and cornstarch, beat egg yolks and add to the milk and cook until it coats the spoon. Cool and beat occasionally to prevent crusting. Stir in vanilla well.
Pile some cold custard mixture on bottom half of cream puff shell, top with “Reddi-Wip” then gently place other pastry shell half on top, sprinkle with confectionary sugar.
*Or you can cheat (like I do) and just whip up a package of Instant Vanilla Pudding, let it set up and then use that as your filling.
Which leads me to my next point. If it has an expiration date more than 7 days away, don't eat it. Nothing that lasts that long on a shelf can possibly be good for you.
So many cream puffs...so little time!
Amen!
I’m a “scratch cooker” for the most part...though I will confess to take out Chinese food and a frozen pizza from time to time in a pinch.
My husband was a professional Chef for a decade prior to morphing into a Computer Geek. We both LIVE in our kitchen.
And we’re not heavyweights, either! Fresh food, prepared as a family (grow your own!) clean water, sunshine and hard work do wonders for anyone. :)
That’s an awesome acheivement!
Hi, Pete! Nice ad for the Mustard Museum! Husband was just there today on a service call. He fixed one of their computers. :)
Of course, what good is mustard without a Sheboygan brat, and a brat with out a Leinie or Point Special? (My sister said that Point’s Brewery is located just downstream from the paper pulp mill! Local Flavor!)
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