2008 Ultimate Reader Recipe Contest

Contest Cues

Recipes for this year’s contest must be received by May 31, 2009. Here are basic guidelines that will help yours catch the attention of the Test Kitchens staff and food editors who select the finalists.

Follow the contest rules and directions for submitting your recipe. See CookingLight.com/clurrc for more details.

Develop an original light recipe. Refer to Cooking Light magazine recipes and visit Myrecipes.com to become familiar with the way we use ingredients to cook more healthfully. Limit high-fat and high-sodium items, and choose ingredients that offer the most flavor. Recipes that are similar to published recipes will be disqualified.

Keep it simple, and be thorough. Using more than one sponsor product does not improve the odds of your recipe being selected. Employ easy preparation techniques. Be specific about ingredient measurements, cook times and temperatures, pan dimensions, and number of servings.

Test well, and make final checks. Prepare your recipe several times, and include friends and family in the evaluation. If you have time, ask others to prepare your recipe and provide feedback.

Tips From the Finalists

“Take a dish you love and try to revamp it using bold flavors.”―Devon Delaney, grand prize winner and category winner, family dinners

“Don’t be discouraged if you prepare a recipe and it isn’t an instant success. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve messed up a dish. You become a better cook learning from your failures.”―Lindsay Weiss, category winner, desserts

“Submit an original dish you make all the time for the people you love. That way you know how the dish behaves and what to expect from it. There’s an emotional story behind a good recipe.”―Emily Almaguer, finalist, family dinners

“Trust your own instincts, and use flavors with which you are familiar.”―Lisa Richardson, finalist, starters and drinks

“Prepare some of the past winning recipes so you have an idea of what the judges are looking for.”―Catherine McMichael, finalist, side salads and side dishes

Do you have a light recipe you love? E-mail to CL_Recipes@timeinc.com or mail to Reader Recipes, Cooking Light, P.O. Box 1748, Birmingham, AL 35201. If we publish yours, we’ll send you $50 and a Cooking Light T-shirt. Submit each recipe on a separate sheet of paper; include your address, daytime phone number, e-mail address, and a note explaining how you came up with the recipe. We reserve the right to edit recipes. Recipes submitted become the property of Cooking Light, and we may republish and use them for any purpose.

 

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