Food: Our Iowa Church Cookbook Favorites

Church Cookbook Favorites Win State Fair Awards

Contestants in the Our Iowa Church Cookbook Favorites competition judged Saturday, August 10, at the 2024 Iowa State Fair, were challenged to create an award-winning sweet baked item whose recipe comes from an Iowa church cookbook.

Rita Cashman Becker of Fort Madison won first place and $400 for the kitchen fund of the church from which the recipe came.

Lois Carpenter of West Des Moines earned second place and $200 to the recipe’s church of origin. Linda Torgeson of Radcliffe claimed third place and $100 to the recipe’s church of origin.

Entries were judged on taste, appearance, creativity and recipe origin description.

The Iowa State Fair Food Department is the largest of any state fair in the country. There were 140 divisions, 726 classes and over 6,400 entries at this year’s Fair. Food Department judging is held in the Elwell Family Food Center.