Top Chef Fakku January (Winter Produce)

I have decided to make a cooking contest to revitalize this section and actually bring more attention to the Cooking side of Food and Cooking. Hopefully we can do this every month with a different theme or dish that we all have to put our own spin on (every week is a bit too much; a lot of us are busy).


Here are the rules:

1) Since we are on the internet, and we can't very well taste each other's dishes, we will be judging by how good your food looks. Use creative plate design and presentation, make fancy knife cuts, etc. Make us want to take the first flight available to your place so we can partake of your delicious dish!

2) You must post the recipe you used, and a source/link to said recipe, if available. If you create your own recipe, we give you mad props and that should be taken into account when voting, but it is not a requirement. If you made something difficult and/or time-consuming, that is also a plus. Recipes will be judged on how delicious they sound and how well they fit the theme for the month.

3) Post at least two pictures of the preparation and/or cooking process and at least one picture of the final product. Limit it to six total pictures, though. All pictures must include a sign that says Fakku, your user name, and the date. Pictures without a sign will NOT be considered. You can also add a video if you want, but you will still need the minimum three pictures.

4) Everybody can join; however, we will only accept one entry per contestant per month. You can change your entry as much as you want as long as it's before the deadline, but there can be only one!

5) Post your entry as a separate thread on Food and Cooking with the tag [Top Chef Fakku (month)], and post a link to it on this thread. You must post a link to your entry in this thread or we will NOT consider it.

6) The winner will be chosen through a public poll during the first five days of the subsequent month.

Contest officially starts 00:00 PST (GMT-8) on January 1, 2011 and ends 00:00 PST (GMT-8) February 1, 2011. No entries will be accepted after that time. Voting starts whenever I wake up on Feb 1 and will last for five days, after which we will announce the winner. Winner gets mad props, rep from me (and from others?) and the chance to choose the month after next's theme (e.g. if you win January, you pick the theme for March). I'll choose the theme for January and February, and after that, the winners can choose.

The theme for January is Winter Fruits and Vegetables. Here are some examples of winter produce you can use in your dishes. Good luck to everyone, and may the best cook win!

Edit:
Voting thread is here. Vote vote vote!

[font=Verdana][color=green]The rules seem very fair to me. Nothing wrong with the current rules in there; perhaps to get extra kudos the possibility of videos could be used as well! :D Also, if you win say January, maybe they get the chance to be a judge for the month they pick the theme for?

The only thing that threw me was the (GMT-8) deadline. Not overly important, but (GMT) is the central timeline; makes sense to use that.

Very good rules. I'm excited already :D

Cool beans. I wont be participating in this, but I think it's a really awesome idea.

I might make cookies.

Do we add this with a image editor like photoshop or should they be in the pic already?

I would think they mean in the pic already - probably a measure to prevent cheating

This, exactly.

Split from the original topic.

Thanks Tsujoi--I'll update the rules and announce the theme closer to New Years. For now, Happy Holidays everyone, and draw inspiration from the delicious food you will hopefully be eating between now and the start date!

First theme should be something easy like eggs or cheap stuff yeah.

I'm game.

Alright everyone, I've updated the first post with the set of rules and the theme! The theme for January's Top Chef Fakku competition is...*Iron Chef announcer voice*

[size=25]WINTER PRODUCE!!![/h]

May the best chef win!

Finally a contest I can get into ^^
I will try my best at this.
fruits and veg sound interesting
desserts sound like the way to go with this one. yet I don't know.

whoa what? i'm making this cook for my family also. what would they think if they look there's a Fakku! sign on it!?

i appeal this rule

I dont think you have to write fakku on the meal itself, but just when taking the pictures make sure you not only take a picture of the meal, but a piece of paper which you put next to it with the details needed... and then you just throw away the piece of paper and serve the food to your family :)

[size=8][/h]
not that i'm gonna make garnish with Fakku! theme.
i will figure that out somehow then.

Winter produce hmm I think I'll make a pureed butternut squash soup with heavy cream some glazed pears as a garnish and of course season it with salt pepper and a little cinnamon.

Well, first of all, thanks Fakku elite for posting this exciting competition thread.
But, don't you think this 1st theme is a bit too broad? It's too late to change right now, but next time could you just limit the theme to maybe 1 main vegetable or meat or a well known dish eg. steak or fried rice or something....

Anyway, 1st try, we'll see how it turns out. Boy, am I exciting for this! ><
I'll definitely partake in this event!

yoshi, minna san~ ganbatte~

I think I might be making a Cheddar and Leek Soup.

I really like this idea!

I might enter if I make something good. Lately I have been going through my cookbooks and trying new recipies, about 1 or 2 a week.

I think it would also be good to make some sort of prize for the winner. Maybe they can choose the theme for the top chef contest?