2017 Rice Cook-off Contest in Lake Charles

LAKE CHARLES – Seventeen 4-H Club students from Calcasieu, Cameron and Beauregard parishes competed in the 20^th annual Calcasieu-Cameron Rice Growers Rice Cook-off on Wednesday (Sept. 20).

When the judges made their choices, Briley Kent of Johnson Bayou High School won first place with her shrimp rice salad.

First-place winner Briley Kent with Adam Habetz, president of the Cal-Cam Rice Growers Association.



Second place winner Lilly Jones

Second place went to Lilly Jones of Moss Bluff Middle School with Louisiana Risotto, and Claire Leonards of Bell City High School was awarded third place with her dish, cabbage casserole.



Third-place winner Claire Leonards



                                                                               Tonika Phillips of DeQuincy High School won the Heart Healthy Dish with Caribbean Shrimp and Saffron Rice Street Tacos.



Heart Healthy winner Tonika Phillips

The Port of Lake Charles joined the Calcasieu-Cameron Rice Growers Association to sponsor the event organized by the LSU AgCenter.  Winners received rice cookers from the Farmer Rice Milling Co.



Other students in the competition were Anna Dupont of South Cameron High, Dusty Morales of Hackberry High, Shad Butler of Sulphur High School, Halie Brewer of Vinton High, Valentin Meurice of Westlake High, Kristen Bertie of Washington Marion High, Myra Collier of Starks High, Jordyn Kelley of Sam Houston High, Cade Nieves of Grand Lake High, Brylie Rozas of Iowa Middle, Donald Reed of Iowa High, Amelia Bellow of S.J. Welsh Middle and Sadie Seilhand of Sulphur High.

Other contestants in the Rice Cook-off Contest

All the students were selected by family consumer science teachers at their schools before entering the regional cook-off.

Judges were Kane Webb, USA Rice Louisiana field director; Yolanda Jones of the LSU AgCenter, and Ricky Self and Cynthia Beglis of the Port of Lake Charles.