2003 Year in Review

Historical Society Barbecue Sauce Contest & Sandwich Sale

The Morrison Historical Society has created a “spicy” community event for Saturday, August 9 from 9:00 to 2:00. Six Whiteside County residents may enter a barbecue sauce contest. At 9:00 A.M. they will bring their completed, tasty concoctions to the pocket park at the intersection of U.S. 30 and IL 78. The park is west of Morrison’s Heritage Museum, 202 East Lincolnway.

The registration fee is $3, and all six contestants will receive an outdoor cooking-related prize. The entrants must furnish a means of reheating their sauce prior to judging. This might involve an electrical hotplate, a small gas grill, or a burner that uses Sterno as solid fuel.

Christopher Koetke, instructor at Kendall College Culinary School, will have the pleasure of evaluating the sauces. An experienced contest judge, he is in the process of obtaining certification in barbecue sauce judging.

At 12:30, Koetke will discuss the “History of Barbecuing” in the Hearth Room inside the museum. Packets of barbecue seasoning, from The Spice House in Chicago, will be for sale ($1) as well as the new, Morrison Historical Society cookbook ($10.)

Follow your nose to the pocket park. From 10:00 to 2:00 the Historical Society will sell grilled sandwiches, chips, and pop; the cost is $3.50. Choose from a seasoned butterfly porkchop or a 1/3 of a pound of beef. These fresh, “home-grown” meat products are furnished by the Illinois Pork Producers and the Whiteside County Cattlemen’s Association.

Add some spice to your weekend Saturday, August 9, by sharing in these activities at Morrison’s Heritage Museum. Cheer for the contestants. Educate yourself about the history of barbecue. Savor a delicious lunch. Tour the Smithsonian Institution exhibit, “Key Ingredients: America by Food.” Purchase a packet of spices to create your own barbecue sauce. Bon Appetit!

BARBECUE SAUCE CONTEST REQUIREMENTS: Entrants must be adult residents of Whiteside County. Recipes must be the original creation of the applicant. Use of the official application form is required and must include the recipe for the sauce. Entrants must furnish their own completed barbecue sauce and provide a heat source to reheat it at the park.

DEADLINE: This official application form must be received by the Morrison Historical Society by THURSDAY, AUGUST 7. Space is LIMITED TO 6 PARTICIPANTS; register early to reserve your entry. All entrants will receive a prize.

Mail or hand deliver this application and $3 registration fee to Morrison’s Heritage Museum, 202 East Lincolnway, Morrison, IL 61270.

NAME __________________________________________________
ADDRESS _______________________________________________
PHONE ( )___________ YOUR HEAT SOURCE?______________

ATTACH YOUR BARBECUE SAUCE RECIPE (include specific measurements of ingredients.)

by Stephanie A. Vavra, Guest Columnist
July 24, 2003