Smokey Bear Birthday Party Features Top Chef-Inspired Event

Smokey Bear's Birthday Dessert Competition

Organizers of Smokey Bear's 80th birthday party in Rhinelander, inspired by this year's Wisconsin-themed season of "Top Chef," will hold a dessert competition. The event will be held at a reception organized by Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest officials on July 2. Anyone is welcome to enter by bringing an original dessert to the event before 5 p.m. There is no need to register in advance, but contestants must be willing to share their desserts and recipes with guests and judges.

The competition aims to celebrate Smokey Bear's influence and support the foodie vibes sweeping across the state of Wisconsin. Organizers hope to work with state government partners to support their 2024 marketing efforts around a culinary theme.

The birthday desserts will be judged by students from the Forest Service's Blackwell Job Corps Civil Conservation Center, based on overall originality and creativity, flavor, texture, use of ingredients, and the ability to communicate Smokey Bear's fire safety message.

Recipe Tips for Contestants

Contestants are encouraged to showcase traditional and Indigenous ingredients of Wisconsin such as cranberries, chokeberries, or wild rice. They can decorate jelly roll cakes to look like forest logs or trees, melt hard candles to create "flames" for decorations, and use their own dishes and decorations.

Savory Birthday Cake Recipe with Wild Rice

This savory birthday cake recipe is a perfect way to celebrate Smokey Bear's birthday with a unique and delicious dessert that promotes fire safety.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked wild rice
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper; mix well. Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing until just combined. Fold in rice, onion, celery, carrots, and parsley.
3. Spoon batter into a greased 9-in. cake pan. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Originally Post From https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/life/be-wisconsin/2024/06/19/smokey-bear-birthday-party-rhinelander-features-top-chef-inspired-event/74124141007/

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