National Buffalo Wing Festival

By Munch Master

Hello Everyone,
Well I had planned this blog entry to be about the festival and to be the first entry. Oh well better late than never...lol.. Well Here it is.....

It all started a few months ago when I went on the National Buffalo Wing Festival web site. While looking around the site in addition to the festival they have many competitions. One of these being the "Traditional Sauce Competition". After being told from lots of people that my sauce was wonderful. I figured what the heck, so I entered the contest.
Before I got any further I will explain the entry process. It starts by entering on their site. They review you recipe and then from all the entries they choose the finalist. Now I don't know how many entries they have, but I consider myself fortunate.
A few weeks went by and I had almost forgotten. Then one Friday I got an email they liked my recipe and I was entered in the contest. I was so excited I would be cooking my sauce on stage at the National festival.
What I didn't realize until Teresa had made all the plans was how close Buffalo was to Niagara Falls. How awesome is that Cooking Competition and getting to visit a natural wonder. SWEEEET.
The plan was to leave around 6 or 7 in the afternoon get to buffalo around 11. Ha now that didn't happen we didn't get to leave until 8 or 9 and both of us being tired we had to stop and nap for about an hour and a half.That made it around 5 A.M. when we got to our hotel. Now keep in mind I had to compete at 2:15 p.m.I guess like they say no rest for the weary. We checked and and got about 4 to 5 hours sleep and off to Dunn Tire Park.
My nerves were going a little wacky which is odd when it comes to me and cooking. Teresa kept me calm and had a great suggestion for calming me. A BEER and so I drank a beer on an empty stomach and voila calm nerves.
Fast forward an hour or so and on to the stage and on with the show. I first got to meet the other contests. There were 3 finalist in total. Myself a nice gentleman from Rochester, NY and lady from San Diego, Calf.
Allow me to introduce the cast of the competition. For the MC it was none other than the "FOOD DUDE" himself Kevin Roberts(From the next food tv star) and the "Wing King" and founder of the festival Drew Cerza. The Judges Sonny Andersen from the food network, The mayor of Buffalo.
I will forgo the grubby details of the prep, but I can tell you that every time I make the sauce and it tends to have slight differences and 1 in about 5 is perfect and well THIS WAS THE ONE.
You could have light the world with my smile when they announced I was the winner. I was on top of the world. I received rave reviews from the judges. Sunny said she was coming to our house to eat some wings...lol. She films her show in the city. The exact wording of the announcement I cant remember right now. But it went something like "it is a sauce like we have never tasted". So Look out buffalo you make go to Jacksonville and beat the jaguars. But this jacksonville native went to Buffalo and won the traditional wing sauce competition. Can't wait to defend my title next year. Thanks to everyone who has had my sauce and enjoyed it.
Later
Erich (aka the munch master)