Photo courtesy of David Leong.
A team from 4721 Confections won the best dessertamong professionals at the 2018 A Taste of Louisiana Festival and Cook Off at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
The fourth annual A Taste of Louisiana Food Festival and Cook Off is coming back to Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 5.
Professional, amateur and student teams will compete to see who can prepare the best Louisiana dishes, such as jambalaya, gumbo, etouffee, red beans and rice, boudin, bread pudding and more.
Guests can go around to the various tents and sample the fare. There also will be music provided by the 6.1.4 Media Group, a silent auction, raffle and a kids zone with infl atables and face painting.
Proceeds from the event will go to the Lagniappe Foundation, a nonprofit that provides scholarships to Birmingham area students headed to Louisiana State University and funds pediatric cancer research through the Sid Strong Foundation.
The Sid Strong Foundation was named in honor of Mountain Brook resident Sid Ortiz, who died battling cancer in 2015 at the age of 16. He was an avid LSU fan.
Last year’s event drew roughly 450 people who sampled food from about 26 teams, said Debbie Greengard, the publicity chairwoman for the event. The festival raised about $7,000 for scholarships and $3,000 for the Sid Strong Foundation, she said.
Early-bird tickets cost $15 and can be purchased online at atasteoflouisianabirmingham.com. Tickets also can be purchased at the gate. Kids 12 and younger get in free.
The cost to register teams is $250 for professional cooking teams, $100 for individuals and non-restaurant businesses and $50 for students. Teams and event sponsors can sign up online. Awards will be given in each category for best dish and best dessert. There also will be a People’s Choice award.
The festival is put on in conjunction with the Greater Birmingham LSU Alumni Association.
