Each year, some fifteen thousand Iowans enter nearly fifty thousand things in competitions at the State Fair. Categories range from draft horses and monster trucks to quilts and corn-cob mosaics. Of course there are pies and cakes, breads and biscuits, jellies and preserves, plus contests for the ugliest cake, the most creative dough sculpture, and things you can do with breakfast cereal. In 1994 Emma Whitlock of Indianola took first prize in the "Let's Cook Healthy! Iowa Pork" category. Although this isn't a traditional Fair version of pork tenderloins, it's a simple way to give them a sweet twist.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.
The silky French vanilla sauce that goes with everything.
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
An extra-silky filling (no water bath needed!) and a smooth sour cream topping make this the ultimate cheesecake.
This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.
Crispy tots topped with savory-sweet sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, scallion, and katsuobushi.