Albany 4-H members attend national cook-off

NEW ORLEANS — Since 2010, 4-H has partnered with the Great American Seafood Cook-Off to host a competition involving 4-H members in grades 9-12.

4-H members from across the U.S. are selected to take part in the cook-off based on achievements in the cooking arena in their state.

This year the Dougherty County 4-H Cooking Team was selected to travel to New Orleans to compete in the cook-off. Skyler Middleton and Shelise Byrd competed among four other teams from across the United States. They were tasked with preparing a cost efficient and healthy domestic seafood dish using Louisiana authenticated seafood that was less than 750 calories.

Each team also had to feature ingredients from their home state. They were given one hour to prepare their dish and serve four judges from a presentation plate. The dynamic Dougherty duo prepared their spin on shrimp and grits featuring pimento cheese and Vidalia onions.

Byrd and Middleton placed third in the cook-off, securing notice that they are nationally recognized competitors. The team was accompanied to the Big Easy by their local 4-H agent, Latrina West, and 4-H educator Rachel Knight.

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