HOW IT WORKS
Veggie Conquest is a vegan cooking competition.
Using a secret ingredient revealed a week in advance, chefs prepare a dish and bring it to the event. Judges and tasters at the event choose the top dish, prizes are awarded and everyone chows down and has a great time!
You can come to the events as a chef or a taster. You choose your role when you buy your ticket.
No matter which role you choose, you’ll get an e-mail from Veggie Conquest a week before the event, revealing the secret ingredient and course to be made (appetizer, entree, or dessert). It will also be posted on our blog and Twitter.
If you want to be a chef, register here. A week before competition day, you’ll get your e-mail disclosing which secret ingredient to use and the course. Then you’ll invent your spectacular original vegan recipe featuring the secret ingredient. To help cover the cost of cooking, you’ll get $25 reimbursement when you arrive at the event with your dish. And you’ll get a complimentary plus-one to bring to the event and cheer you on!
If you want to be a taster, just register here, show up at the event, and make sure you’re hungry!
If you want to be one of the three judges, e-mail Jessica and let her know why you have exceptionally gifted taste buds. If you’re chosen, you’ll need to arrive 30 minutes early to discuss the rules.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHEFS
You’ll need to do all the cooking and preparation in your own kitchen, and make enough food for 85 small portions (think fancy restaurant, chef’s menu portion sizes, or one or two bites). You’ll also need to answer a few questions about your dish the day before the event and present your dish to the judges.
All food must be vegan by the strictest standards — no animal ingredients whatsoever, no honey, no bone char sugar, no non-vegan wine or liquors. If you have questions about any ingredient, click on the links to the right (under “Helpful Links”) or contact Veggie Conquest. Especially watch out for these common hidden animal ingredients: Casein, often found in soy cheeses and crackers. Gelatin, found in jello, candies, marshmallows, puddings. Whey, often found in soy cheeses, chocolate, crackers, margarine.
All Veggie Conquest chefs must be amateur. (If you’re a professional chef, we’d like you to be a judge: E-mail us here!)
Every recipe must be your original creation. That includes all sauces, marinades and dressings featured in your dish. You may use store-bought proteins (tofu, tempeh, seitan), but everyone will be more impressed if you make them yourself! Rule of thumb: It’s OK to use basic ingredients like margarine, soy sauce or vegan soy cheese, but not OK to use Trader Joe’s Spicy Black Pepper Marinade.
If you’re tempted to adapt someone else’s recipe, you’ll need to change the recipe in a dramatic way. Just changing an ingredient or two does not make the recipe your own. Please contact Veggie Conquest with any questions about this.
You will need to bring your own plates for the 3 judges and 1 for the judging table (so 4 in total). Remember, you will be judged on presentation. Please divide the rest of your dish into 80 small pieces for the tasters to eat. We suggest you do this before you arrive, but it is not required to be done ahead of time. Place every taster portion into small cupcake liners or something equivalent (a small cup if it’s liquid). You are responsible for getting the cupcake liners or cups. You don’t have to worry about plates for tasters, their plates and all utensils will be provided by Veggie Conquest.
Also, bring whatever tools (icing bags, molds, graters, etc.) you need to put the finishing touches on your dishes. Sterno trays will provided for keeping your food warm. Please let Veggie Conquest know at least 72 hours in advance if you plan on using a sterno tray so we can make sure there are enough for everyone to keep dishes warm.
Chefs must have plates plated and finished by the event’s start time.
For fairness’ sake, please don’t reveal your dish to any of tasters or judges.
You may create additional dishes, but you’re only judged and scored on one dish.
The day of the challenge, arrive at least 45 minutes early so you can plate your food for the judges before the event starts. You must be 45 minutes early! If you’re late, you can still share your food (we won’t refuse yummy vegan food), but you won’t be eligible for prizes.
And that’s it. Enjoy!
AT THE EVENT
A guest MC will introduce you to the judges and you will present your dish to the judges. Judges may ask you questions about your dish.
Then the judges score the dishes. Each judge can award a chef up to 20 points:
- up to 10 points for taste
- up to 5 points for plating (presentation)
- up to 5 points for the originality
Then the tasters taste the dish (that is pre-divided for them)
Tasters, you can have a say, too, by voting on your favorite dish. The tasters’ favorite wins the “Tasters’ Choice” award.
Prizes!
We know you’re cooking for the glory, not the prizes. But we want to reward you, so we’ll have prizes on hand for the winner of each challenge. (Think gift certificates, cookbooks and cooking utensils. And if you have other prize ideas, share with us via e-mail or Twitter.)
PAYMENT*
Early chefs who sign up before the secret ingredient is revealed pay $10 — you will get $10 back when you show up with your dish to the challenge.
Last-minute chefs who sign up after the secret ingredient is revealed pay $10. You will NOT get this money back.
Tasters pay $30 no matter when they sign up.
Hey, where does that money go?
We don’t do this for profit. Anything we earn goes right back into making Veggie Conquest great, like:
- rent for our venue
- prizes
- supplies
- maintaining the website
*Please note that there is a nonrefundable fee added by the ticket agency.
NEED TO CANCEL?
If you cancel before the secret ingredient is revealed, you can get a full refund (minus the service fee), or receive a credit to use at another Veggie Conquest event.
If you cancel after the secret ingredient is revealed, you will receive a credit to use at another Veggie Conquest event.
If you are allergic to the secret ingredient and have already paid, contact Veggie Conquest.
OTHER FAQ
Want to join in on the fun, but money is a little tight right now?
Every event, we will need volunteers to help set up, sign people in, pass out food and clean up. These helpers pay with their helpful labor only. E-mail us to request one of these spots.
Want to share your dishes, but not ready to enter as a chef?
Tasters, judges, and volunteers can also cook and bring a dish. We will not turn down any vegan food. These dishes don’t even have to feature the secret ingredient. We will gladly give you feedback or not … whatever you want.
This sounds like a great time. Will there be alcohol?
BYOB! Bring your own alcohol. As long as the venue allows it (the event description will let you know), we are all about it. You might make some new friends if you share, but it’s not a requirement. Here is a vegan beer, wine. and liquor list. Bring your own wine glass if you are too classy to drink wine out of a regular cup (Veggie Conquest will provide one regular cup per person).
