By Friday afternoon, the ovens will be in place, the skillets will be ready, and finalists will have perfected their recipes.
All this work will come to fruition on Saturday as the 17th annual National Cornbread Cook-off, sponsored by Lodge Manufacturing, maker of cast-iron cookery, and Martha White, maker of cornmeal and other baking products, begins in South Pittsburg.
Setting up the festival is a massive undertaking for a town with a population of just 3,300, says Jeanne Scholze of Lodge Manufacturing. “Just about every adult is doing something, and many of the South Pittsburg High School students are helping Friday and throughout the weekend,” she says.
One of the biggest events is the cook-off, and the recipes are looking good, says Martha White spokeswoman Courtney Eller.
“As always, we love the delicious ideas entrants come up with, year after year,” she says.