But more importantly, the goal of all Eggfests is to have fun, make a lot of friends, eat some great food and demonstrate the wonderful Big Green Egg to people who may have never heard of one.
But in this instance, the ultimate goal is to help generate funds for the preservation of the historic Jefferson Carnegie Library. So unlike some 'Free' Eggfests, these Tasters will be paying for the chance to eat the food we cook.
If you are an Egghead and wish to cook or serve as a Cook's Helper, you are definitely in the right place.
If you've never cooked at an Eggfest, there are some important things to know:
1. You cover your own expenses for travel, meals, and all food you will cook and serve.
2. You will be provided with one or more Demo Big Green Eggs to cook on. These will be provided by the sponsoring Big Green Egg Dealer, who will attempt to sell all of the Demo Eggs at a discounted price, either before, during or immediately after the Eggfest.
3. Organizers will attempt to provide you with items you may need but be prepared to bring your own cooking tools, seasonings, serving cups/plates/platters/bowls/spoons/forks/knives/paper towels, table covers, chairs, ice chest to store the food, and anything else that you may need in order to prepare and serve the food you plan to cook throughout the day.
4. Cook Tents and Tables will be provided but if you have a tent and table, and don't mind bringing it, you will be assured of having one should the Cook turnout be higher than the number of available tents and tables.
5. It is suggested that each Cook Team prepare between 200 and 300 individual, bite-size servings of the food you plan to cook. Most Cooks will use multiple recipes thereby creating a variation of samples to pass to Tasters throughout the day. Don't worry, we're not there to 'feed' the tasters, just offer them samples of food cooked on the Big Green Egg.
6. It is not easy to cook, serve and keep clean the cook tent area, but it is very important that this be done. No one likes to see an untidy cooking area or eat something from an unsightly platter. Disposable rubber gloves are strongly recommended. If you forgot them, borrow some from other Eggheads. It's that important.
7. It is suggested that you have a jug of clean water, dish soap and wipes to use as needed throughout the cooking process and for the follow-up cleaning of equipment.
8. All food must be kept at proper temperatures at all times. This may require that you have multiple coolers in order to have sufficient ice to keep your food cold until cooked. Some organizers provide a person who can bring ice from a bulk storage area.
9. Bring plenty of water to drink. It can get very hot. Some organizers provide free water to Cooks and their helpers. Adult beverages are not permitted at the Jefferson Eggfest.
10. Be prepared to answer lots of questions about your recipe, about the Big Green Egg, or about how the Egg compares to other type cookers. Just explain it as if you were talking to a friend or family member who knows nothing about the Egg. They may be very good cooks on other brands or types of cookers, so just tell what you know about the Egg. If they are interested in becoming an Egghead, they will continue asking other Cooks the same questions. Repeated positive stories are the ones most likely to influence their decision to purchase an Egg.
11. At the end of the day, you will likely be tired but you will know that you made quite a few people happy to have attended the Eggfest.
See you in Jefferson.
