Four decades of recipes have been sent to The Valdosta Daily Times since former Society Editor Virginia Culpepper began the cookbook contest in 1969, which was later continued by former Society Editor Marcia McRae. How fast time has flown since I began coordinating the Taste-offs 24 years ago!

So many wonderful cooks and good friends have come from these gatherings. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane with some of the top winners and their dishes. Sadly, some including Vannah Beck (1975, Meatless Moussaka); Robbie Woods (1989, Walnut Bread); and Ann Bennett (2001, French Morning Pastry) are no longer with us. (There may be others I am unaware of.)

On the happier side, Kay Jennett and Teresa Steinberg reign supreme as the only three-time winners of the Taste-offs. Kay’s Grand Prizes came in 1981 with Iceberg Lettuce Salad, in 1987 with Orange Baked Pork Tenderloin and in 1993 with Divine Shrimp and Cheese. Teresa’s top wins were in 1988 with Wild Rice Braid, 1991 with Fresh Pineapple Pie and 1999 with Stuffed Cornbread Chicken Rolls with Orange Wine Sauce.

Both Sandra Connell, longtime Taste-off assistant, and Anita Sinnott have two Grand Prizes each — Sandra in 1986 with Microwave Marinated Chicken Stir-Fry and in 1990 with Layered Chicken and Rice Salad and Anita in 2002 with Mango Salad with Grilled Shrimp and in 2004 with Pasta Shells with Chicken, Mushrooms, Escarole and Sun-Dried Tomatoes. (Sandra will be traveling this year so Barry Resta, one of last year’s judges, will be assisting with this year’s Taste-off.)

Tracy Woske has been our only teen-ager to win the top prize — 1985 with Tracy’s Nutty Cheese Ball. She was only 14 when she captured the top prize. (Our current rules call for our adult participants to be at least 16.) We watched Tracy and her brother, Rusty, grow up as they and their parents, Don and Jean Woske, participated in many Taste-offs.

Terry Kidd was the only male to ever win the Grand Prize. His Chicken Elegante landed the top prize in 1992.

When it comes to the queen of cooking vegetables, look no further than Brenda Woodall, although it was a Pork and Pecan Salad which landed her the Grand Prize in 1994. Of the 11 years she had entered at that time, she had won the vegetable category four times and the bread and meat category at least once each.

The cooking sisters, Claire Spriggs, Ellen McCarthy, Marie Wood and Lydia Keene, along with their friend, Debbie Hart, came on the Taste-off scene, stirring up the fun and excitement and winning many categories, including the top prize. Claire, the queen of the diet category, was the Grand Prize winner in 2000 with Chili Pepper Steaks with Salsa Fresca and Debbie in 2003 with Granny Smith’s Coffee Cake.

It tickles me pink when first-time entries win the whole shebang. Sharon Rowan of Adel captured the Grand Prize in 2006 with Corn Custards With Bacon-Potato Crust, and last year, Monique Nagel of Mayday won with Three-Cheese-Stuffed Chicken With Blackberry Reduction, her own recipe. I saw Monique and her daughter, Olivia, at the Taste of Home Cooking School Tuesday night at Mathis city auditorium, and both said they plan to enter the 40th Annual Valdosta Daily Times Cookbook Contest.

To enter, simply e-mail your recipes to vdt.recipes@gaflnews.com during the month of April. Adults 16 and above may enter as many as nine recipes while those 15 and under may enter one recipe in the children’s category. The adult categories are Appetizers, Salads, Breads, Vegetables, Meats, Desserts, Cookies and Candies (one category), diet foods, and 40th anniversary cake decorating.

Be sure to include your daytime phone number as well as your mailing address so we can inform you if you have been selected as one of the 50 contestants to bring your already prepared dishes to the Taste-off June 7 at Valdosta Technical College.

Although those participating in the 40th Anniversary cake-decorating category will bring their already baked cakes (and no pre-made decorations), the decorating will be done during the two hours of judging the other nine categories. (I know it usually takes six or eight hours for those decorating contests on the Food Network, but we’ll just have a mini version.) The winner will receive a scholarship to the Valdosta Technical College Cooking School for one quarter.

The nine other categories will be judged for Creative Design Winner and Runner-up and presented with prizes from Belk and Valdosta Greenhouses.

Grand Prize will be awarded $300, the Grand Prize Runner-up $200, the remaining seven first places $50 and 10 second places $25. Centerpieces will be given to the third places.

A total of $1,100 in cash prizes will be given in the contest.