As it has been for many years, the food presentations at the 41st Annual Valdosta Daily Times Taste-off June 6 at Mathis City Auditorium were worthy of being in any top food magazine!

What a tough job the judges had because there were numerous ones which were deserving of the Creative Design and Runner-Up awards. Winners aside, my choice would have been Tropical Sunset Cupcakes by 12-year-old Levi Miley of Sparks. Levi gets her decorating talents naturally through her grandmother, Taresa Hancock of Adel, who won our first cake-decorating contest last year. She had so many cake orders for last weekend that she wasn’t able to enter this year.

Levi, who wants to be a chef someday, showed her creative side with the three-tiered yellow display representing the sandy beach, a blue net draping down the tiers, the cupcakes lined on the tiers with paper flowers and birds stuck in them and three tall vases of goldfish swimming around — real ones.

Those goldfish belonged to Levi’s 5-year-old sister, Della Rose Miley. As everyone was shooed out of the room so the judging could start, Della Rose looks up at me and says, “Don’t let anybody eat my goldfish.”

Della Rose’s wish was granted, and she went home with her pets.

What was eaten were 45 delicious dishes of food. Winners aside, my favorites were the crunchy taste of the vegetable category winner, Asparagus in the Round by Marie Wood, and the salad category winner, Georgia Peach Spinach Salad by her sister, Lydia Keene.

When Judge Harold Chambers of Austin’s tasted the salad, he said, “When you put it in your mouth, it goes boom with a burst of flavor!”

Another favorite was the Coconut “Dream” Cake With Lemon/Lime Filling of Teresa Steinberg. The texture was perfect — so soft that it felt like it was going to melt in my mouth.

It was also great to talk to the newcomers to the Taste-off on Monday and Tuesday after the contest.

“I’m so excited,” said Rachel Paytee, who had Firecracker Shrimp in the appetizer category. “I’m already collecting recipes for next year.”

Another one excited about next year and planning to enter was 11-year-old Jenna Eppes, daughter of Lisa and Kerry Eppes of Adel. The rising six-grader, who is homeschooled, prepared Sautéed Banana Split in the Children’s category this year.

Taste-off contestants and their recipes will be featured in the July issue of the Valdosta Scene magazine.

Elizabeth Butler is the Lifestyles editor of The Valdosta Daily Times.