Slavic baking competition reveals winners

The eighth annual Slavic Baking Competition recently took place in advance of the Simply Slavic Festival that is scheduled for 7 to 10 p.m. Friday and noon to midnight Saturday on East Federal Street in downtown Youngstown. The winners of the competition are D’Ella Heschmeyer of Liberty, first place for a modification of her grandmother’s Polish Easter cake; Michael Ekoniak of Canfield, second place for jablkovy kolac, a Slovak pielike dessert; and Anne Zagorec of Hubbard, third place, for nut horns. The winners were awarded aprons embroidered with the Simply Slavic logo and grocery-store gift cards. First place also was awarded a chef’s toque (hat). Judges for the event were Leslie Barrett, WFMJ-TV 21 news anchor; Mary Ann Shaffer of Youngstown, the 2017 baking contest winner; and Dr. Mark Smesko and Mike Vallas, food writers for The Vindicator. Above, from left are Barrett, Ekoniak, Heschmeyer, Zagorec, Shaffer, Smesko and Vallas.