Slice of fair life

Texico fire fighters Jacob Gaines, left and David Scioli dig into pie baking contest entries Wednesday night at the Curry County Fair office. Gaines and Scioli are serving as first responders at the fair and were asked to judge the contest.

As a Clovis firefighter, Lt. Mike Jouett said he is ready for anything.

Wednesday night, however, he may have bitten off more than he could chew at the Curry County Fair.

Fork and plate in hand, Jouett huddled over a table with two other judges and went through 13 pies in the pie baking contest. Pie flavors ranged from fruit pies such as cherry, apple and blueberry to chocolate pecan.

According to the fair book, more than $200 in prizes will be given to the winners. Results of the contest were not available at press time.

Jouett said he had never served as a pie baking judge before and wasn't expecting to be a pie baking judge that night, but was happy to offer his tastebuds.

"It was confusing, after so many pies, you're just overcome with sweetness," he said. "And I'm glad there wasn't any more than there was."

Jouett, who said he isn't big on sweets, said he has favorite pie flavors, but that didn't affect his judgment.

Jouett was one of two Clovis firefighters who volunteered to offer first aid services at the fair.

Across the table from Jouett, David Scioli, a Texico firefighter, took a bite from a sliver of pie on his plate then asked what it was.

According to a fair official, it was a caramel apple pie.

"I never would have guessed that," he said, then moved to what looked like a pecan pie. The chocolate inside it was a surprise, he said.

"You expect it to be a regular pecan pie the you're slapped in the face with a blast of chocolate," he said.

Scioli said he went into the judging with an open mind. He said pies were one of his top favorite pastries and opted to judge the pie baking contest instead of the cupcake decorating contest, which was also held Wednesday.

"There's more of a variety of flavors with pies than with cupcakes," he said.