Looknauth, Contest Judge, age 56

In the West Indies, we use a lot of duck; we use it, more or less, as a delicacy. It's an appetizer, for when people are eating and they're drinking liquor; they use it as a "chaser", an hors d'oeuvre.

I've been organizing duck curry competitions over the last 7 years, in Guyana, but this is the first time we've had one in New York. And with the response we got here, we're definitely going to do it on the same date next year, on the Sunday before Labor Day.

I, myself, cook duck curry, and I'm actually the best cook, but I can't compete, since I'm judging. I competed once in Trinidad, and I brought third prize ... I was the best cook there, but I didn't have the best presentation; at that competition they counted presentation.

Men are generally the best cooks. We use ingredients that the female would not use -- like garlic and onions and herbs and stuff. We would experiment and they would not. I've taught my 3 sons to cook, as well, and they're very good.

I learned to cook at the usual get-togethers on Saturday evenings or Friday evenings, after work, when we would put up the table to play cards, and dominoes and stuff, and then we start cooking, and that's where I learned how to cook. And I still cook on Sundays, as a hobby.