Standing behind a tiki bar serving the barbecue pork recipe handed down from her Filipino grandmother, Ana Hall said her food is served with a special ingredient.

What's her secret?

"Love," she said in sync with her friend Theresa Salsberry, sharing smiles and laughter at the Iowa Farm Bureau's 61st Cookoff Contest at the Iowa State Fair on Tuesday, Aug. 12.

Growing up in the Philippines, Hall, of Des Moines, often helped her grandmother cook before she was allowed to play, so her cook-off debut held extra meaning.

She served her grandmother's recipe — pork marinated in soy sauce, banana ketchup, sesame oil, pineapple juice, fresh garlic, brown sugar and Sprite — alongside flavorful Filipino fried Java rice and pickled vegetables. And for dessert, a crowd-pleaser that had tasters clo

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