LEXINGTON, S.C. (AP) -- A South Carolina woman's whimsical approach to food is helping her crack the insular world of cooking contests with such novel dishes as pecan-encrusted oysters over asiago cheese grits. And she's taking home a lot more than blue ribbons and kitchen gadgets.

Candy McMenamin has won more than 105 prizes in the five years since she began competing around the country.

Her Wild Wild West Beef and Smoked Gouda Grits won her $10,000 at the National Beef Cook-off a few years back. Soon afterward, her sweet potato encrusted chicken earned her $10,000 in appliances at the first Simply Manischewitz kosher cooking contest. And nobody minded that she isn't Jewish.

Cooking contests have long been part of American culture; think blue ribbons for the best pies at county fairs. But television shows and million dollar prizes have ramped up the culinary competition to the point where innovation and ingenuity really count.

McMenamin, who taste tests her creations on her husband and two children in this Columbia suburb, isn't letting success go to her head. Cooking, she said, is a hobby that began growing on her in recent years as a way to "reinvent herself."

"The boys had gotten older and I had more time and it's something that I always enjoyed doing when I did have time," she said. "It gave me something that's mine to do - maybe mine to be proud of."

But she isn't taking herself or the cooking contests too seriously as she prepares for her next venture - a garlic cookoff in Gilroy, Calif.

Her advice?

"I'd say don't be afraid to try different things and put different things together," said McMenamin, who hopes to wow the judges with a stuffed quail recipe. "What's the worst thing that could happen? You throw it out and order pizza."

It's that attitude that has folks in the world of competitive cooking talking about the newcomer from the South.

"Being a consistent winner gets people's attention and that is what Candy has done and why her name is recognized," said Roxanne Chan, a 64-year-old from California who has won more than 740 prizes in 24 years of competitive cooking. "Also when actual cook-offs are involved, her friendly personality and enthusiastic spirit make her stand out."

Onju Sturlaugson, contest manager for the venerable Pillsbury Bake-off, said some competitors relish creating an original recipe, while others bask in praise about great cooking.

"They all have a passion for being creative in the kitchen, and they are all excited about the possibility of winning a big prize," she said. "There are many opportunities for today's home cooks to share their passion for food and be rewarded, whether it's via challenges on food TV channels, a state fair contest or even online."

This year, McMenamin's triumphs include first prize in a Wholesome Sweeteners contest for her Amazing Apricot Cookies and top honors in the side dish contest at a North Carolina sweet potato showdown for her rosemary-roasted sweet potatoes with charred lime drizzle.

Her unexpected approach to recipes helps her stand out in a field of hundreds, said contest officials. In her first cooking contest, she was a finalist for the $1 million Pillsbury Bake-off with her Apple-Stuffing Mini Meat Loaves.

Or take the simplicity of her sweet potato encrusted chicken.

"We loved Candace's recipe because it was so simple and yet delicious," said Stacey Bender, spokeswoman for Manischewitz Brands. "She used a variety of Manischewitz products very creatively to turn everyday chicken into a Sweet Potato Encrusted Chicken - that had the judges asking for seconds."

Then there's McMenamin's offbeat use of grits, a southern staple she spruces up with cheeses, even pumpkin.

Her pecan-encrusted oysters over asiago cheese grits was not only the judges' favorite entree in one Oyster cook-off. It's also a family favorite, said Reta Coffman, McMenamin's mother and No. 1 fan.

"She knows what flavors go with what flavors and that's almost a sense," Coffman said.

McMenamin's son, Jack, has his own theory how his mom delivers prize-winning recipes: old-fashioned trial and error.

"Every once in a while I'll taste something she makes and say, 'This one didn't work,'" he said. "Most of the time I'll just look at it and go out to McDonald's."