Rep. Dennis Moore (R-Kans.), Stephene Moore, Linda Bachus, Jerry Giovaniello, Gail McKinnon, Vicki Miller, Jill Udall, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Mary Sorteberg, and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)

The March of Dimes held its 2010 Gourmet Gala on Wednesday night at the National Building Museum, where more than 30 members of Congress showed off their best recipes in an annual contest for top prize.

The event began with a tour of 20 tasting stations, all manned by two lawmakers who, along with their spouses, had cooked up recipes to support this year's gala.

Among the standouts were Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas) and his wife, Carolina's apple salsa, Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) and his wife Vicki's shrimp dukkah, and Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and his wife Diane's "Cornhusker Kick-off" barbeque brisket sliders.

After heavy appetizers, guests were ushered in to a seated dinner of chicken pot pie and mozzarella and tomato salad served family style at the table, followed by gingerbread cake for dessert.

The evening was emceed by Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), and featured a jazz solo performance by Grammy-nomiated artist Ski Johnson.

The dishes were judged in six categories by professional chefs, including Chef Geoff's Geoff Tracy and Equinox's Todd Gray. The evening's prize winners included Rep. Diana DeGette's (D-Colo.) Adobo chicken tostadas, Rep. Jeff Miller's (R-Fla.) shrimp Dukkah, and Rep. Paul Hodes's (D-N.H.) vegetarian chili.

— Report  and photographs by Christina Wilkie

Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) and Vickie Miller won the Health and Happiness Award for their vegetarian chili

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Frannie Franken flank Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist Ski Johnson

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) with Helen Green and Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas)

Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) serves up his wife Diana's warm Brie appetizer

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Diane Nelson

Penny Thompson and Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) with Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-La.)

Debbie Dingell and Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.)

Caroline and Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) display their delicious Alabama watermelon tomato and balsamic skewers

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Sandy Cornyn, Abigail Blunt, and Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)

Rep. Ruben Hinojosa's (D-Texas) Tequila-Bloody Mary cherry tomatoes

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) Bristol's pork dijonnaise

Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa) and Teresa Loebsack with their deviled chicken lollipops

Bobbi Barrasso and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) explained, cowboy caviar is a delicious blend of corn, peas, and cilantro

Rep. Silvestre Reyes's (D-Texas) apple salsa with lime and cilantro (left) and Rep. John Tanner's (D-Tenn.) baked Mexican spinach dip

Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) serves shrimp Dukkah with orange shrimp sauce, one of the most popular dishes of the evening

Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.)

Kara Spencer, Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.), and Kaitlin Helms

The dessert featured white chocolate dimes to remind guest's of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's original campaign against polio

Seven year-old Joshua Hoffman, a 2010 ambassador of the March of Dimes, addresses the crowd eloquently

Lockheed Martin's Gerald Harvey, Marta Smith, Nancy Schlegel, and Linda Banton

Jerry Giovanello, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Gail McKinnon present DeGette with the Best in Show award for her Adobo chicken tostadas con crema

Diana Enzi, Jill and Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Linda Bachus, Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), and Stephene Moore