Last Saturday I attended the Chili For Children chili cook-off at the Lady Luck Casino here in Vicksburg. It was a charity event to raise money for Vicksburg’s children’s home.
I’m not a huge fan of chili. I like it. Sometimes. But, since it was a charity event and I’m a charitable kind of person, and I love my new community, I decided to give it a go. I’ve never been to an anything cook-off, so it was a new experience for me.
Here’s what I took away from the event, which was a lot of fun under clear blue skies and delightful warm/cool temperatures:
1 – Don’t be afraid to take antacid. In fact, I highly recommend you take some BEFORE the event.
2 – Wear a chili colored tie-dyed top.
3 – Do NOT taste the chili while still at the booth. (Trust me on this one.)
4 – It’s perfectly okay not to try every single one, although in order to cast an honest vote for the best, you must in fact try every single one. If this is your plan, refer back to number 1 above.
5 – Pace yourself. Have a few crackers and some milk after about 5 or 6 samples. Cleansing the pallet helps. Sort of, I mean it is still chili you’ll be going back to.
6 – Don’t ask what’s in the chili. Again, trust me. Some people are VERY creative. Just sample – remembering number 3 above – and move on.
7 – Have fun. Who cares what’s in the chili, if you like it or not, if it looks good on your shirt or not, you’re there for a good cause.
This year 21 teams competed at the Lady Luck and raised over $12,000 for the kids. There were face painting booths, a guy making balloon animals, church groups selling baked goods, and a bunch of cute girls selling sodas. Not to mention a beer booth. That’s pretty neat.
Do you attend cook-offs in your home town? Do you enjoy chili? What’s your favorite or weirdest chili ingredient?
Word of the day: Ytrium
Fun fact about me: I make a really good turkey pumpkin chili. In my opinion anyway. Perhaps I’ll enter it into the cook-off next year.
Original post by Jansen Schmidt, February 2017. Photos courtesy Google Images.
Best post! (Points 3 and 5 especially!)
Brilliant! 😀
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Mil, it sounds like you’ve done this before. Thanks for stopping by. I’m sure enjoying your journey across the Southern United States.
Patricia
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I have a recipe for tomato lentil chili that I love. It does not resemble chili in any fashion except for maybe the addition of chili powder (which I reduced from two teaspoons to 1/2 a teaspoon).
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I think you’d fit right in, Judy. Remember my advice above? Do not ask what’s in the chili just sample it. Who knows, you might like it.
I’d love to try your chili recipe. I am a fan of lentils.
As always, thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment. It’s always so nice to see your smiling face.
Patricia
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A chili cookoff should really be held in Texas. Mississippi chili? The International Championship Chili Cookoff is held annually in Terlingua, Texas, just outside of Big Bend National Park.
Having said all that, I must admit chili is something I can take or leave, and I’ve never been to a chili cookoff.
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Ah hem – “should really be held in Texas.” What?!? What kind of nonsense is that? Texas does not have the monopoly on chili. There were some very good chilis here in Vicksburg; some that might in fact, blow your Texas chili away. But, since I’ve not had the pleasure of attending a Texas chili cook-off, I shall reserve judgment. As should you mister.
But, I’m with you, chili is one of those foods that I neither like nor dislike, it’s just blah, chili.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a great week.
Patricia
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I like chili. And being from Ohio, that includes the kind with cinnamon in it, known as Cincinnati-style (or Skyline). Been to a couple of chili cook-offs, and your tip about antacid is spot-on – one I tried at our Air Force base was so hot I couldn’t taste anything for the rest of the afternoon!
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My goodness – that’s hot! I have to avoid the really hot stuff. Tears my stomach up.
There was a booth with Cincinnati-style chili and I tried it. It was definitely different. I liked the cinnamon and clove flavors. I had it with pasta. I guess that’s how it’s served? Over pasta? Anyway, it was good. Different.
Thanks for visiting. I’m so excited to hear about new home in the making. Looking forward to more posts and pictures.
Patricia
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$12,000 is amazing! That was once successful cookoff. I usually try to avoid tasting all the different types of chili in a cookoff, but I’ve been known to enter a cookoff once or twice. Or maybe not…I lost badly. I guess my chili is an acquired taste, haha!
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Yeah – that money will go a long way to support those kids. It was a very fun day. Everyone was in a good mood and it was for a very good cause.
It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, you got in there and tired. In my opinion, all chili is an acquired taste so you’re not doing anything wrong my friend.
Thanks for stopping by. Stay dry out there in the great wet west.
Patricia
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