2ND ANNUAL CHILI COOK OFF RECAP

Fantastic night last night at the Annex for Crossroads Second Annual Chili Cook-Off. Well over 100 people braved the tasting table for some REALLY great chili, and had a great time doing it.  It was so cool to see people having such a good time doing something to support Crossroads Youth Ministry.  Over $500 was raised to support the Underground!!!  Thank you all!!!

Kudo's to Pastor Chris and Jessie, Rachel Williams, Will, Todd Waggerman and the many others (including Ben & Kelly Rice's Small Group), who went above and beyond and made the event truly memorable.

Well-deserved awards were presented to John Zoll for Most Volcanic Chili (misc. quotes overheard about Zoll #4 included: "holy crap that's hot"..."shows what you can do with a little nuclear waste and some battery acid"...and my personal favorite, "it's like satan is bathing in my mouth"); to Becki Stewart for Tastiest Chili, truly an exceptional and infinitely edible concoction that one could eat all night with reckless abandon and NO need for Pepto-Bismal; to Jennifer Phillips for Most Creative Chili, a delectable and delightful recipe that, in a move of sheer whimsy, included chocolate on it's list of inventive ingredients; and lastly - though I'm somewhat red-faced to admit it - Me, for...um...well, let's just go ahead and say it, 2010 Chili Cook-Off Champion.  

Having said that, I have a confession to make.  While I was suffering through winning a golf tournament yesterday (a RARE occurrence...not winning, but playing at all), Leslie was cubing pork and beef and simmering it with chorizo in a beef broth spiced with cumin on my behalf.  Honestly, there would have been no #13 entry were it not for her unselfish willingness to do my chopping and simmering for me.  I owe her big time.  However, as an artist cannot fully share the accolades that accompany the production of a masterpiece with the faithful companion who prepares the artists palate,  I cannot fully share the venerated Chili Cook-Off award with her, as what happened in secret, with secret ingredients, for the 2 hours before the cook-off are where the magic really took place; turning simple stewing meat into a flavorful taste-fest reminiscent of western green pork chili with a slow building yet resounding heat note.  Oh, what the heck.  She can wear the beads on Tuesdays and Thursdays!

Thank you Leslie, and thank you ALL for everything you did to make this event special.  For what it's worth: I am hereby retiring from future competition, as Leslie has refused to chop my ingredients next year.  Maybe I could hire on as a judge?  Don't forget to Spring Forward one-hour tonight before you go to bed.  See you tomorrow morning at Crossroads!