Hello, Foodies!
Every year, Roscoe’s Deli in Fullerton hosts a Chili Cook Off to celebrate the start of the football season, and I had the pleasure of competing in it today with my dad and sister! Despite the fact that it turned out to be a complete and utter failure, I still had a lot of fun. In case any of you plan on competing in a Chili Cook Off any time soon, let me tell you where we went wrong.
The Official Guide to Chili Cook Offs:
- Slow cook, not overcook. After spending hours perfecting our Crock Pot of chili, we foolishly let our chili cook overnight to “allow the flavors to meld.” NO! Our chili overcooked and lost its bold, authentic flavors.
- Spice is good! In most chili cook offs, the judges taste as many as 100+ chilis, so your chili has to be memorable in order to win. In chili language, “memorable” means spicy. Crazy spicy. If your face is not turning a violent shade of red and you are not holding back tears, it is not spicy enough. Serranos, jalapenos (the heat is in the seeds and membranes!), and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (they come in cans) are great ways to add some spice to your chili!
- Display is key! Having a memorable display is also key in setting yourself apart. A good place to start is to make an eye-catching sign with the name of your chili. I have also seen lights, garnishes in pretty bowls, and even Crock Pots decorated with tissue paper flames (fire hazard?!). It really boils down to people wanting to come try your chili as opposed to the 99 other entries.
Also, while we were waiting for the judging to be over, we got an order of pancakes at Heroes, a restaurant that neighbors Roscoe’s. They were fluffy, scrumptious, and bigger than my face! If you can eat all six of them, you get them for free, but I honestly do not know how that is humanly possible. I seriously struggled to finish one of them!
