I am officially cheating and stealing a blog post from my darling husband. But he has a good point…this is coming up quickly and we need to get the word out!
For those of you keeping score, George and I were invited year after year by my dad to cook chili for the cook off, a fund raiser that originated with my dad and many others to raise money for some equipment needed by the Chagrin Valley Enforcement Group fire departments. The event was such a repeated success that they reached their goals, but didn’t want to stop the event. They passed the baton to the Chagrin Valley Jaycees, and they now use the event as their winter fund-raiser.
Last year George and I finally agreed to cook, and we did so representing the Chagrin Falls Police Department. We prepared an awesome Chili Con Carne inspired by a Cooks Illustrated magazine recipe that we had enjoyed and tweaked over the years. We got all of the fun (and yes we REALLY do think it’s fun) of cooking up a test batch or two, calculating how much we would need, and then going to a restaurant supply store to purchase an absurd amount of beef. We already had a restaurant grade propane burner and giant stock pot from deep frying a turkey for Thanksgiving that year, so we were ready to roll!
Or limp along…I ran over my toe at the restaurant store with the heavily laden flat-bed cart and broke my left pinky toe. BUT I WENT ON!
There were three awards…Overall Best, Most Unique, and People’s Choice. The first two were determined by a panel of judges, and the third was determined by votes submitted by event attendees. They don’t separate out participants. There are tables run by random town businesses, girl scout troops, fire and police departments, as well as restaurants and caterers. And the judges only give out three prizes overall, not one for best restaurant, etc. The “People’s Choice” award was won by the Jaycee’s table…ballot box stuffing was alleged, but it’s a friendly competition so we all heartily laughed that off 🙂 Especially given that they were hosting side games to benefit the USO. Way to go! First Place was Rick’s Cafe! So good that they actually ran out of chili! And who won Most Unique?
To our absolute astonishment, WE DID!!! By coming in second to a restaurant, that meant we beat other restaurants! That’s pretty cool!
So this year, we’re doing it again, representing the good ole CFPD, and we’re doing it Hungarian Style! It’s called pörkölt, and it is unbelievable. Last year we didn’t cook to win…we cooked to cook. This year we’re gunning for a plaque, so I hope that doesn’t end up hurting our chances 😉
Come one, come all, and bring your friends! Admission gives you tickets to taste at multiple tables. So even though you are only eating 3 oz at a time, you WILL fill up. And the drinks are free!
xo
en