Chili cook-off confidential
Contests held to shake off the chill, warm the soul, spice things up
Jeff Rothman was just out of grad school and living in Regent Square when he decided, somewhat on the fly, to throw a chili cook-off. The newly minted physical therapist had always loved to cook and entertain, and thought that organizing a contest among his chili-loving flock of friends would be a good way to insert some much-needed heat into a brisk Pittsburgh winter.
Chili is a common denominator when the temperature dips below freezing, he says. With its fiery mix of chilies and spices, it’s a welcomed bowl to take the chill off whether the chili has beef, chicken or a medley of vegetables. “It appeals to all ages,” he says.
Boy, was he on to something.
What started in 2005 as a friendly competition between a handful of friends with three or four pots of chili has grown into a big annual party. Despite a late-afternoon snowstorm that made the steep hill leading to Mr. Rothman and his wife, Sherah’s, North Side row house a slippy mess, this year’s cook-off on Jan. 12 brought out more than 50 people bearing 15 pots of sweat-inducing, fragrant chili.
It’s the time of the year when we crave the warmth of spicy foods and want to hibernate, and “chili just brings people together,” says Mr. Rothman, an orthopedic clinical specialist and facility director at UPMC Centers for Rehab Services in Squirrel Hill.
Suzanna Krispli, director of the Hampton Community Library, was in the same mindset when she organized the library’s first-ever chili cook-off as a fundraiser last year. The weekend before Super Bowl is usually a no man’s land for events, and a cook-off, she thought, would be a fun way to bring the community out of its collective wintery funk.
“It’s January. It’s cold and it’s gray,” she remembers thinking. “Let’s do something fun to spice it up.”
After scouring the Internet for rules, set up tips and a score sheet for judging — a process she jokingly likens to planning a wedding —- the library put out the word. The event at the Hampton Community Center brought out nearly 100 residents and a dozen contestants, raising more than $1,000 for the McCully Road library. Max Hardman, a sales engineer, won the cook-off with a chili that featured a variety of meats
seasoned with adobo chili, cayenne, thyme, cinnamon and beer.
“The balance between sweet, savory and spicy is the trick,” he says.
One reason Ms. Krispli thinks the event resonated is because so many people love competition. “Everyone talks about their chili, and thinks it’s the best,” she says.
The library’s second chili cook-off is Saturday from 3 to 7 p.m. Contestants need to sign up by Wednesday (it costs $10 and requires a gallon of chili). Or, just go to eat. Admission is $8, with children under 5 free, and there will be a basket raffle, bake sale and music along with the tastings. Mr. Hardman already is counting on a back-to-back win.
At the Rothman’s cookoff, winning is tough because entries have gotten increasingly creative over the years. Everything from bison to salmon have found their way into a variety of red, white and green chilis. Charles Carrier, who’s a financial planning and analysis leader at BNY Mellon, took home his second title in five years on Jan. 12 with a moderately spicy meat-andseafood chili that paid homage to his Louisiana roots.
An accomplished home cook, the Strip District resident has made countless bowls of chili over the years. Yet to win, he knew he needed to be unique. Enter crawfish, a freshwater crustacean that resembles a small lobster and is a staple of Cajun cuisine. Seasoned with garlic, chili powder and cayenne, the tomato saucebased recipe skews traditional, Mr. Carrier says. But there’s also “a little bit of a twist” with the addition of dried mint and white wine. The combination of ingredients proved so appealing, that long before the votes had been tallied, his entire pan had been scraped clean.
Cook-offs often are a learn-as-you-go kind of thing, and so it took Mr. Rothman a few years before he got his format down to its current smooth operation. As soon as a contestant walks in with a chili, it is whisked off to the kitchen and poured into a disposable aluminum pan. The pans then are numbered to be anonymous, and placed in wire racks warmed by portable sternos in the adjoining dining room. That way, when time comes for spooning the chili into muffin tins for tasting, only the hosts know whose entry guests are sampling.
It was a people’s choice contest this year, but the Rothmans also have had cook-offs where judges used a rating system to determine a winner. The top dish always has something Mr. Rothman calls the “extra bowl factor” — a chili so good, you want another bowl of it. A clever evite and grand prize t-shirt add to the excitement.
There are no hard rules when it comes to making chili, other than the dish usually contains heat from chili peppers or powder or hot sauce, some type of meat, and often tomatoes and beans. But you do have to have a plan to pull off a successful cook-off. Here are some winning tips:
• Limit entries to a manageable number. People can taste and keep track of only so many chilis. Too many chilis can result in palate fatigue along with upset stomachs.
• Label each dish, and include ingredients and heat level. So many people have food allergies (shellfish) and sensitivities (gluten).
• Make sure the chilis are anonymous, and the tastings blind. This will keep judging fair.
• If people will be dishing chili from their Crock-Pots, make sure there are enough power strips or extension cords spread out among several
outlets, so you don’t blow a fuse. Ditto with serving utensils. You can find both at your local dollar store.
• Provide numbered cups/ bowls and plenty of plastic spoons for tasting. The Rothmans use disposable cupcake tins so guests can taste, and keep track of, up to six different chilis at one time. They’re numbered with a Sharpie.
• Make sure there’s a standardized set of criteria for judging, with a score card and point system. Common categories include aroma, texture, color, flavor, heat level and aftertaste. You can find templates on Pinterest.
• Don’t make your guests wait forever to declare a winner. It’s a buzz kill.
• Consider having an official emcee to help keep things moving .
• Offer beverages to keep tasters hydrated, along with such palate cleansers as soda crackers or corn bread.
• Have a few appetizers, salads and/or desserts for guests to nosh on before and after the tasting. Sherah Rothman’s mother, Pam Ewusiak, makes homemade bread and apple butter, and this year, a co-worker from Avonworth High School brought a colorful winter salad featuring mixed greens, pears and figs. It’s a party, after all.
• Consider prizes. It will add to the hype and encourage people to bring their top game.