WARM UP AT CHILI COOK-OFF SATURDAY
It’s that time of year. The weather is getting chilly, and there is chili on the menu.
If you want to feel the spirit of the season, check out the 15th annual Chili Cook-Off fundraiser from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Watermen’s Museum on the Riverwalk Landing, 309 Water St., Yorktown.
Professional and amateur chefs will present a wide variety of chili recipes as they compete for awards such as the People’s Choice, voted on by ticketholders. Tickets are $7.50 in advance (at the museum’s gift shop), and $10 on Saturday.
All proceed go to the Watermen’s Museum — for programs and the upkeep and maintenance of the historic facilities.
For information: 757-887-2641, watermens.org.
Hot sauce
Kitchen 740 at the Marriott in Newport News City Center has added a new ingredient — well,
OK, it’s more of a flavor than an actual ingredient — to its signature hot sauce.
Earlier this year, the restaurant began fermenting it in repurposed bourbon barrels from the Ironclad Distillery in Newport News. Executive chef Willard Kane said the idea came from hotel general manager Mark Butcher (“he really, really, really likes hot sauce,”) when the Marriott served as one of the hosts this year for a statewide bourbon tour.
Fermenting the peppers and the saltwater brine for a month or longer transfers some of the flavors from the barrels into the the sauce.
“It adds a little woodiness, a little oakiness,” Kane said. “Depending
on how hot we choose to make a particular batch of sauce, that barrel taste can be just a hint or it can really come through nicely.”
Kane said he does not know how many times he can use a barrel and still get flavor from it, but he is looking forward to trying other products from local companies.
“Hot sauce is very popular, and everyone wants theirs to be distinctive,” Kane said. “This is our way of trying new things and keeping them local. It’s worked really well so far.”
Holiday wines
The Williamsburg Winery is hosting an event to get you ready for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and any other celebration on the horizon.
The Wines for the Holidays seminar will be 6 p.m. Nov. 14, and costs $25. It’s expected to sell out, so advance purchase is recommended.
The event takes placed at the winery’s Tasting Room and Wine Bar on Merchants Square. Williamsburg Winery hosts monthly themed seminars — this one focusing on choosing the proper wines to complement your holiday fare.
For tickets and more information: 757-258-0899, williamsburgwinery.com.