World Championship Chili Cook-Off, Las Vegas 10/11/08

Just a not so quick update on this past weekend's ICS Chili Cook-off Championships in Las Vegas.

The Bad Bandito team, Mike, Jack and I all qualified this year in one way or another to go to the WCCC and since it was in Las Vegas and notOmaha Nebraska, we all made the trip.

Mike and I qualified in the Salsa competition. There were approximately 130 competitors, depending on who you talk to. Each had to win either a State or Regional competition within the last year to qualify.

All I brought with me was about 8 tomatoes from Sherwood Farms in Easton, some garlic and a few spices. I had to run out to Walmart and buy my peppers, onions etc. So one of Mike's friends and his wife, who live in this van they drive around the country drove us to Walmart.This thing has a generator hanging out the back, an AC coming
out the top and drapes in the windows. The inside has a bed, sink, stove, microwave, toaster oven, cabinets, fan, shower and some other things I can't really describe. But there wasn't a seatbelt to be found, so I just held on for dear life as we zoomed around the corners. Longestride of my life.

Anyway we get to Walmart, the biggest one I've ever seen, which is quite a bit off of the strip and I get to see the REAL residents of LV. Not the ones in the casinos, the locals. It seemed like something out of a science fiction movie. Zombies everywhere!! The peopleseemed to all be in a trance and very unhappy. I asked my travel mates
if they saw the same thing and they agreed. Very spooky. Ifyou visit, don't bring the children.

Well, we got what we needed and I survived the trip back to the hotel. I ran up to Mike's room to get started making the salsa, since he had the knife, cutting board and the fridge. An hour and a half later, I completed my creation and succeeded in making his room smell like the kitchen in a Mexican restaurant. Not bad, but you wouldn't want tosleep there.

After a night of cruising the strip and eating some pretty nasty buffet food, I wake up and get ready to turn in the salsa. One trick I've learned the hard way is that it's OK to do a lot of the work ahead of time, but DONT add any salt or it will turn into a slushy mess that no judge will want to eat. So I add salt, pepper and cilantro at the end, just before turn-in. No problem, but we had given all the stuff to Jack for his Green Chili cook-off that day. We had no knives, cutting board or spoons to mix it up. We rush around the building and get what we need, get the salsa "just right" and turn it in with about 3 minutes to spare. I just had a minor heart attack.

Well, to wrap it up, we had a great time all day, yapping with the other cooks and frightening the customers. At judging time, I expected nothing, even though I got alot of compliments from those who sampled my salsa.
So with a Margarita in one hand and a fat stogie in the other I just stood in the back as they start calling out the names.

There were at least 5 judging tables and the top few from each table make it to the final table to be re-judged. They annouced all the finalists to the stage and believe it or not, they called out my name. From these 15 they called the top 5. That's about where it ended for me.

Anyway, I was very surprised and happy just to make it to the stage, so I consider it a good trip all in all.

I went back and looked at the scores and the judges' comments on what was missing from my salsa. Salt. Lousy Salt. There was not enough salt. SALT!!!!!! I felt like one of those people in the Wal Mart, in a bit of a fog, but quickly recovered and went out for some more yummy buffet fare.

Anyway, thanks to all my friends and well wishers. It was a great experience and hopefully I can do it again some day.

All the best,
Chris