5th Annual Chili Cook-off

Woo hoo! Doesn’t the title just get you excited?? Maybe it’s just me, but anything having to do with a) chili and b) a cook-off certainly gets mah motor revvin’. Yeehaw!

Every night of the week, St. Helena’s bocce courts are filled with people who are hungry for some ball rolling and knocking competition. The official league runs from the spring through the fall. Depending on what night you are scheduled to play will determine whom you will be up against for the entire season. It’s pretty serious stuff. When I first moved here I was told, “Get on a bocce team.” Before moving here, bocce was a drunk sport you played at a bar with your pals. Now I know that bocce is a serious drunk sport that you play outside with your pals. Very serious.

I attend Thursday night bocce to cheer on all of my friends’ teams, since I moved here a little too late to sign up for a team. Last night, as you might have guessed, was the 5th Annual Thursday Night Bocce Chili Cook-off, and I was NOT going to miss out on this event.

The competition at bocce is always fierce, but last night in particular was the fiercest of the fierce! Even Tyra Banks would have been impressed, and maybe even Jay Alexander, but who knows! I’m not a model! Maybe a model citizen, but that’s beside the point, eh? I digress.

The Crockpots were bubbling and the Dutch ovens were…being all Dutch and stuff.

Note the electrical cord…serious.

On a side note: I got there a little too late and missed the rush to the tables, but I hear it was intense. So intense, in fact, that it stopped all bocce play for a good 10 minutes! Now that’s something.

You can’t have chili without cornbread. That’s a fact. So, in addition to the chili competition, there was also an accompanying cornbread fight to the death. Sound the trumpets, because sh$t just got real.

Our favorite Spit Bucket lady of the night, Jen Amis, took a chance and entered her famous cheese grits into the competition, just to spice things up a bit. Oh snap! What will people think!?

After a few highly competitive rounds of bocce, vicious chili tasting, and stuffin’ yo face cornbread eatin’, they were ready to announce the winners.

They started with the cornbread. Drumroll please…

In second place, Smitty’s Orgasmic Crumble! And in first place, French Toast Cornbread!! And, what is this? There is another winner??? Honorable mention, CHEESE GRITS!!!!

Woot!

Then, they were ready to announce the winners of the chili cook-off. Drumroll please…

In second place, Chili Verde of Love! And in first place, Karen’s Curry Cabernet Chili!!

Let’s all have a round of applause for our winners! I tasted most of the food and I have to say, tough competition! Congratulations to all! Especially Jen, for going where most people haven’t dared and coming through with an award.

Jen with a few of her Sand Crab team members

What did I bring, you ask?

You’re welcome.