We have been looking forward to this cookoff since we heard about it last year at the world's in West Virginia. After the others we've gone to this summer, this one would be the closest at 5.5 hours and would be for 2 days, so we set off with high hopes and excitement, not only to cook and see our East Coast chili friends, but also to meet up with Rick and Wendy Chauvin, who got us into this chili craziness! They have not been East to visit since we have lived in Fredericton, so it was the perfect excuse to take a drive down and also go to a cookoff. Rick and Wendy live in Windsor, Ontario - just across the bridge from Detroit, Michigan, so this was the first East Coast cookoff for them. We had booked a 2 bedroom cabin about a mile from the cook site and we arrived around 2pm, a few hours before they did so went out exploring until they arrived.
Once we had all unpacked and had a couple of refreshments we walked over to the Chinese restaurant at the front of the resort. We had a really fantastic dinner, with lots of left overs and were wandering back down to the cabin when Michael let out an uncharacteristically loud yell - I looked down the road, and there was my brother Philip sauntering towards us with a big smile. A totally unexpected, but definitely welcome, addition to our little party.
So of course, after the success of his last blog post - I've asked him to once again provide a detail of his experience. I'll be back at the end to tell you all about how things ended up (make sure to stay with us - it's pretty darn exciting!). But for now, here's Philip:
I had two days of vacation left for the
summer so on a spur of the moment I
booked one last long weekend off and headed to Vermont camping. Work had been a
little hectic in August and I was so focused I had lost trace of time. I
got to Vermont and was going to post on facebook where I was, just in case anyone
was looking for me, when I saw that my
sister Penne had posted that she and Michael were in Maine for a chili cookoff. The light bulb went off and I suddenly realized what weekend it was. Since
I was a mere 3 hours away I figured why not hop over and check things out.
I have to be honest here and tell you
that after the trip to Connecticut and the rather LARGE event that turned out
to be I wasn’t sure about going to another chili cook off. I am not a fan of
crowds. However this time I was in my own vehicle so if things turned out to be
more that I felt comfortable with I could always leave. With that in mind I
headed to Maine.
Now my sister knows about my penchant
for spur of the moment things, however I think I surprised Michael when I
showed up. I think his statement to my sister when he saw me was “Oh my God
that’s your brother!” My sister just laughed.
After an enjoyable evening of catching
up we got to sleep early. On Saturday morning Michael and Penne, along with
Rick and Wendy, Michael’s Uncle and Aunt
from Ontario ( the people responsible for getting him into the world of Chili
competition) headed out to the cook-off
venue. I was off to a grocery store for some supplies for the day and would
meet up with them a little later. I didn’t tell them this, but my plan was to
scope out how large the venue was and if it was like Connecticut I was about to
become a ghost. But after finding a grocery store and getting what I needed I
headed to the venue and much to my delight I discovered it was just about the
perfect size for me.
There were about a dozen booths set up
with people cooking chili and even fewer vendors’ booths. It was being held in
the parking lot of the local school, right on the main street for the best
exposure to passers-by. Yet not once did I ever feel overwhelmed by the crowds.
Now you need to understand that this was southern Maine, in an area usually
considered to be a prime vacation spot. Loads of beaches nearby and lots of
tourist attractions to draw in visitors. And yet for the entire day it always
felt to me to be a nice quiet down home affair. It also helped that the weather
was about as perfect as you can get for a day like this in late August. The sun
was shining all day, but it never once felt too hot. Great weather to be
outside enjoying some chili.
The best part about a small event like
this is that you usually get a group of really hard core chili cooks attending.
Now don’t get me wrong, when I say hard core I don’t mean the most competitive,
I mean the people that cook chili because they love it. The people that were
cooking in Maine were there because they want to show everyone what real chili
is all about. I have to apologize here because I am terrible with names so
please forgive me for not telling you who all was there. I saw many familiar
faces from Connecticut and couple of new faces as well. The gentleman who was
the organizer in Connecticut was a competitor at this event. And as a cook, he
was every bit as gregarious and friendly as he had been as a host.
There are two important things to note
here; the first being that this was one of the last chances for Michael to
qualify for the World Championships that are taking place in October in Palm
Springs. The second thing to note that this was my sisters first time ever cooking!
She was entered in the home-style division. This would be the chili that 99% of
the people who eat chili would identify with. Proper chili, the kind they cook
in the competition, is cooked with cubed beef and does not contain beans.
Home-style chili can use many ingredients not found in what I consider proper
chili, such as beans or other vegetables, and it uses ground beef. Along with
Rick and Wendy being there it was a special weekend all around.
I’ve mentioned before how tough it can be
to work in a 10 feet by 10 feet space, outdoors, with people walking by, and asking
questions. Not to mention having to give away samples to the passing crowd.
Well all of that was with just ONE person doing the cooking. When you add
another cook to the mix, the space becomes even busier. My sister, normally
very laid back and outgoing at these events, was now also cooking a pot of
chili. It quickly became over crowded with the three of us in there, and me, being
the non-essential personal of the group was told to “grab one of the lawn
chairs and get the hell out so we can work”. I didn’t bother to stop and grab a lawn
chair I just left and wandered off to go find a snack for breakfast.
When I came back I made sure to stand on
the spectator side and Penne quickly asked where I had gotten too. I just said
that I didn’t want to be in the way and after her comment I felt it best to
disappear for a while. She laughed at me. I had thought she was caught up with
competition fever, seems she had wanted me to take a seat and relax, just not
in the booth. She remembered the last event where I barely left the booth at
all and this time she wanted me to see the sights and enjoy myself. Where I had been worried about the two of them
being caught in competition fever, it was just the fact that Penne was up first
with the homestyle and also wanted to get her booth decorations perfect as
well. So she was not used to feeling rushed right at the start.
Rick and Wendy, being much more seasoned
than I, had not even bothered to go into the booth but had set up their seats
outside to watch and relax in comfort. This illustrates the huge difference
between seasoned cook-off pros, and newbie’s like me.
After the initial rush to get things
underway - the Homestyle and Salsa were the first two events so both Penne and
Michael were working on their entries.
Once she had her chili simmering away
she got straight to work on her booth. I was quickly drafted to blow up the
inflatable decorations and then help tie things in place around the booth. 
After the decorations were up, and with those
two both cooking away, I was left with some time to wander around and check out
the rest of the venue. I have to say that a small event like this one is a much
larger pleasure to be at. I got to chat with a lot of people, and at no time
was there ever too many people around for my comfort level.
The side benefit of being able to wander
around and soak up the atmosphere was seeing the camaraderie of the cooks. Yes
this was a competition, and yes there was some trash talking, but it was very
good natured and never malicious like you hear about at most competitions. I
think the most “trash-talk” comment I heard all day was when a cook yelled out
– “Hey everyone, good luck on Second place”. This was followed by a lot of
laugher. It really was more like a festival than a competition. Although the
second you asked a cook about their ingredients you could quickly see the
competition side pop out. Not even Penne told me, her own brother, what her
secret ingredient was. And they ALL have a secret ingredient, or so they say.
I’m starting to suspect that this may be some elaborate method of psyching out
the other cooks.
While Penne was cooking her homestyle
entry, Michael was making his salsa and also getting a pot of the sample chili
ready. At every chili cook-off all the cooks give away chili in what’s known as
the people’s choice competition. The public get samples and then they all vote
on who they think had the best chili. This is a major part of every chili
competition and at some events plays a large part in any showmanship prizes
that are awarded. My sister is a natural at this and once she turned in her
entry she stood by the sample pot to schmooze and charm everyone who stopped
by.
As usual Michael was competing in three
events, Salsa, Verde and Red. As Penne handed out chili samples he was in the
background working like a well oiled machine. He had two stoves going at once,
and timing everything to the second.
Now I said before that his Aunt and
Uncle were also there. Originally they had no plans to compete in anything
other than Salsa and as a result of that didn’t really prepare anything.
However these two are well known in the chili community and it didn’t take long
before they were corralled into cooking a pot of Chili. With no ingredients to
hand they sped off to find a grocery store and pick up what they needed. What
happened next will demonstrate more eloquently than anything I can ever say how
close knit the chili community is. With a spot at the worlds on the line, you
would think that competitors would want less people cooking not more. Not only
did the other cooks urge Rick and Wendy to enter, they helped them gather up
the cooking utensils they need to compete. They were given space in a booth, a
pot to use, lent knives and cutting boards along with space to prep their
chili. I am proud to say that I was able to pitch in and lent them my stove.
For a couple that were planning on being spectators like me, they certainly
jumped in with both feet when prompted to. This is what chili competition is
really all about.
If you really want to know how much these chili
cooks help each other out, even during competitions then here is the best
example you will:
There
are FIVE people cooking in this one little 10X10 space. And I thought Michael
and Penne’s spot was crowded when I was in there with them.
Having been to both a large and a small
chili cook off event I can tell you that both are amazing experiences. The
large event was a true eye-opener into the world of chili competition and how
many people are involved. The small event was an eye-opener into just how much
these very competitive cooks will help each other out. While everyone wants to
win, they also want as many people competing as possible. For them the chili
and the people are what they come for. They truly love their chili and they
want to show it off.
I have to say that a smaller event is
far more enjoyable to attend. You get more time to chat with the cooks, there
is a less rushed feel to the event and over-all, and you see a side of the
cooks that you may not get at a large event. The smaller venue seemed to bring
out the best with these folks. After the turn in for the verde and red the
cooks were all sharing samples of their chili with each other.
Michael had always posed for a picture
just before hand in with a big smile and a thumbs up, This time I suggested a
scowl just to see if it would change his luck
This was a two day event with cook-offs
on both days and Penne and Michael, along with several others were competing in
all events on both days. I had to leave
right after hand in on Saturday. I had a 12 hour drive home facing me and I had
to work bright and early Monday morning. I wish I could have been there both
days but even being there for just the Saturday was a great time.
The worst part was that I left before
the judging was over and the winners announced. I heard later that things went
well for Michael, maybe it was the scowl that did the trick. As they say in the
movies, he was showing his war face.
I’ll leave it to my sister to tell you
the results of the judging and to tell you how Sunday went. For me, it was a
great time and left me looking for another small venue to get to next year.
Philip Childs
Port Williams, Nova Scotia
Canada
________________________________________________________________________________
Philip was correct - things went very well for Michael on Saturday! He ended up with the best results so far at a cookoff, having his name called 3 times!
First there was Salsa - where he claimed 2nd place, today a "don't get up" category! (Meaning no plaque or cheque), but his highest placing to date in any category.
Next up:
Verde: 3rd Place!!!!
And Finally:
3rd Place Red Chili!!!!
I
While Michael had a great day, there was another cook that really blew away the competition, we joked that the cookoff would from here on have to be called the "Ian McDaid Invitational". Ian took 1st place wins in Homestyle, People's Choice, Verde and Salsa - having already qualified for Red at NERCC.
Unfortunately I did not fair as well with my Homestyle entry - I placed 10th out of 10 entries!! I'm pretty sure it couldn't have been the judges mistake so I've filed a grievance with the scorekeeper, Mary Alice Kropp, and expect to hear anytime about the recount. Funny I haven't heard yet...hmmmm. Also a bit of a disappointment was that the booth competition had somehow not been judged so there would be no best booth/showmanship award for the day. Anne Marie had her full booth on display so was also disappointed, however she was able to manage a smile, as she WON 1st place for her Red Chili!! Congrats my friend!!!
Here is Michael's tally slip for the day:
After the awards ceremony we headed back to the cabin to grab our dishes that we had prepared for the potluck - Michael, of course, had assembled his famous 7 layer salad and Wendy brought some delicious raspberry squares as well as some good old Canadian Nanaimo bars! From the way our American counterparts enjoyed the bars, I think we will be bringing some to the next cookoff for everyone to enjoy!
It was an early night as everyone had Salsa to get started on for the morning, so we all settled back into the cabin and hunkered down to ready for another early morning.
I'm not going to spend a lot of time on the details of the day. A few cooks that had not been able to make it on Saturday came on Sunday, however there were more that also had to leave - this left a shortage in numbers for a couple areas so Wendy and I were both called into action to each make a pot of Verde as well as Salsa! Since I was already cooking homestyle, as you can imagine the booth was even busier than yesterday! Michael and I did very well co-ordinating our time and efforts and were both able to turn in on time and not turn on each other! I was also able to get my booth decorated, as that remains my first priority in this team!
The day flew by in a blur - turning in Homestyle at 11am, Salsa at 12, Verde 1pm and Red at 2pm.
Things happened pretty fast after the Red Chili turn in. Most cooks were out of People's Choice and the crowds had pretty much thinned to the odd straggler, so we started tearing down the booth. At just before 3pm the Chief Judge, Mike Kropp, let us know that it was time to gather for the results.
The first award is my favorite - best booth and showmanship and I'm thrilled to report that my name was called! My second consecutive win in this category!
Next up was Salsa - turned out to be a very exciting category for our team - an ALL CANADIAN SWEEP!!!
3rd Place: Michael 2nd Place: Wendy 1st Place: Rick
The first place Salsa win for Rick gave him his "hat trick" for the year as well. He had already qualified for both Red Chili and Verde, so now has qualified for all 3 categories at the 2013 World's.
Next up was Verde. Michael received a 4th place, I got 7th and Wendy placed 9th. Not too bad for last minute cooks with borrowed ingredients! The Verde winner was Matt McSheehy who had cooked in the booth right beside us for both days, so we were really happy for him.
Next up was the big one - Red Chili. It was announced that there had been a 4 way tie for 5th and as the names were being called I was realizing that there were a number of good cooks in that tie, then as the names came for 4th place and 3rd place I started to hold my breath, there was still a grand master cook not called - but then as his name was called in 2nd place I couldn't help but think there could be a chance....and then just like that it happened - they announced that the winner would be representing Maine State at the 2013 World Championships for his first time:
MICHAEL LESPERANCE!!!!!
I don't even remember following him up there!
What an exciting end to a really great cook-off! Made even more special by the fact that Rick was there to witness Michael's first ever win, one none of us will ever forget!! He would like for me to make sure to acknowledge a few people that have been instrumental in helping to make it happen:
Michael Freedman, Vicky Tankis, Jerry Buma, Mike Kropp and of course, Richard Chauvin.
Here are a couple of the score tallies and Final table sheets:
So, all in all - not a bad day!!!! So exciting! Can't wait for Palm Springs now - while this will be our 4th time going to a World Championship, it will be the first with an actual invitation to cook!
To celebrate our day, Rick and Wendy wanted lobster! Michael is very allergic to shellfish but ended up having the most delicious fish & chips I've had east of Richmond, BC! We had dinner at a great seafood spot down at the beach.
And then back to the cabin for a celebratory drink and cigar for the man of the hour!
We won't be going to any more cookoff's now until the World's in October in California. Most of theplans for that trip are now in place. We leave Fredericton on October 5th and will spend 2 days
in San Diego and 2 days in Santa Monica before settling into our Palm Springs house for 10 days. Michael has signed up for the golf tournament that one of the cooks arranges on the Thursday before the cookoff starts and now we are just waiting for 1 more cook in our house to qualify - as of this writing she came in 3rd today, but has another chance tomorrow - GO KIT !!!!
Until October, Chili out........
