The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Chili Cook-Off warms hearts, tongues
Men's Club raises funds for school activities and youth sports
By Edward Freundl, Heritage Newspapers
PUBLISHED: February 22, 2007
The spicy aroma wafted its way up to Main Street, drawing hundreds to the American Legion hall on a cold Saturday evening to warm up with what is reputed to be the best chili in the area.
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The Manchester Men's Club's 10th annual Chili Cook-Off was a big hit, with almost two dozen teams competing for prize money and bragging rights for the best chili recipe and the best-decorated booth.
The hall was filled to near capacity the entire time with a steady flow of chili samplers.
"It's been a good turnout so far, people have been coming in and out pretty steady," said Men's Club member Bob Kellogg, who was working the reception table and collecting the admission fees of $1 plus 50 cents per chili sample.
The event is a mainstay of the Men's Club, with proceeds donated back to the community through grants to the Manchester Community Schools Education Found-ation, Manchester Youth Sports and Manchester High School's after-prom party.
The competition tested not only the participants' culinary skills, but their creativity as well.
Cash prizes of $150, engraved plaques and framed certificates of recognition went to the best-tasting chili and the best-decorated booth.
For the latter, Shayne and Liz Ahrens and Michael and Lindsay Barnard used the Daytona 500 as the inspiration for their NASCAR-themed booth, and won the top prize in their first attempt.
"The judges didn't like our chili, but we looked good," Michael Barnard said.
The offering of the "Tee It Up Chili" team was deemed best, and their persistence paid off.
"This is our fourth time here," said team member Marc Boote. "We won second place once."
Other team members were Ann Roberts and Gene Kemeter.
"It's Marc's recipe," Roberts said, "but I think it's a very good combination of ingredients."
Many samplers agreed with the judges.
"It's good –– very flavorful, but everybody likes theirs a little different," said Kevin O'Leary of Manchester, who said he had never been to the chili cook-off before but was familiar with other Men's Club events.
"I came for the 'Ribs and Blues' last year, and I just had to come back for the chili."
That event, also an annual Men's Club community favorite, takes place in May.
Second place for the chili contest went to Sonya Rhees and Liz Daubner; and the team of Wendy and Bob Huber and Steve and Kathryn Rae took third.
"The Chili Chix," Elaine Adams, Brandy Gruber, Debbie Knecht, Diane Matako and Trish Rudder, were dishing up a concoction that featured nine pounds of steak and seven varieties of fresh chiles.
"Our secret ingredient is a lot of extra tender loving," Matako said.
On the other side of the room, the "Chili in the Jungle" booth caught the eyes of many.
"People went bananas over our chili," said Teresa Benedict, a first-timer at the event.
Other team members were Kari Ball, a three-year veteran, and newcomer Brian Myers, who designed the elaborate booth with vines, swinging apes and other jungle critters.
"I didn't want it to be your typical booth," Myers said.
Teams were allowed into the hall at 11 a.m., and everything had to be prepared from scratch, on-site.
The judging commenced at 4:30 p.m. and the doors opened to the hungry and waiting public at 5.
Julie Willett and Kendra Freeman, both of Clinton, were having a good time making the rounds of the 23 booths.
"This is my first time here, and everybody's chili is wonderful and unique," Willett said.
Freeman thought there was something familiar in one of the samples.
"The fifth one tasted like my mama's," she said.
While no firm numbers were available at presstime, cook-off committee chairman Toby Riley said it appeared that the event had kept pace with past years.
"We're getting more than 200 people in here at a time, which is as good as it has been in the past," Riley said. "We've made about $2,000 in profit every year."
Besides the chili, other activities included a euchre tournament before the contest, door prizes and 50/50 drawings during the event, and a dance with a live band afterward.
The charitable nature of the event appealed to many.
"I think it's a great community get-together for a good cause," said Sandy Hall of Manchester.
Mike Diana of Norvell said he had tried at least a half-dozen samples.
"I thought it was great," he said. "Any time you can help the schools, that's the way to go."
Edward Freundl is a reporter for Heritage Newspapers. He can be reached at 428-8173.
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