Cooks to stir up red-hot recipes at event as they compete for prizes
CHALK Hill – A red-hot celebration will sizzle at the Christian W. Klay Winery in Chalk Hill Saturday when cooks will stir up their secret recipes during the fourth annual Chili Cook-off and Mountain Harvest Festival. Sharon Klay, winery owner, said the festival, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, will feature live bands, children’s activities, wine tasting, craft and food vendors and plenty of chili.
“We’re still accepting applications from cooks, who want to compete in the chili and salsa competition,” she said. “We will have Texas-style chili and free-style chili competition. Texas-style chili has no beans, and it must be cooked on the premises. Free-style chili is anything goes, which means that the cooks can be very creative and add anything they want to the chili. The salsa can be prepared at home.”
Klay said a panel of at least a dozen well-seasoned judges, who have been selecting winning recipes for several years, will judge the chili and salsa. Prizes will be awarded for first- and second-place winners in each category.
“We will also have a hot chili pepper eating contest for the hearty people,” Klay said, as she laughed. “Those entering the contest will be required to eat chili peppers, beginning with the mildest varieties and then escalating in degrees until they reach the hottest. But it usually comes down to who can eat the largest number of the hottest peppers. It’s a special competition for brave souls.”
Participating restaurants include Nemacolin Woodlands, the Thompson House, Fabrizi’s and Amelia’s in Waynesburg. The Stone House Restaurant will offer baked goods. Adrian’s Market will sell fresh fruit salad, and Brewster’s will provide ice cream. Ted’s Lemonade will serve up refreshments.
Klay said a popular event is the Big Dipper award that gives the public a chance to sample each chili recipe and donate a quarter to their favorite vendor.
At the end of the competition, the cook, who has the most quarters, wins the Big Dipper award. All of the money raised for the award is split between the American Heart Association and the State Theatre Center for the Arts, the two charities that benefit from the festival.
The entertainment schedule for the festival is as follow:
– 11 a.m., Fred Adams will play guitar.
– Noon, a choreographed performance of the Appalachian Paso Fino Horse Club.
– 1 p.m., Pally Wag, a local band.
– 2 p.m., Timm Biery and Friends, a band featuring Biery, a well-known drummer.
– 3 p.m., Kendall Brothers, a local band.
– 4 p.m., Chili cook-off competition results.
– 5 p.m., Pally Wag, a local band.
“The Appalachian Paso Fino Horse Club will come riding down from the vineyard to the theme of ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.’ They really put on a nice show that fits in with the Southwestern theme that we’re having for this year’s festival,” Klay said.