“Eat nothing for breakfast, take one Zantac and hope for the best!” It’s not the usual advice I get when preparing for an event, but it’s perfect for this occasion.
Edmonton’s 23rd Annual Chili Cook Off is this Friday, and four-time judge and local blogger Karlynn Johnston is joking about judging strategies. I’ve asked her for some advice as I prepare to be one of five judges who will be determining Edmonton’s best chili.
We will have our work cut out for us. Nineteen local businesses, restaurants and organizations are competing in the categories of Best Locally Grown, Best Vegetarian/Vegan, Best Overall and People’s Choice. You’re invited to Churchill Square to taste, test, sample, scrutinize – and vote – this Friday from 11:30 – 1:30 as River City Round Up gets underway.
As the author of the popular local blog “The Kitchen Magpie,” Johnston goes to countless food-themed events and suggests going in with a plan. “You’re going to get distracted by entertainment, chatting with friends and waiting in line-ups, so pick your Top 5 and make sure that you try them in a set order,” she says.
Jennie Marshall is the Community Manager for Yelp Edmonton and will be at the judges’ table. In River City Round Up Spirit, she recommends making it a social event, “I would suggest to people to bring a friend or co-worker with them to share chili samples with, that way they can try twice as many!”
A self-described “chili-maker-extraordinaire,” Marshall will be on the lookout for ideas to use at home. For the home chef, Johnston has this advice: “The most important part of making any tomato-based chili is to cut the acidity with some sugar. A lot of people don’t know that if you simply add ketchup or brown sugar, your chili is taken from good to spectacular.”
Johnston adds this tip, “My biggest chili cooking secret? Take a cup of two of the finished chili, puree it with a hand blender and then add it back in. Makes your chili thicker and tastier!” For her stand-by recipe try her Kitchen Sink Chili, which she likens to that from one of Canada’s favourite chains.
Speaking like a chef – and judge – who can handle the heat, Marshall has this advice for taste-testers tackling spice, “Start with the ones that are on the tamer side of the Spicy Hot Spectrum and then work their way up. If you find that you’re a spice-weenie bring a bottle of milk with you instead of H2O – milk does a body good and puts the fire out!!”
So bring along your carton of milk – plus loonies for a sample size and toonies for a bowl, and join Global Edmonton at the 23rd Annual Chili Cook Off this Friday. Organizers are asking you to bring donations of food or money for Edmonton’s Food Bank – a chance to fill your belly and someone else’s at the same time.
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