WEDNESDAY - April16, 2008

2008 Texas State Chili Championship

Luckily, the day of the cookoff was sunny and breezy. We had 22 red chilis, 12 green chilis and 11 salsa entries. There were six cooks from Louisiana, and the rest were from Texas, with several new cooks joining the ICS. Other than the cooks, about 50 other people came to judge, watch and eat frito pies. We even had one international judge (Canadian) who was in Galveston visiting friends. In addition to the cash prizes, the top three winners in each event received cool tile plaques with a Texas flag/chili pepper design. A local artist designed the trophies, and hopefully, one of the winners can send you photo. Winners were as follows.

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Salsa

Louis Gonzales

Raymond Settoon

Barbara Herrin

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Chili Verde

Lin Lindsey

Barbara Herrin

Tom Essford

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Red Chili

Ava Horan

Debbie Turner

Bruce Wilkins

Norman Melancon (honorable mention – lost a tie breaker for 3^rd)

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North Redondo Beach, CA District cookoff

COOKS NEEDED FOR FUN FILLED DAY!!!

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28TH NORTH REDONDO BEACH SPRING FEST & INTERNATIONAL CHILI COOKOFF

Attendance is 30,000

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Live Entertainment

Dancing

Car Show

Battle of the Bands

Carnival with Rides and Games

International Food Court

Beer & Wine Gardens

Children's Stage with Activities

Arts & Crafts

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The N Redondo Beach District cookoff is part of the 28^th Annual Spring Fest that takes place each year at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. It is located at the corners of Manhattan Beach Blvd and Aviation Blvd. For more information please contact O Entertainment – www.oentertainment.net – (562) 495-5959

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Lawrence, MA District

Grella, Annafair and B Street Bombers headline Lawrence chili cook-off

By Jill Harmacinski
Staff Writer

LAWRENCE — Tom Grella, of "The Next Food Network Star" fame, will serve as the celebrity emcee of the city's International Chili Cook-off June 8.

Grella, a Methuen resident, father of two girls, financial planner and amateur chef, competed last year on the Food Network's reality show. But, instead of cooking for the upcoming chili contest, Grella has agreed to emcee the event at Sal's Riverwalk, announcing bands, guests, contest winners and more.

Two local bands, Annafair and the B Street Bombers, will be among the entertainers performing during the cook-off, said Mayor Michael Sullivan, a chili cook-off organizer.

The International Chili Society has sanctioned Lawrence as an official cook-off site for Sunday, June 8.

Thousands are expected to flock to the city for the spicy event, which will feature traditional chili, chili verde (green chili) and salsa-making contests.

Local firefighters, police officers, paramedics and teachers will participate in a separate "Heroes" chili-making contest that day. The winner in the "Heroes" division will receive a traveling trophy, dubbed "The Prestigious Mayor Michael Sullivan Chili Bowl." Another prize includes a $500 set of pots and pans.

Organizers Wednesday night obtained a one-day license to sell beer at the event. Cape Ann Brewery, a microbrewery from Gloucester, will be selling beer that afternoon.

Sullivan is among a core group of locals organizing the cook-off. Leaders are hoping this event, the first of its kind in Lawrence, will become an annual event and eventually blossom into a food festival.

"We'd love to see this develop into a full scale International Food Festival," said John MacDonald, another cook-off organizer and Sal's Riverwalk spokesman.

The chili society is a nonprofit organization that sanctions 300 chili cook-offs per year at venues all over the world to raise money for charity. Winners of the society's sanctioned cook-offs qualify to compete for cash prizes and awards at the World Championship Cook-off.

Proceeds from the Lawrence cook-off will go to the Lawrence Rotary Foundation.

The event runs from noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are $5 and children under 8 are free.

For more information, visit www.lawrencechilicookoff.org.

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