TUESDAY - Mar. 16, 2010

AZ Copperstate Regional

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AZ Valley of the Sun Regional

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Two great cookoffs were held this past weekend, March 13th and March 14th, in Arizona at the Ahwatukee Swim and Tennis Club. The weather was perfect for cooking chili, and the crowds were appreciative for all the People's Choice chili that was ready for their tasting. Susan Hyden and her staff did a great job on providing us with a very nice green grass Little League field to cook on, nice meeting room in the Swim Center for the judging room (we had lots of good judges) and everything we needed to put on both cookoffs very smoothly. Bob Dinneweth and Bob Plager did a great job collectively on being Chief Judges, and Louise Dinneweth and Kathy Plager, along with Nicole Caimi did a fantastic job on scorekeeping. Pete Caimi, as usual, did a great job as our Wrangler and various other duties. This all led to a wonderful, fun, and well run event.

A Friday night dinner at On The Border Restaurant, near the host hotel, started the weekend off for our Chiliheads.

Cooks came from Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Nebraska, Nevada and Texas. We had 4 past Salsa World Champions, 1 past Chili Verde World Champion, and 1 past World Chili Champion in attendance. It was great to see Kevin Whitenack of the Barn Yard Boys out cooking again. It was also nice to see Nancy Swenberger out on Saturday, riding around on her scooter, enjoying herself.

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Now on to the winners:

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AZ Copperstate Regional - Saturday, March 13, 2010

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People's Choice - Jason Cox - AZ

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Salsa

3rd Place - Mick Joplin - TX

2nd Place - Skip Cooley - NV

1st Place - Pam Wright - AZ

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Chili Verde

3rd Place - Lynn Kost Virant - NE

2nd Place - Michelle Summerville - AZ

1st Place - Paul Whitney - AZ

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Red Chili

HM - Don Hammes- CA

HM - Barbara Ward - CA

4th Place - Wes Carlson - IL

3rd Place - Dick Swenberger - AZ

2nd Place - Mike Ford - CA

1st Place - Dione Cooley - NV (Completes her Hat Trick)

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AZ Valley of the Sun Regional - Sunday, March 14, 2010

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People's Choice - Jason Cox - AZ

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Salsa

3rd Place - Dave Wright - AZ

2nd Place - Skip Cooley - NV

1st Place - Mick Joplin - TX

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Chili Verde

3rd Place - Dave Wright - AZ

2nd Place - Lynn Kost Virant - NE

1st Place - Dick Swenberger - AZ

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Red Chili

5th Place - Mike Ford - CA

4th Place - Al Henry - CO

3rd Place - Dave Wright - AZ

2nd Place - Dick Swenberger - AZ

1st Place - Barbara Ward - CA ("The Dancer")

(Completes her Hat Trick)

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DESERT RAT REGIONAL

California City

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We are less than two weeks away from when The American Legion will once again be hosting the Desert Rat Regional Chili Cookoff in beautiful California City on 3/27/2010. You will have the honor of being in the presence of Him in Charge Dirty Ole Phil. A very interesting and dynamic personality bubbling over with enthusiasm and anesthetic with alacrity. California City located in the high desert north east of Los Angeles, it is a place that John Wayne never thought about visiting a place where Chuck Yeager flew over on his way to visit the sound barrier. Cal City has blue skies and clean recycle air from LA where you might see a U2 aircraft or the space shuttle or even a tired old DC 3. It is a place where even Bob Wiseman might see a rattler on the old Spanish Trail (a rattler is British terminology for a freight train). Dirty Ole Phil has once again provided breakfast for his cooks and judges (the first 50 in attendance) yummy. The prize money is nothing to sneeze at $500 $300 $100 for both red and green chilies, salsa $100 to the winner. We are expecting a big contingency of RVs this year as there is plenty of room for dry camping on clean dirt. If you are planning to attend in your RV please notify me or Dirty Ole Phil if you haven't already. Willma Maehl will be working in the judging area as Wrangler and tortilla slicer. There will be music provided by disk jockey Randy playing your favorite tunes. The emcee for the day is the unmistakable disciplinarian Pete Caimi to keep everything rolling on time and smoothly.

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STEW CHALLENGE

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It has been requested again & again to have a "Bragging Rights" Dutch Oven (the heavy black iron pot) Stew Challenge on the Friday 26 March 2010, before the Desert Rat Regional March 27, 2010. The rules will be very simple, must be cooked in cast-iron pot using charcoal or campfire (no propane type stoves) and ready for judging at 1800 (6 p.m.) Friday night. Judges will be picked on the spot or before. Dazzling Donnie will handle the scorekeeping. The stew will be judged only on taste. Please let Phil know if you intend to cook stew. Besides bragging rights we will have some useful prizes. A $15 entry fee will be required for expenses and bribes, with remaining monies returned as prize money. A minimum of five cooks are needed. So please sign-up to cook as this will be my dinner Friday night and nobody wants to see Capt. Jim waste away to a ton. (YUMMY)

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Him in charge Dirty Ole Phil Phil.Morosky@verizon.com

Chief Scorekeeper Donnie Gordon & Supreme Scorekeeper of Stewdom

Chief Judge Capt. Jim Maehl & Supreme Judge of Stewdom

chiliheadjim@aol.com

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By Capt. Jim

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Northern Arizona Back to Backs

Now that the Phoenix Back to Backs are successfully in the books, it is time to turn your attention to the Northern Arizona Back to Backs in June. June 12 will be the 27th Annual Route 66 Regional Chili Cookoff in Flagstaff. Located in beautiful Thorpe Park amidst the ponderosa pines, you'll have a fantastic view of the San Francisco Peaks as you cook up your pots of red and green. Red winner gets the famous Route 66 gas pump trophy, plus the traveling flag for the year. When the day is done, you'll head down one of the prettiest drives in the Grand Canyon State to Payson, home of the 39th Annual Arizona State Championship.

Stay at the Mazatzal Casino and their new hotel, then roll out the front door to cook Sunday morning. They offer great trophies and prize money and always are great hosts! Contact Paul Whitney, golfnchili@aol.com for more info

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