10/1/2008 12:08:00 PM Viking Chili Bowl was hottest ticket in town
Eric Nielsen Courier Hub Correspondent
Things were pretty hot and heavy at Mandt Park Saturday evening, where a dozen teams competed in Stoughton's second annual Viking Chili Bowl.
Now, as a celebrity judge at this year's event, I told myself I would not let the power go to my head. But of course, my fellow judges, Bountiful Cupboard editor Mary-Carel Verden and All Through the House owner Kim Walter, and I ended up ruling with iron tongues.
At first, all of the chili tasters were given tiny little paper cups, the kind used to hold ketchup at fast-food restaurants, to sample the contestants' chili. Not only was it nearly impossible to get a spoon into these miniscule containers, but the volume of chili given from each cooker was not enough to make valid judgments. A lot of taste-testers ended up doing "chili shots" in favor of using spoons. Fortunately, someone had the good sense to use larger, plastic serving cups, which provided a lot more of the south-of-the-border treat.
Finally, everyone just began to use their hand-crafted bowls, scores of which were created by Chris Matti and Erik Ellefson of the Peeling Ceiling, just for the event.
Last year's winners, Halverson's, defied convention again this year, serving a chicken chorizo molé chili, which had a bit of a peanutty taste, but was still one of the most convincing chilies at the Bowl. It was sticky though, with the consistency of slow-roasted barbecue chicken, a texture I wasn't entirely comfortable with in my chili.
Newcomers Countri Tavern and Grill had an incredible tomato-less, steak and pork chili - the meat was so tender and the onions and green peppers were a nice touch. It was my No. 1 pick for meat chili, but the absence of beans and its soupiness hurt the chances for it to be considered a winner among the judges.
Evergreen State Bank's Amie Edginton and Kristie Buss were serving up Pepperlicious, a chili that dared to be spicy in meek-tongued Stoughton. And for a self-proclaimed chili connoisseur (I was a judge, after all), it was much appreciated. The soft ground beef and corn really helped the recipe, but like many of the chilies at the Bowl, it was too soupy for my chili tastes.
Speaking of soupy, the group from the Yahara River Group Co-op (YRGC), winner of this year's vegetarian chili, made the snafu of forgetting to add tomato paste to its concoction, according to cook Terry Parisi, and ended up with something a lot thinner than they hoped for. Still, the taste was undeniably good, with heirloom tomatoes from Stoughton and myriad other fresh vegetables. It could easily stand up to any of the meat chilies.
The ladies of Stoughton Hospital won the year's hottest group award, with their matching outfits and song named for their chili: "Chili Chili Bang Bang," which they sang for anyone who would listen. These gals were definitely having fun at the Bowl. There was a liberal use of ginger in their chili though, and it kind of tasted like taking a big bite out of a gingerbread house.
Stoughton alderperson Ross Scovotti made some bold claims as to how spicy the chili he and wife Carol created for SMR Communications. "It'll make your lips burn, your nose run, and your eyes tear up," he told me through a large group of taste-testers. There was a bit of fire in the back of my throat, but, Ross, I was really hoping for more. Still, SMR won the Bowl's people's choice award this year, thanks to a delicious flavor and the longest list of ingredients I had seen at the contest.
This year's winner, of both best meat chili and best chili overall, was High Stakes Ranch, 430 County Trunk N. The cowgirls of the ranch had a "Crazy Ladies Chili," cooked up by Philana Friede and Janet Waldburger. This Texas-style chili started with fresh, organic chuck roast, from the ranch's very own cattle. The roast was grilled before going in the chili, which gave it a bit of a smoky taste, and made the consumer feel like he was in front of an open campfire out on the range.
It was a great turnout for the Viking Chili Bowl, which saw competitors creating their food the day of the event. Chili cookers without licensed commercial kitchens had to cook in turns in the kitchens of Victoria's banquet hall, which could have attributed to the soupiness of some of the chilies. Chili needs heat over time to thicken, but several groups weren't able to implement either of those.
Marlene Widra, one of the organizers of the Bowl and a co-op board member, said that part of what the Co-op does, "besides selling groceries, is to reach out to the community and bring people together." And that's what the Co-op did again this year, drawing a large crowd of willing chili guinea pigs.
The Co-op was asked by the city to work in conjunction with this year's first-annual Carp Fest, which saw kickball tournaments, free canoe rentals and ice skating most of the day near or in the Mandt Community Center. The two groups made a good tandem, with the Viking Chili Bowl making a nice lead off for Super Tuesday, a rock-and-roll cover band that rocked Race Track Park at 7 p.m. and ended the festivities for the day.
