Asheboro Chili Cook Off a Blazing Hot Success - April 2009

Residents of Asheboro, NC and visitors from all over enjoyed trying out the homemade chili at the First Annual Chili Cook Off.


This guy knows how to bring out the flavor. He has his hot chilis firing up the grill. Yum! Smells good and hot.


It takes a lot of time and stirring to make big pots of chili.


It did not take long for all this chili to disappear.


These young chili cooks were so personable that folks kept coming back just to say "hi."

The first ever (April 2009) Chili Cook Off in Asheboro, North Carolina was great fun. There were 20,000 to 30,000 people there who can attest to that as estimated by the police department.

Bryan Vaughan, the owner of the local Bagel Shop, came up with the idea to host the cook off. Forbes magazine had called Asheboro a dying town, and he decided to show them there's still plenty of life in this small Southern town which has been hit by the bad economy just like almost every other town in the state.

Residents of Asheboro got behind and excited about the festival, and several local businesses stepped up to sponsor the event.

The Chili Cook Off ran all day with the cooks setting up early in the morning and then the crowds rolling in around lunch time. The various chili chefs and groups handed out samples while live music on the stage had many dancing in the street which was closed off for the event.

I spent much of the afternoon at the Bagel Shop judging the chili entries along with the mayor of Asheboro, David Jarrell, Chris of Two Guys Named Chris from Rock 92, and "The Package" (the original Rhythm & Blues Comic) who wore his hot chili shirt.

Around 5 p.m. the winner of the contest was announced. Kevin Hill and Phillip Crawford had won us over, although we didn't have a clue who made the first rate chili. Turns out it was Kevin, the local butcher who owns Fresh Cuts there in Asheboro where residents can get meat cut to order as well as fresh seafood. Who would guess that the local butcher could make such a great bowl of chili? Perhaps he should sell chili in addition to meat.

There was also a Hot Head contest. They used high technology to image the heat on contestants. Two guys made it to the hottest level. Everyone thought the young guy who was sweating buckets was going to take it, but sweat cools the body down, so his levels dropped while the non-sweater was putting out the hot vibes. Someone cooled the Hot Heads down with buckets of water after the contest - whew - relief.

At the end of the night, one lucky lady won mortgage payments for a year on the raffle held throughout the day. Now. That's a grand prize for sure.

This was the first time Asheboro held the Chili Fun Day, and I hope that it will be an annual tradition. It was small town fun at its finest. People of all ages were out on a sunny day relaxing and enjoying good food and music. It was like a Southern family reunion instead of being organized to death. If a little kid got excited and jumped on the stage - no big deal. Someone snagged the kid, and the band members smiled and played on.

Getting Ready for the Asheboro Chili Cook Off - And I'm Going to be a Chili Judge

Eating Light Tonight. Judging a Chili Contest in Asheboro Tomorrow.

Greta Lint recruited me to be a judge at the great Asheboro Chili Cook Off tomorrow (April 18, 2009).

I'm coming up on the last week of classes and then exams, so I was not thinking on a road trip. But, I just can't pass up homemade chili. Yum!

Someone at worked asked me how I'd clean my palate with 40 chilis to try. The answer to that question is water. If the heat on one fries my taste buds, I'll break and have a soda cracker. Then, it's spoon to bowl again.

Others at the festival will be able to have beer. Asheboro has just passed a law for alcohol. That doesn't work so well for judging though, because you:

A. Get too full too fast.
B. Decide every bowl is fabulous and award everyone first place.
C. Wake up on the street in Ashboro the next morning wondering where's the nearest bathroom.

Speaking of the bathroom, I'm sure they'll have plenty of porta-potties. Unfortunately, I do not do well with those. The boys laughed and pretended they did not know me at the Lexington Barbecue festival, because I would go in one and come busting out coughing, gagging and not having gone. Then, I'd have to wait in line again and pray for a better smelling one.

I have come up with the perfect plan for that porta-potty problem. I stopped at Harris Teeter and got a pack of Immodium. This is not something I use (which is why I had to stop at the store), so the plan may backfire. Also, I suppose it will not help if I go too heavy on the water between bowls of chili. It is also possible that I may have to make a Sunday run to Harris Teeter for Ex-Lax. We shall see.

The other thing I am thinking on is - What to wear? This is girl pattern behavior. But, it could factor in. If I wear my hot low rider jeans along with taking Immodium, I may have to unbutton the button, and that would not look very professional. So, I am thinking it will be loose jeans (and do I have any after working all winter on a summer grill feature for Consumers Digest?) or elastic pants.

Given that it's supposed to be hot and sunny tomorrow and in view of the fact that the make up lady down at Belks tells me I'm a 2 (pale - for those who do not know), I suppose I will have to wear a hat. Hats do not become me, and I suffer greatly from hat head with my fine hair. Better than burned I suppose. I think I'll wear the one in the photo, so you can find me at the Asheboro Chili Cook Off. Just look for the woman in stretch pants, running out the door of the porta-potty, wearing a camoflauge hat. Once I catch my breath, tell me "hi."

I plan to go early and also plan to take my son's new TomTom GPS. Hopefully I do not end up at Bojangles, because the best I can tell that is his main program in there. Every Bojangles in every city comes up on his GPS map. Go figure. No gas stations. No hospitals. Just Bojangles.

The Asheboro Chili Cook Off is a full blown street festival, so I am also looking forward to hearing the music, checking out the kids playing in the Kid's Zone, and watching the Hot Head Contest. I'll have to buy a raffle ticket too, because the winner gets $8000 or up to $1000 a month toward mortgage payments for a year.

OK. Enough blabbing. I need to go take that Immodium (or maybe you do that in the morning - need to find reading glasses and check directions) and also must see about pants that allow room for eating 40 bowls of chili.

Asheboro Chili Cook Off - April 2009

My friend Greta sent some more information about the Asheboro, North Carolina Chili Cook Off.

News on the April Chili Cook Off in NC

Even though the Asheboro Chili Cookoff is giving away $1,500 to the lucky winner, the money isn’t what has pulled more than 40 cooks to the event. They just want to have fun at the town’s newest street festival.

The event will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2009 from 1-10 p.m. in downtown Asheboro. The event will include musical entertainment, a Kid’s Zone, a Hot Head Contest and lots of tasting. The winner of a raffle drawing will go home with either $8,000 or up to $1,000 a month mortgage payment for a year.

The slate of cookers ranges from novices who like to cook a pot of chili for their family – to award-winning contestants – to professional chefs. The common ingredient is they all have a passion for cooking. And when any of them throw a dinner party, they never get turned down.

Most have been testing their recipes – thus sparking more fun at home. Paul Stephanacci, of Asheboro, N.C., says the contest has become a family project. His wife, Robin, his mother, Ruth, four children and their spouses have been helping out. “Our chili is going to include the kitchen sink if I can get it in there,” he chuckled. This is his first chili cook-off, but with his neighbors, family and friends, he’s already a winner. “We’ve had rave reviews on our dry runs.” With strong Italian heritage, Stephanacci joked, “Even the Pope called wanting the recipe, but I had to turn him down!”

Neal Allen, from Asheboro, explained, “I’m a scientist and an artist in the kitchen. I love creating flavors and making blends. I love experimenting.”

He’s a graduate from the Baltimore International Culinary College and works at Jugtown Café in Seagrove, N.C. Like the internationally-renowned Seagrove potters who masterfully create glazes for their pots, Allen works with starches, sugars and complex compounds in food. And old family recipes. Part of his creation is based upon a Southwestern recipe from the 1800s. His chili has won awards at other contests.

The team of Don Johnson and Ricky Jordan, from Asheboro, have won awards for their barbecue, but this is the first time they’ve entered a chili contest. Regionally, they’re known for their ‘Q at the Pinehurst Relay for Life. “But we wanted to do something different,” said Johnson. An avid gardener, his recipe will include preserved produce from his ½-acre garden. “I canned my tomatoes myself, so they have little salt and no preservatives. They’re healthy.”

“Our natural grass-fed beef will come from three local farms,” said Jordan. Their team is called “Country Cooking,” but will be serving “Caraway Fire Chili.”

Ashlee and James Edwards, owners of Off-the-Square restaurant in downtown Albemarle, are blending North Carolina and Texas tastes. “I’m from Texas,” said Ashlee. “You know, we are proud of our food and Texas beef chili. But my husband is from Asheboro, and he knows all about pork barbecue. So our chili will be a blend of both.”

With a combined 22 years of restaurant experience, the couple has learned from one another about cooking. Ashlee reflected, “He graduated from the Cordon Bleu School of Culinary Arts and taught me some technical tricks in the kitchen. But I tend to be more spontaneous. So on the chili cookoff day, he’ll be tending the meat. But when he turns away, I’ll add a little more spice to it!”

“Mine will be a creative masterpiece,” says Joel Leonard, of Asheboro. Songwriter, professional writer and host of www.SkillTV.net, he just bought a new grill for the event. He’s been testing various recipes, one with beef marinated in Frangelica, a hazelnut-flavored liquor and beans soaked in Belgian beer. “Oh, the meat was absolutely delicious,” he commented. “But I’m still working on the right blend.”

Tourism writer and consultant Greta Lint says her research indicates the primary reason people attend a chili cook-off is for the chili. “It tugs at our curiosity – what will it taste like? Hot? Mild? Sweet? The anticipation is a common denominator that pulls us all together.”

For more information, log onto www.AsheboroChiliCookoff.com or call organizer Bryan Vaughan at 336-302-4968.

Yes. You Can Buy Beer, Wine, and Mixed Drinks in Asheboro Now.

Asheboro, North Carolina was dry for 58 years, but last summer the alcohol issue went to a vote. Sixty percent of voters cast for alcohol in the largest dry town in NC, so if you're passing through Asheboro or decide to vacation and see the Asheboro Zoo, you can now have a drink with dinner or pick up a six pack at a local convenience store. If you want harder spirits, you can buy a mixed drink, but you won't find an ABC store in town.

North Carolina is a pretty conservative state, depending on what area you're visiting. Laws do vary across the state. If you see a little bar or convenience store with lots of beer signs right next to a county line, it's likely that you're entering a dry county.

I remember the emotions running high here when they had a vote to have beer and wine in the convenience store. That did pass, but we had a Blue Law. You could not buy beer or wine on Sunday, so they put a broom handle through the handles on the beer cooler on Sunday. You could, of course, drive 12 miles up the road and get beer and wine - but only after 11 a.m. on Sunday. I suppose that was to encourage people to go to church first. We no longer have the Blue Law here, the ABC store was blocked.

Chili Cook Off and Festival in Asheboro Next Month (April 2009)

One of my friends, Greta, sent me information about a fun festival in Asheboro coming up April 18, 2009. Asheboro is the home of our North Carolina Zoo, so if you're from out of town, you may want to stay the night, so you can visit the zoo as well.


New Asheboro Festival Seeks Vendors, Chili Cooks; Giving Away $10,000+

Once the largest municipality in North Carolina to be dry, the town has turned wet with gusto! A brand new festival, Asheboro’s 1st Annual Chili Cookoff, will be held on Saturday, April 18 from 1-10 p.m. in downtown. The street festival will include craft and art vendors, musical entertainment, lots of chili and Asheboro’s first legal beer tent. Organizers are seeking chili cooks, art, craft and other food vendors. More than $10,000 is up for grabs.

Organizer Bryan Vaughan, owner of The Bagel Shop in downtown Asheboro, says he’s excited about the prospect of combining food, beer and music together for the first time in an Asheboro festival. “I’ve got people coming from several states to cook in this event. And they’re all anxious to take home the grand prize.”

Winners of the chili cook-off will take home a hefty $1,500 cash prize.

The owner of the winning raffle ticket will have his mortgage paid for one year – up to $1,000 a month. Raffle winners with no mortgage are eligible for $8,000 in cash. Prizes are not transferable.

A portion of the proceeds will go to the Randolph Heritage Conservancy and Muscular Sclerosis.

The festival will be held between Worth, Fayetteville and Sunset streets.

Raffle tickets may be purchased on April 18 and in advance at The Bagel Shop located at 103 North Fayetteville Street in downtown Asheboro, North Carolina. For more information, see Asheboro Chili Cook Off or call Vaughan at 336-302-4968.