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PITTSBURG —
Chili cooking isn’t yet a Special Olympics sport, but competitive cooks coached participants in the art of creating award-winning blends.
The Chili Plunge was planned to coordinate with Saturday’s polar plunge event and the cooks, who are members of the Chili Appreciation Society International, or CASI, taught Special Olympians how to create their own batches for competition.
“This particular event is new,” said coordinator Eric Rosenblad. “We don’t think that anybody else does this.”
The CASI cooks compete at numerous events and festivals annually, promoting chili, charity and fun, and had considered whether an event could be coordinated to benefit Special Olympics.
CASI cook Steve Shepherd said Rosenblad came up with the idea and coordinated with Special Olympics Coach John Lair. Conversation ensued and the chili plunge event came together.
Rosenblad and Shepherd worked together to cook a large batch of chili with beans to help warm up polar plungers and others who paid to eat at the event, and CASI cooks worked with nine Special Olympians to create smaller competitive batches to be judged.
Shepherd said he mentored Larry Neal and James Collier throughout the morning as each prepared his batch.
Neal said he had been at the competition since 10 that morning and enjoyed helping to put spices in the chili.
Collier also said he enjoyed the preparation process and using spices from Shepherd’s stash.
“We used that right there,” he said, pointing to Shepherd’s tub full of supplies. “I stirred it up.”
“It’s the participation of the clients,” Shepherd said. “We mentored them and they participated in it. They did the cooking.”
Shepherd said the batches will be judged in the same way as CASI cooks’ chilis, with anonymous evaluations of color, consistency, taste, aftertaste and aroma.
Jon Tupper, who also assisted in coordinating the event and described himself as “the great pepper of the Mo-Kan Chili Pod,” said the day went well.
“It’s been fun,” Tupper said. “I think we’ve had a few challenges today, but nothing we haven’t been able to overcome.”
He said charitable competitions often are paired with large events where lots of people will come in and buy tasting kits, and that the plunge was a good fit.
“We like to partner with events that have a lot of people,” Tupper said.
CASI cook Laura Green said the event went well.
“I think everyone’s been happy,” she said. “It’s been a pretty neat event.”
“Working with the Special Olympians, that’s what was fun. Teaching them how to make the chili.”
Chili cooking isn’t yet a Special Olympics sport, but competitive cooks coached participants in the art of creating award-winning blends.
The Chili Plunge was planned to coordinate with Saturday’s polar plunge event and the cooks, who are members of the Chili Appreciation Society International, or CASI, taught Special Olympians how to create their own batches for competition.
“This particular event is new,” said coordinator Eric Rosenblad. “We don’t think that anybody else does this.”
The CASI cooks compete at numerous events and festivals annually, promoting chili, charity and fun, and had considered whether an event could be coordinated to benefit Special Olympics.
CASI cook Steve Shepherd said Rosenblad came up with the idea and coordinated with Special Olympics Coach John Lair. Conversation ensued and the chili plunge event came together.
Rosenblad and Shepherd worked together to cook a large batch of chili with beans to help warm up polar plungers and others who paid to eat at the event, and CASI cooks worked with nine Special Olympians to create smaller competitive batches to be judged.
Shepherd said he mentored Larry Neal and James Collier throughout the morning as each prepared his batch.
Neal said he had been at the competition since 10 that morning and enjoyed helping to put spices in the chili.
Collier also said he enjoyed the preparation process and using spices from Shepherd’s stash.
“We used that right there,” he said, pointing to Shepherd’s tub full of supplies. “I stirred it up.”
“It’s the participation of the clients,” Shepherd said. “We mentored them and they participated in it. They did the cooking.”
Shepherd said the batches will be judged in the same way as CASI cooks’ chilis, with anonymous evaluations of color, consistency, taste, aftertaste and aroma.
Jon Tupper, who also assisted in coordinating the event and described himself as “the great pepper of the Mo-Kan Chili Pod,” said the day went well.
“It’s been fun,” Tupper said. “I think we’ve had a few challenges today, but nothing we haven’t been able to overcome.”
He said charitable competitions often are paired with large events where lots of people will come in and buy tasting kits, and that the plunge was a good fit.
“We like to partner with events that have a lot of people,” Tupper said.
CASI cook Laura Green said the event went well.
“I think everyone’s been happy,” she said. “It’s been a pretty neat event.”
“Working with the Special Olympians, that’s what was fun. Teaching them how to make the chili.”
