Ann Arbor Civic Theatre's Chili Cook-Off

I was thrilled to be one of the judges at the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre's 3rd Annual Chili Cook-Off this year!  This is one of the most fun events I attend - it's lively, it's festive, there are both silent and live auctions with fabulous items to bid on, and everyone associated with the theatre is just wonderful to work with.

Buying a ticket earns you the right to taste chili samples provided by contestants, as well as beer samples provided by the Corner Brewery which very graciously hosts the cook-off each year.  Chili and beer on a bitterly cold winter afternoon - how great is that???  Do you need much else in your life?

I've attended this event all three years, now: I was a contestant the first two times, but was given the honor of being named a judge this year.  I was nervous - I've never officially worked in this capacity before, although we're all amateur judges with our own opinions, aren't we?  But as I drove to the competition, I heard the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "By the Way" on the radio ... it was bashert [bah-SHAYRT], otherwise known as destiny!

I tried to be particularly conscientious about my responsibilities on the other side of the ballot.  I watched as chili chefs decorated their stations and greeted each other (there is a core group of regular participants, so you get to see friends each year), but I kept some distance so that I wouldn't schmooze and lose my objectivity.  I was here to judge chili, after all, without being swayed by charm or humor, both of which were evident in abundance.

Some of the names for the chilis were most entertaining: Grown-Up Mutant Ninja Mock Turtle Chili, Gator Flame Chili, White Hot Tear Jerker, Jealousy - The Green-Eyed Monster, and even Slow Poked Smork (try saying that a couple of times, fast!).

My fellow judges - John Fischer of Gratzi and Eve Aronoff of Frita Batidos (yes, it was Eve's churro sundae that won first place as the best thing I ate in 2011!) - and I sat down to begin our mission.  Samples of each chili were brought to us one or two at a time, so that they would still be hot when we tried them and to lessen our confusion.

We agreed with John's suggestion to set up a point scale from 1-5 (low to high) and critique the chilis on four criteria:

- flavor
- balance
- body/depth
- creativity

We were seeking the Best Traditional Chili, the Most Creative Chili, and the Best Overall Chili among 16 entries.  Among 16 wildly varying entries.  Among 16 wildly varying entries that people had put so much pride and love into.

Judging may be fun, but it's also really challenging work!

I'm not going to gossip about who liked which chili, which chilis received high or low marks, why we picked what we did, how long or intense the debates were, or anything else like that.  I grant that this wasn't an A.A. meeting or confession to a priest with expectations of discretion!  At the same time, discretion is the better part of valor.  I truly applaud every contestant, even if - obviously - there were favorites among the entries.

So, who won?

After smelling, admiring, studying, tasting, scribbling, palate cleansing, discussing, debating, defining "chili," re-tasting, tasting yet again, etc., here were the winners:

- Best Traditional Chili: Three Dog Night Chili by Linda Kentes

- Most Creative Chili: White Hot Tear Jerker by Mike Sielaff

- Best Overall Chili: Sister Maria de Agreda's Soup of the Devil by Mike Mangrum

- People's Choice: Victor's Chili by T.J. (This was determined by having guests put money into "tip jars" at each table to vote for their favorites.)

After the judging, I was able to sneak over to the silent auction table and buzz in at the last minute to win my chosen item: a gift certificate to Mainstreet Ventures restaurants (of which Gratzi is a member, I must point out, since I plan to head over there after discussing potential Frugal Floozie Friday options with John!), as well as a cookbook from the organization which features some of its eateries' fabulous recipes.

It was great fun to watch the live auction, as guests bid against each other for a vacation up north and - even better, to my baseball-loving heart! - tickets to see the Tigers play the Angels in August ... a coupla potential contenders battling at the end of the season with the playoffs looming.

Best of all, though, was hearing the winners' names announced and seeing how happy and excited they were to have triumphed!  I made sure to meet each of the four winners, to congratulate them and to let them know how difficult a job it had been to choose them.  (Even though I had no influence over the People's Choice, I know the people had a tough time, too!)  I wanted each to know that his or her prize really was well-earned, and I wanted them to know how thrilled I was for them.

With many, many thanks to the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre for inviting me to the fabulous party!  I love being able to support a community organization, and having so much fun while doing so.  And also a huge "thank you" to the Corner Brewery (although I don't drink beer, the hospitality in hosting this event is tremendous!), to all the auction item donors, to the sponsors, to the staff, and to all the volunteers and guests.

Until next year!

Butterscotch Pumpkin Pudding

After happily eating my way through Ypsilanti a few weeks ago at the Grub Crawl, I wanted to make a pudding of my own that was reminiscent of the spicy, creamy sample offered at the Corner Brewery.

Homemade pudding takes virtually no effort to make, just a few minutes of standing while stirring it on the stovetop. The hardest part of the process is simply waiting for the pudding to chill and set before you can eat it!

This is an exceptionally perfect dessert for Fall, and would make a lovely offering at Thanksgiving, too, if you're thinking that far ahead; simply put the entire batch into a decorative bowl and let it chill completely, then people can help themselves to individual servings.

Butterscotch Pumpkin Pudding

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup half-and-half
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/3 cup pumpkin puree

In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, sugar and salt; add water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking to remove lumps. When the mixture becomes thick and translucent, turn heat down to medium-low.

Combine half-and-half and egg; add slowly, whisking constantly. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg; cook, stirring constantly, for 5-7 minutes until thickened. Stir in butterscotch chips until melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in pumpkin.

Divide pudding among 4 dessert glasses, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 4 hours to set.

Serve chilled, topped with whipped cream.

Makes 4 servings.

The Grub Crawl

Grub Crawl. These are two of my new favorite words, which go beautifully with the very best word in the English language: happify (to make happy).

I have to thank 7 fabulous eateries in Ypsilanti - Corner Brewery, Harvest Kitchen, Aubree's, Cafe Ollie, Sidetrack, Ypsilanti Food Co-op and Haab's - for the immensely wonderful quantities of both food and fun I enjoyed on October 5 when each place was offering hospitality at the very first area Grub Crawl. The event was sponsored by the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber, and I have to commend everyone involved for friendliness, organization, and even perfectly sunny and balmy Indian summer weather. Everything about the evening was ideal!

Now, what is a Grub Crawl, you ask? Why, a food lovers' equivalent to a pub crawl! Buy a ticket, get it stamped at each of the participating locations, and enjoy portions of the eateries' very best goodies all evening long. This is a Food Floozie's dream come true!

I rounded up Jeremy and his dad, my ex-husband Stuart, for the evening's entertainment. Not only are they endlessly amusing when they're behaving themselves (though extremely trying when they act like competitive siblings), but they're also two of the best eaters I know. A grub crawl isn't the sort of event to bring a picky or a restrained person to, after all.

So we began our adventure by walking to the Corner Brewery. We were greeted very warmly, and invited to sample either a beer or some butterscotch pumpkin pudding. I don't drink beer and the boys don't drink at all (Jeremy won't be legal 'til January anyway), so this was an easy choice: pudding all around. It was lusciously thick, rich, and slightly spiced with a hint of the butterscotch shining through. I am never averse to starting dinner with dessert, so we were all happy after our first stop and ready to move on through town to the next place.

We wandered on over to Harvest Kitchen, a subscription meal service offering wholesome, organic meals prepared with locally sourced ingredients. The appetizer offering here was an eggplant egg roll; then there was a choice of pepper steak, Italian wedding soup or bacon macaroni and cheese to accompany it. Jeremy and I leapt at the pasta, while Stuart - still following the low-carb Atkins protocol, but not with 100% rigidity - chose the steak. The egg rolls were a huge hit: "This egg roll is fantastic! I can't even taste the eggplant!" (from Jeremy), and "I think that was the best egg roll I've ever eaten" (from Stuart). The mac 'n' cheese was creamy, smoky, rich and delicious. We were happy campers, indeed.

Our next stop was Aubree's, where each Grub Crawler could sample a slice of either cheese or pepperoni pizza as well as a cheesy breadstick. The pizza was fresh from the oven, gooey, and perfectly foldable for this native New Yorker who still eats her slice the way she did while growing up in the city. The breadsticks were almost like pizza themselves, but without the sauce - doughy, chewy, generously covered with cheese. The portions were full-sized, not just samples. This one could have been dinner all by itself!

Our next stop was Cafe Ollie, which offered an entire smorgasbord of treats: spicy red pepper hummus with garlic toast, 5-cheese macaroni and cheese, coffee roasted almost-locally in Wyandotte, and ice cream from nearby Guernsey Farms Dairy ... oh, my! The hummus was thick and vibrantly flavored, and the garlic toast was a perfect accompaniment. The coffee was excellent, and the mac 'n' cheese - topped with crushed potato chips, no less! - was exceptionally creamy and delicious. The ice cream was a perfect closer. Stuart ordered Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, which he liked very much. I chose Choco Malt Chip, which was sublime. And Jeremy picked McGuire's Irish Mint, a chocolate-mint option, which he pronounced to be the very best sample of this variety that he's ever eaten.

Now, I had known going into this that I was going to have to engage in some serious portion control no matter how good the food was. I only tasted my samplings with a bite or two (well, sometimes three!), hoping to get through my tour of the eateries without feeling as though I might explode. My hearty and hardy companions, though, ravenously devoured what I didn't finish because everything was so wonderful. I warned them to be careful, but ....

At this point, we were starting to feel the effects of our multi-course meal. We were not complaining, oh no! We fully intended to see this adventure through to the end and to taste every tantalizing tidbit offered to us. But we were going to have to be a bit more restrained, a bit less voracious and enthusiastic.

But then we got to the Sidetrack. Oh, my word! We were graciously greeted by owner Linda French. When I introduced myself and told her that I'd written about how much I'd enjoyed the monthly "Opera on Tap" extravaganza and the exceptional carrot cake (prepared by the amazing pastry chef Bryant Stuckey of Decadent Delight), she gave me a big hug and welcomed my little family as though we were a part of her own.

There were 3 different beer samples being offered at one end of the bar, with rich and spicy tastes of pumpkin pie waiting at the other end. But the grand attraction was the buffet table in the center of the room, hosted by Linda's daughter Jessica and by long-time master chef Walter Love. There we found yet another variety of macaroni and cheese, this one also very rich and featuring thick slices of kielbasa. Next to it was cheeseburger soup, hearty with ground beef and creamy with lots of cheese in the base; it was our unanimous favorite.

Then there was tender Yankee pot roast served atop perfectly lumpy - so you know they're real! - mashed redskin potatoes. And the final offering was barbecued pork sliders that Jeremy declared to be better than my own famous-among-friends shredded pork. Rather than one single taste, we were informed as soon as we arrived that we could eat as much as we wanted to - seconds, thirds, whatever. The boys had seconds on one or two items, but I couldn't finish everything although I tried each item and enjoyed it all immensely. I can eat more than most people think a skinny girl can, but this was quite a test of my abilities!

We walked (waddled?) across the street to the Ypsilanti Food Co-op for eatery #6 of the 7 on our list. Since this is primarily a grocery store that offers some prepared foods, I wasn't quite sure what to expect; so I was delighted to find a buffet table laden with gorgeous, nutritious items! There was a roasted root vegetable salad of vibrant orange and green that featured a dressing with a subtle hint of cumin. Excellent roll-up sandwiches were filled with spicked chickpeas. A vegan walnut spread was a great complement to the crisp-crusted whole grain bread baked by the River Street Bakery next door. The pumpkin bread was a very nice accompaniment to everything; however the orange-glazed gingerbread was so stellar - moist, spicy, and with a perfect citrus glaze - that it easily won my heart. There were also crispy sweet potato and quinoa fritters topped with a brightly flavored yogurt-cilantro sauce. It was truly a feast!

Finally, we took the trolley that was so conveniently offered to help transport Grub Crawlers from site to site. It was provided by Golden Limousine International for those who chose not to walk either because of distance or because of feeling sluggish from their gleeful ingestion of goodies. The boys fell into both categories, as our final destination was a bit further away than the cluster of the other restaurants (four of which were in the same block, with another across the street). I would have preferred to walk off some of the overload of calories I was happily fortifying myself with, but I kept Stuart and Jeremy company for the ride on the quaint and charming trolley.

Although it's an institution, I have to admit that I had never eaten at Haab's before ... and that's quite a shame. I can't explain it, I've just never had occasion to go there; but that has now been rectified, and happily so. From the very flavorful black bean burger with a spicy chiptle sauce to the crispy fresh salmon cake, the food was very good. The zesty gazpacho was full of vegetables; and the butternut squash soup - which is only available from September 1 through January 1, because it is made with Michigan produce in the prime of its season - was so rich and creamy that I had thought there might be cheese in it. (There isn't.) The cream cheese apple blondie was sweet and spicy, and a lovely way to end both the tasting and the evening.

The Grub Crawl was so much fun! I highly recommend enjoying treats and meals at each of the participating restaurants; they offered such exceptional fare and so proudly represented Ypsilanti at this fabulous event.

Floozin' 'n' Schmoozin' at the Chili Cook-Off

Several weeks ago, I received a fabulous email from a representative of the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre; she was inviting me to participate in this past Sunday's second annual Chili Cook-Off, Beer Tasting and Silent Auction fundraiser by saying, "We have to have some Floozie chili again!" She'd remembered me from last year's event ... awww. Of course, when you decorate your table with bright pink feathers and wear a tiara, I guess you tend to stand out!

Well, how could I resist a personal request for such a good cause???

So Tom and I shopped and chopped and stirred and tasted and tweaked, and a beautiful pot of chili was born on Saturday, in order to let the flavors really develop before Sunday's event. It smelled absolutely, deliriously amazing! And while it wasn't painfully spicy, it had enough of a presence that the flavors did a little dance around our mouths and our tongues as they left a distinct tingling. We were very, very pleased at our success!

Of course, this not being the sort of fundraiser where women lose circulation in their legs from pantyhose while men are strangled by bow ties, we had to go find decorations for my table. And that's where Fantasy Attic, a costume shop that is a local institution, came in.

Tom had the notion that a chicken chili required the watchful eye of a rubber chicken; alas -- while we did find one there! -- it was $10 ... not a lot on general principle, but a lot for a one-day event. (It's not like the little guy would be particularly appropriate sitting on my desk at work, after all ....) So we aimed for the $2.50 Mardi Gras beads with little plastic replicas instead. Toss in one bright and festive set of beads with chili peppers, too, and we had our decor!

And so on Sunday we schlepped on down to the Corner Brewery for the event, and were given such a warm welcome! Several of the folks affiliated with the Theatre remembered me, and they even told me that my table from last year was available if I wanted it. Of course, I did! It was a perfect location, first one you'd see when naturally looking from left to right.

I was happily surprised to see a friend I know through work, Sam, who had taken a traditional Jewish cholent ([CHOH-luhnt] = stew) and tweaked it with some seasonings to make it into an excellent chili. I recognized a couple of competitors from last year, as well; all together, there were 18 different varieties entered into the ring, with names such as "D.O.A.," "High Flyin' Chili," and even "Road Kill Chili" ... we won't ask for the ingredient list on that one!

The event also had a silent auction, with a wide assortment of fabulous prizes like 6 months worth of chocolate, restaurant gift certificates, a walk-on role in the Theatre company's production of "Sweeney Todd," a pearl pendant, and even -- oh, bestill my baseball-loving heart! -- tickets to see the Yankees play the Tigers at Comerica Park in May. There was a beer tasting, too, which is going to be virtually ignored here because I rarely drink, and it's literally been decades since I drank beer. Wine or prissy drinks with umbrellas, please, but no beer for me.

Anyway, on with the show!

I am thrilled to say that I was the first one of the bunch to run out of chili, even though I'd brought a full crockpot as well as a stockpot with more. I had people say "I was told I had to try this" or "My friend recommended yours and said I had to taste it." One couple told me they'd read about my chili on AnnArbor.com -- my article, I hope! There was even one fabulous woman who stopped by for a sample, who then brought her husband over for a sample, who then came by one last time saying this taste was all hers: "I'm not sharing!"

I'm also proud to say that Ingrid Sheldon, former mayor of Ann Arbor, had the honor of being my very last chili taster; she literally took her plastic spoon and scraped up the one lone remaining bean from the bottom of the crockpot, because that's all that was left by the time she stopped by to visit me.

An added twist -- in addition to the three judges who were in the back, tasting away in an effort to award prizes -- was that each contestant had a jar for collecting $1 donations; the one with the most money would win the "People's Choice Award." I was tickled to see one man slip a $5 bill into my jar ... good thing I'm already spoken for, huh??? That might have swayed me, if I were a lesser woman!

Now, as though all of this excitement weren't enough, here was the BIG news: I was absolutely giddy to have had Ann Pearlman, fellow Michigander (Michigoose???) and author of The Christmas Cookie Club -- a book I'd just read and loved at Christmastime, no less! -- stop by to visit me. She's a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award nominee, and she told me that a sequel to the Cookie Club book is due out in October, with further adventures from our favorite women ... yay!!!

I wish I'd had enough presence of mind, in the midst of my happy surprise, to have asked her for an interview ... oh, what fun we'd have had talking about food and life! Because Ann told me that her kitchen philosophy is the same as mine: the cooking, preparing, and eating of food is all about creating memories and sharing traditions and building cherished relationships through these bonding experiences.

Well, it was finally time to award the prizes -- 1st Place, 2nd Place, Most Authentic, and Most Creative. I'm sorry to say that I didn't win anything ... :(

I was kinda maybe thinking I'd win the "People's Choice;" but truly, seeing people smile, hearing their compliments, and watching them come back for more and bring their friends over ... well, that was priceless! That I got a great story to tell on a windy February day while supporting a great cause -- even better! And that I had both Tom and my BFF Wendy there, supporting me, running for chili samples (so we could taste the competition!) and enjoying themselves ... well, that was fabulous, too!!! So I really did win where it counted, I have to admit ... :)

So now, on to the chili recipe!

It looks like there's an overwhelming amount of stuff in this chili, but it's really not too bad. Some chopping, some emptying of cans, some stirring, and then just let it simmer away and work its magic! Truly, it's a thing of beauty once it's all simmered together ....

Cheesy Chicken Chorizo Chili

1 pound ground chicken
1 pound chorizo
2 large onions, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 orange pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
6 scallions, chopped
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon applewood smoked salt (a Christmas gift from Tom, bought at a small store in a small town; I think either regular salt or a drip of Liquid Smoke would be fine as substitutes)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 packets taco seasoning mix
1-1/2 cups frozen corn
2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes
3 cups fresh salsa
1 10-ounce can green chile enchilada sauce
2 15-ounce cans white beans, rinsed
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed
1 teaspoon Clancy's Fancy hot sauce
3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
1 cup light beer (I used Arbor Brewing Company's Red Snapper Amber Ale)
2 cups water
16 ounces Pepper Jack cheese, grated
8 ounces Mild Cheddar cheese, grated

Brown the chicken and the chorizo in an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat. Add half of the onions, the red, orange and yellow peppers, and the scallions; cook, stirring frequently, for a few minutes. Add the rest of the onions, peppers and scallions and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.




Add the garlic, smoked salt, chili powder, sea salt, pepper and taco seasoning; cook 1 minute. Add the corn, tomatoes, salsa, enchilada sauce, white and red beans, hot sauce, and chili garlic sauce; cook for 5 minutes. Add the beer and the water; bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium.

Add the cheeses and cook for at least 1 hour, stirring frequently. If you can make this a day ahead and warm it up, it'd be even better!