Annual Terlingua CASI Chili Championship Here's Wishing All A

January 2008 Web Page www.chili.org Volume 21 Issue 1 Annual Terlingua CASI Here's Wishing All A Happy Chili Championship and Prosperous New Year A First Timer's View Terlingua, Texas This historic chili cookoff is held annually in Terlingua, Texas, or as most people have said, the middle of nowhere. The four day celebration begins each year on Wednesday before the big weekend and culminates on Saturday with the Terlingua International Chili Championship©. A Texas chili cookoff can be as much fun as one person can stand. There’s usually so much going on it’s hard to take it all in. Besides the cookoff there’s music, contests, and other food events such as salsa, etc. That’s why these things can run 2-3 days. Anyone and everyone comes to a Texas chili cookoff. Chili cookoffs are very popular in Texas and are a major form of family entertainment. The chili cooking teams are judged not only for the quality of their chili product but there are also competitions for presentation which can mean you get a show with the chili. Groups use themes and entertainment to get points for presentation. The official chili sanctioning body in Texas is the Chili Appreciation Society International - CASI. CASI makes the rules. They award points to the best ten cookers and these points can qualify a team for the International Chili Championship held the first Saturday of November in the dusty ghost town of Terlingua. CASI is a not-for-profit organization and one of the best things about their events is that all proceeds from their sanctioned events You know that you’re from Texas if you hear these phrases in conversations. go to local charities. It is a great way to have good fun, good chili, and help out communities. Texas chapters of CASI are known for raising the most money for charities in the United • “Coldbeer” actually is one word States. Rumors are that Texas folk like to have a good time and do good things so that could be a reason for their extraordinary success in the area of charity donations. • “Fixinto” is one word. (as in we’re fixinto start cookin’ the chili) • “Je’eet”? is actually a phrase meaning “Did you eat?” (as in Gollee, Ja’eet that chili There is only one kind of chili recognized by CASI: Texas red. No fillers are allowed, or over thar?) as the rules state: “NO FILLERS IN CHILI such as beans, macaroni, rice, hominy, or other similar ingredients are not permitted.” Even with strict rules about content, the variations • “You measure distance in minutes.” (as in we’re 90 minutes from Abilene and need in recipes can provide a variety of taste bud delights. a place to camp cause we had too much fun at the chili cookoff and can’t drive any further.) The Terlingua Chili Cookoff can be educational as well. If you listen carefully to the conversations, you can pick up some genuine Texas phrases like the ones listed below and • “You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good chili weather.” excerpted from “How to Know You are from Texas”- previously published June 2003 in life stories: Continued on Page 18 Non Profit Chili Appreciation Society International Inc. Organization CASI Hot Line P.O. Box 859 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 US Postage Paid 888-CASIHOT Kerrville, Texas Permit No. 81 If you have a cookoff coming up in the month of March your cookoff information must be in the hands of the CASI Upcomings Director by January 15th to meet the 30 day cookoff advertising requirement. Page 2 Terlingua Trails January 2008 Happy New Year ED Pondering I was all set to write another installment of our rules Well, I hope the holiday season was kind to the CASI discussion but that will have to wait until next month. family. Doesn’t the chili taste a lot better when that chill As we’re getting ready to go to press, we’ve been is in the air? I know I have attended many cookoffs lately and do enjoy the judging process. The smell of inundated by sad news by the loss of three significant chili cooking just makes the winter season. The Board contributors to CASI. has had a spirited discussion going about cold weather, but Bill Pierson won the prize. He stated that it would Most of us knew Bill Garbutt as an Arizona chili cook be in the seventies in Chicago this weekend. What he who spent a lot of time in Puerto Penasco. Bill was a meant was 26 Friday, 24 Saturday, and 22 on Sunday. long-time organizer of the Manny’s Beach Club Cookoff. Bill spent a period of time in Florida and became one of the founding We are the Chili Appreciation Society, so bring someone new to the judging table this fathers of the Sunshine State Pod in 2000. year. Make the growth of CASI one of your New Year’s resolutions. Jerry Dickerson served many years as a referee and Great Pepper of the HOOCH The winter Board of Directors meeting and workshop will be held January 26 and 27 Pod in Oklahoma. Jerry was elected Great Pepper of the Year in 2003. Jerry’s at the Irving Texas Elks Lodge. Come out for a steak dinner on Friday night and show team, These Colors Don’t Run, placed at TICC this year. Many of us proudly participate in the workshop on Saturday. The Board spends a day on review of TICC display the American flags he distributed as part of his show. and our financial affairs. Assignments and goals for the year are set. If you can’t be there, contact a Director and express your views or concerns. Hut Brown was elected CASI Executive Director in 1990 and served in that capacity for eight years. He became chairperson of the CASI Scholarship Program This is a rule change year at the Great Peppers Meeting in Amarillo, so it is not too early in 2000. Hut was honored on November 30, when a school in his hometown of El to start thinking about revisions. Many issues are out there to address including meat Paso was named after him. issues, revenue increases, regional championships, Rancho CASI de los Chisos, membership, public relations, etc. Many of us were blessed to be able to count Bill, Jerry, and Hut as friends. All of CASI is blessed for the contributions of they made. Please keep their families in On a somber note, we lost several great CASI people in December. They will be sorely missed. The Memorial Board at the Ranch continues to grow at an unfortunate pace. your thoughts and prayers. CASI history needs to be recorded and preserved. We must not forget the heritage of our Society. As we enter our 42nd year, take a moment to salute those who brought Alan us this far. Peace and prosperity to you and your family in the New Year. Thank you for your Didn't buy at TICC, you still can input and support. Long Sleeve T-Shirts, Bandanas, Baseball Shirts, Jim Ezell Tank Tops, Ladies T-Shirts, Bumper Stickers and CASI Director 1997-2008 Window Decals. Aprons, CASI Window Shades, Tote Bags. 2006 Posters and some previous years available. Dorathy Williams 1-888-227-4468 or email [email protected] CASI INSURANCE Please make note: the contact for obtaining insurance certificates for cookoffs has changed. To get a certificate (proof of insurance) for your CASI members, please check your personal information cookoff, please contact Michelle Moreau-Account Manager, or Mindy Hines, in the CASI Information System. Corrections and Consolidated Insurance Center, Inc., 11403 Cronridge Drive, PO Box 0664, additions should be sent to CASI Data Manager, Joe Owings Mills, MD 21117-0664, Phone: 410-356-9500, Fax: 410-363-3520, Price at [email protected] Email: [email protected] Alan Dean’s Chili Hot News is now available on the Terlingua Trails web at: Editor & Publisher: Doug (Bucky) Seelig Contributing Editors: www.chotnews.blogspot.com/ Upcoming Cookoffs: Dorathy Williams This newsletter is updated almost daily with the latest Cookoff Results: Bill Pierson Articles: Renee Moore news about CASI, cookoffs, cooks, and much more. Printer: Kerrville Daily Times - Kerrville, Texas January 2008 Terlingua Trails Page 3 TallyWhackers From the Alcalde I apologize for not getting a letter out last month, I had hoped to write about no delinquent October but it took me a while to recoup from my trip to cookoffs this year, but alas, there are two. As the Terlingua. TICC was fantastic as always and after all managers of a famous baseball team up here have my years of being out there, I always come back been saying for 99 years, “Wait until next year.” feeling that it just can’t get any better than this year - but each year it seems to top off the past years. By the time you read this, the holidays will be I want to thank the Directors for a Super Job of behind us so I hope you had a great holiday season having everything so well planned and having it come and have a successful 2008. Above all, stay healthy. I’ve always maintained the off so well. I know how much hard work goes into best part of this job is sending out qualification cards. I hope all of you will hear having a successful cookoff. from me this coming year. I also want to thank all the workers who helped me in The Old 320 Area - a lot of hard work and hours go into getting it ready for the cooks to use each year.

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