Craig Rubin wrote: > > Hi All, > > A group I belong to is having an informal Chile Cookoff next month as a > fundraiser and gettogether. There should be between 20 and 40 people > attending. Depending on event promotion it could be more. The Chile will > be prepared off site. I would like your suggestions on how to set it up and > run the cookoff. Some of the items that I can think of at this time are: > > Chile categories, thinking of 3. > Prerequisites and or conditions for Chile preparation. > Judges - how many and criteria for them to use? What do they do before > going > to next Chile? > What to have in addition to Chile as main course and before meal? > > I will be bringing over 40 hot sauces to event and look forward to seeing > steam rising from a few heads. Go to the ICS and CASI web sites and download their rules. They put on a lot of cook-offs (and I cook in more than a few of them). You are not bound by anyone else's rules (being a non-sanctioned cook-off). Most of the rules are pretty common sense and aimed at making things fair for all. Try to have one judge per cook. ICS awards 3 points for a first place vote, 2 for second and one for third. Tally points and awards prizes. All cook-offs I have judged we have been told to pick the chilli that we would choose if we could only eat on recipe for the resto of our lives. Most cook-offs supply grapes, cubes of mild cheddar, unsalted crackers and club soda to cleanse the palate between chilli tastes. Some supply beer - but, it's handy to have a beer sponsor - chilli judges can consume a lot of suds. Good luck ENJOY!!! -------- UNCLE DIRTY DAVE'S KITCHEN -- Home of Yaaaaa Hooooo Aaahhh!!! HOT SAUCE and Hardin Cider