Pots of chili heated up with the competition this weekend during the seventh annual Louisiana Regional and State Chili Cook-Off.
Cooks from Illinois, Connecticut, and states across the southern U.S. labored for hours to craft the right mixture of texture, seasoning and flavor.
Contestants competed in up to four categories – red chili, chili verde, homestyle and salsa. There was also a People’s Choice category that allowed the audience to choose a winner, as well as a Spirit Award. The top prize was $700 for the red chili category, and first-place winners will advance to the World’s Championship Chili Cookoff.
Tents were set up in front of the John M. Parker Coliseum in a U-shape, allowing visitors a walkway to visit each of the cooking stations adorned with colorful signs and packed with seasonings and small tabletop stoves.
After the cooks prepped the chilies, they patiently waited as the assortment of seasonings and meat simmered on the stove, allowing time to converse with the crowd and fellow competitors.
Galveston, Texas resident Kevin Foley said everyone that competes in the cook-offs is like a big family, and there is a bond between them.
Foley and his wife, Donna Foley, actually met while cooking chili.
“She wanted to know my recipe,” Foley said while laughing.
Foley placed third in the salsa category Saturday.
Adjacent to the Foleys’ tent was a cook-off veteran, Larry Weltikol, a master chili chef who has had the distinction of competing at the world championship 14 times and will extend that streak to 15 in October.
The Palm Coast, Fla. resident is retired and travels the country in search of cook-offs with his wife Jan Weltikol.
Weltikol won a competition in South Carolina recently, placing first in the red chili category. He often competes at the world championship in multiple categories, he said, and over the weekend he looked to continue that by competing in many categories.
“The trick is you got to catch them judges with a little something different,” Weltikol said.
Weltikol’s recipe hasn’t strayed much since he began cooking, so he said he must be doing something right.
Eric Patterson and his wife Linda traveled from Satellite Beach, Fla. to attend the cook-off in Baton Rouge for the third year.
Patterson has been cooking for around a year and a half and his wife has for three years, he said.
Linda has placed in competition before, and Saturday Eric won first place in the salsa category, allowing him to advance to the world championship.
Accounting senior Jessica Hewett said the chilies kept getting better with each cup she tasted.
Hewett said she was surprised at the large amount of contestants from all around the country and said traveling the country just cooking chili seems like a good life, she said.
Among Hewett’s favorite chilies she tasted were the different homestyle chilies, she said, particularly the mixture of beans and meat.
Ryan Travis, music junior, and his brother, Garret Travis, English senior, tasted one of the Patterson’s chilies.
The brothers tried an assortment of chilies and noted they were all delectable, but the red chili was a preferred favorite.
Attending a unique event such as a chili cook-off is something Ryan was able to check off his bucket list.
“[We’re] living Ryan’s life goal,” Garret said. “I get chili along the ride, so I’m good with it.”
