Flushing Walleye Festival 2009 Chili Challenge

Not for me this year, but my friend Mrs. Dog sent me the information and it is certainly grilladelic.

Flushing Walleye Festival 2009

Chili Challenge
Is your chili unbeatable?  Are you ready to take on all challengers in
order to win the coveted title of Flushing Walleye Festival Chili
Champion? If so, gather up your secret ingredients, provide the
following information, and get ready to participate in the 2009.

Flushing Walleye Festival Chili Challenge sponsored by Dort Federal
Credit Union.
The cook-off will be held Sunday, March 15, 2009 at the St Roberts
Activities Center, 214 E. Henry St Flushing MI, 48433 from 10:00am
to 4:00 pm. A cook’s meeting will be held at 9:30 am.
The Chili Challenge is an open, winner-take-all competition. Popular
vote by people’s choice will determine the winner of the coveted Chili
Champion trophy, $400 cash prize pool, press coverage, and
priceless bragging rights.
Entry fee $10.00 per team. All varieties of Chili are allowed (Red,
White, and Vegetarian).
Yes, I am ready. Count me in, sign me up, and bring on the challengers!
Name: __________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________
City, State, Zip ___________________________________________
Phone: (Home) (____) ________________ (Cell) (____)_________
Team Name: _____________________________________________
Payment and RSVP to secure your spot to:
Flushing Chamber of Commerce
133 E. Main Street
Flushing MI 48433

Flushing Walleye Festival
Chili Challenge
Rules and Regulations
1. No ingredients may be pre-cooked in any way, before the commencement of the official cook- off. The only exceptions are canned or bottled tomatoes, tomato sauce, peppers, pepper sauce, beverages, broth and grinding and or mixing of spices. Meat may be treated, pre-cut or ground.
MEAT MAY NOT BE PRE-COOKED. Other ingredients may be chopped or prepared ahead of time, but cannot be cooked until the official onsite start.
* EXCEPTION TO ABOVE RULE, LICENSED COMMERCIAL KITCHENS.
2. You must be at least 18 years old.
3. The cooking period will begin at 10:00am and end at 1:00pm. People’s Choice
sampling will begin at 1:00pm. Cooking during entire cooking period is at the sole
discretion of the contestant.
4. A representative of the sponsoring organization shall conduct a contestant’s
meeting, at which time final instructions are to be given and questions answered, no later than 30 minutes prior to the official starting time of the cook-off.
5. Contestants are responsible for supplying all of their own cooking utensils, etc.
Sponsor will provide an area for each contestant. Contestants must supply chafing
dish and sterno for final display and sampling. The sponsor will provide sampling
cups and spoons.
6. Each contestant must cook a minimum of one full chafing dish of competition chili
prepared in one pot for sampling and judging.
7. Popular vote of judging by the people will determine the winner.
Waiver of Liability: In consideration of your acceptance of this entry form and
fee, I, the undersigned intending to be legally bound, do hereby for myself, my heirs,
executors and administrators, waive and release any and all rights and claims for
damages I may have against the Great Lakes Barbecue Association, Flushing
Chamber of Commerce, or Dort Court Federal Credit Union and their agents,
successors and assigns for any and all injuries suffered to me in this event. I further
grant permission to the Great Lakes Barbecue Association, Flushing Chamber of
Commerce and Dort Court Federal Credit Union and/or agents authorized by them to use any photographs, videotapes or any other record of this event for legitimate
purposes.
Signature of Team Captain: Date:
Please FAX completed application to Flushing Chamber of Commerce at
FAX: (810) 659-6964, or drop off at the Chamber office 133 E. Main
Street, Flushing MI 48433

Green Eggs, Dr. BBQ, Mrs. Dog and Peace on Earth

I was leafing through the Feb. 4 issue of People Magazine while at a grocery store (OK, I bought it and was reading it at home). Anyway I opened it up and there was Ray Lampe, aka Dr. BBQ .

Holy smokes. He did it! I met Ray many years ago at the one of the first “State of MI BBQ Competitions”.  This was at Berlin Raceway in Marne, MI. The Outdoor Cook was only a couple years old. I was new to BBQ competitions. Didn’t know much about nothing.

Anyway, I was cooking on two Big Green Eggs and one Hasty Bake. This big dude came walking by. Stopped. Shook his head sadly. “I don’t like those eggs at all. The Hasty Bake is cool, but those eggs….” He walked off shaking his head.

Well, that was my introduction to Ray Lampe. I met him another couple of times. Exchanged a few e-mails. But that was my first impression. An “egg-hater”. I was to find out that “egg-haters” were many. For some reason egg-heads were an early scourge of BBQ competition. Don’t know why. Eggs cooked great. Looked weird. Cooked great. But green ceramic cookers were different looking for sure.

Flash forward a many years and I start reading about a new egg-head “in-town”: Ray Lampe, aka Dr. BBQ! Ray had become a spokesperson, egg-vocate, egg-vangalist, and egg-lightened BBQer.

Without a doubt, Ray is one of the hardest working  (and most talented) BBQers in America. He travels the country. Competes, writes books, teaches BBQ and still does some catering I think. But I get real kick out of his love for the Egg…

I have a good friend, Julie Applegate (aka Mrs. Dog).

Julie cooked with Ray at the American Royal last year and said she had a great time. Julie is one of the original egg-heads in Michigan. In fact, I think I sold more Eggs from Julie’s referrals than anyone else.

Anyway, it might not be interesting to anyone else, but life makes me laugh. You just never know. Egg-hater one day. Egg-head the next.  What’s next?  World peace?

Grilladelic: Making the world a better place one tender brisket at a time.

ps.  Ray won the Michigan competition that year.  I believed he was using a modified pellet pooper and Moe Pritchett’s Down Home BBQ Sauce! Now, Big Moe is another story (and another legendary BBQer whom I have known for many years!)