The 25th annual St. Jude Chili Cook-Off is right around the corner and cooks from across the nation are making plans to attend.
Minden has again been designated as the site for the 2016 Louisiana State Championship. The championship not only draw more cooks, but the first three Louisiana cooks that place automatically qualify for the World Championships in Terlingua, Texas during the first weekend of November.
Minden Medical Center cook-off organizers, back from left, Sarah Carter, Maria Gildon, Kelly Paul, middle row, Jennifer Spurlock, April Cassidy, Janet Crawford and George French, front row, Joe Adams, Jim WIlliams and Wendy McCall get ready to deliver good food, a great time and a fundraising opportunity. In 2015, $8,517 from the cook-off was donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Bruce Franklin/Press-Herald
Sponsored by Chili Appreciation Society International and hosted by its members, the annual cook-off will be Saturday, Feb. 6, at the Minden Civic Center in conjunction with the annual Minden St. Jude Auction. A People’s Choice Competition will be included again this year.
The public will be able to taste world class chili while enjoying live music by the Bayou Magic band.
In 2015, four former world champs joined to help out with the cook-off. Eighty-three cooks participated and almost 600 tasting cups were sold. The chili cook-off raised $8,517 of the $1,319,630 raised for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by the auction. For their efforts, Minden was recognized as a “Million Dollar City,” cook-off chairman, George E. French III said.
A “Local Cooks” competition will once again take place. Interested local cooks and seasoned competitors who are interested in participating can contact French at 371-5601 for more information.
The 2016 cook-off will be preceded by a fajita supper for chili cooks.
Individuals interested in judging the chili should contact Mary Winget at 371-5605 or email [email protected] A limited number of seats are left and will be filled on a first come, first served basis, cook-off officials said.