CASI Maine State Chili Championship

Recipe Maybe you have grandma’s family recipe, or you need to produce your own recipe. You can research some of the past CASI Terlingua International Championship Cookoff champion’s recipes on the CASI website by clicking on the “Recipe” tab.

CASI Rules CASI has a whole book dedicated to rules for a CASI event; but most of these are administrative rules for the CASI officials and event promoters. There are a few basic rules that a cook must remember:

· You must prepare your chili from scratch, in the open and on site at the cookoff. No marinating and no complete commercial chili mixes allowed.

· Do not use fillers in your chili; such as beans, macaroni, rice, hominy, or other similar ingredients.

· Prepare and cook your chili in as sanitary a manner as possible. You may be asked to taste your chili at turn-in for judging. Your cooking conditions are subject to inspection by a CASI official or local health authorities.

· Prepare one pot of chili only, which you intend to be judged. You cannot cook several pots. No more than one judging sample can be taken from any one pot.

· Cooks must sign their judging cup ticket with full first and last names. Cooks must present their signed ticket to win.

· Once judging cups have been issued, each cook is responsible for their judging cup and cup ticket.

· Fill your judging cup to the level that is prescribed at the cook’s meeting

· Turn in your judging cup with chili at the prescribed time. A late turn in will be disqualified.

You may review the CASI Rule Book by visiting the CASI website and clicking on the “Cookoff Resources” tab and then click on the “Resources to Organize Your CASI cookoff” link.

Arriving at the Cookoff Site:

· Find the person in charge of cook’s sites and park in the designated cook’s parking area

· Find the cook’s registration area and register for the cookoff

· Receive your judging cup and sign the cup ticket in presence of the official at the registration area.

· Set up your cooking area. Most chili cookoffs take place outdoors and cooks must provide their own equipment for cooking. In addition to your meat and cooking ingredients, you will need to bring, at a minimum, the following:

· Canopy

· Ice chest and ice

· Table / Table cloth

· Chair(s)

· Chili pot with lid

· Pot holders

· Coleman type outdoor camp stove / lighter

· Propane fuel cylinder

· Heat diffuser

· Paper towels

· Cooking utensils; long handled spoon, knife, ladle

· Can Opener

· Measuring spoons

· 1 to 3 gallons of water

· Dishpan, dish soap, scrubbers, etc.

· Check for any local health department requirements:

· Any provisions to serve samples to public.

Cooks Meeting At registration ask about when and where the cook’s meeting will take place. At the cook’s meeting the head judge should explain any rules for the day. Cooks will be given the opportunity to ask questions. Please do not be afraid to ask questions.

Chili Turn In / Judging At the designated turn-in time, all cooks will take their chili judging cup to the designated judging area. The Chief Judge will oversee the judging process to include: marking of the judging cups for the CASI blind judging system, instructions for judging process to the judges and tallying of the judge’s scores to determine the winning cup of chili.

CASI has five criteria that the judges are looking at:

Aroma – Red Color – Consistency – Taste – Aftertaste

Judges will judge each cup of chili presented to them on its own merits and will not compare chili. Judges will score each chili from 1-10; 10 being the highest score. At the end of each round, all judge’s sheets at each table will be tallied and the designated number of highest scores will advance to the next round of judging. The final judging table will determine the winning chili for that day. Judging area is open for observation, just be quite.

Announcement of Winners Announcement of winners will be set at a time by the promoter, consistent with any other programmed activities at the event. At announcements a designated CASI official will observe the tickets being removed from each cup of chili and will verify the matching winning cup ticket as each place is announced. Usually there are awards for the top 10 CASI chilis and the top 3 showmanship winners. Announcements will go in reverse order of the winning chilis announced. If you place in the Top 10, be sure and see the designated person to verify your information and have your points entered.

Qualifying for the CASI Terlingua International Chili Championship (TICC) There are two ways that a cook can qualify for TICC. One is winning a designated “automatic qualifier” cookoff; such as a state or regional championship or a CASI Pod qualifying cookoff. Some championships can qualify the top 3-5 winners, based on type of championship and number of cooks cooking that day.

The second method is to gain enough points, required by your state of residence, by placing in CASI cookoffs. Fourth through tenth place receive one point, third receives 2 points, second receives 3 points, and first place chili receives 4 points. Qualified cooks receive an email from CASI inviting them to cook and join the fun at TICC.

CASI Membership Although you do not have to be a member of CASI to participate in local chili cookoffs; you must be a member of CASI to receive an invitation, if qualified, and to compete at TICC. CASI is the major organizational body of the chili competition world; existing to promote chili and serve the needs of chiliheads everywhere and welcomes all chili cooks to become members of CASI. You can join CASI directly on-line by visiting the CASI website and clicking on the “Join/Renew” tab.

Becoming a member of CASI is a way to support the organization’s daily activities of recording cook’s points, advertising cookoffs, publishing the Terlingua Trails and maintaining the CASI website.

There are many benefits of becoming a member of CASI:

· Receive CASI’s monthly publication, Terlingua Trails, either by snail mail or view directly on-line in the “members only” section of the CASI website.

· Receive a password to log in to the “members only” section of the CASI website.

· Review the membership directory

· View your current CASI points

· View “members only” blog

· View additional fun links for “members only”

· View current and past issues of the Terlingua Trails

· Eligible to be elected to the CASI Board of Directors or positions in the local CASI Pods (chapters).

· If qualified, eligible to receive invitation to cook at CASI’s Terlingua International Chili Championship.

CASI Pods / Great Peppers CASI is made up of chiliheads from around the world who belong to local and area CASI chapters called "Pods". Each Pod elects a Great Pepper (president) to represent the pod members at the CASI Annual Great Peppers' Meeting. These Great Peppers, in turn, elect the CASI Board of Directors and Executive Director who operate the organization worldwide. All rules are approved by this group of Pod representatives.

Cookoff Ancillary Events Sometimes there will be additional ancillary cooking categories added by the promoter of the cookoff; such as, beans, salsa, dessert, dip, etc. These ancillary events and their associated rules are controlled by the promoter and are not administered by CASI rules. CASI officials at the cookoff are not responsible for any of the judging rules for these events. If you have a desire to enter any of these ancillary events, please attend the cook’s meeting and ask about the ancillary event rules. The CASI rules also do not regulate the cook’s pot or cook’s calcutta.

ARE YOU READY? What better way to enjoy a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, than to spend it cooking with your new CASI friends. It is not as farfetched or as hard as it may sound.

Last of all – Do not feel bad about asking a question or two, or three, or four, whatever it takes. You will find the CASI family ready to bring in new members and answer your questions.

These are suggestions from cooks that have been successful in the CASI competitive events:

· Attend various cookoffs and observe

· Volunteer to judge the prelim round

· Talk to other CASI chili cooks

· Do not be afraid to try something new

· Listen….Listen…..Listen

· Shake the hand of the winner and learn from them

· Support CASI’s sponsors

· Support the local charities

· Get involved with a local CASI Pod

· Share your knowledge with another new cook

· Oh Yes….HAVE FUN!!!!!!

CASI's Vision Statement: "Making a positive difference in someone's life with every pot of chili cooked."

CASI’s Motto: “Chili, Charity, and Fun”

Just Do It......get going…..Find a Cookoff..…Cook Chili…..Join CASI…..get involved and join in the fun that you have been missing.