With the extremely cold winter weather of late, nothing is better than a nice hot bowl of chili. Since 2019, a Church Community Chili Cook-Off has been held at various locations in Craig County. This year, the 7th annual cook-off will be held on Feb. 22, from 5-7 p.m., at the Grace Baptist Church.
The purpose of the cook-off is to have area church members joyously commune together in the spirit of friendly competition and of course, great chili. There is no cost to participate in the cooking and tasting (voting). The popularity of the cook-off has grown considerably since it began seven years ago and so has the varieties of chilis. Originally organized by New Castle Methodist Church, the cook-off location has changed many times. This year’s organizer, Rich Martindell of Craig Valley Baptist Church, credits the generous help of those volunteers behind the scenes. “It’s a fairly simple event to organize.” Martindell said. “All I do is provide a schedule of tasks and the various church members run with it.”
Deciding on a place to hold the event and the date is the first task. This year the event will take place at Grace Baptist Church, located at 159 Old Railroad Ave. (SR696), New Castle, VA, near the Field of Dreams sports fields. “Grace Baptist has been an excellent venue for the event over the years. Thay have a large facility and organize great music during the event. Their members have always been very generous and accommodating.”
The cook-off will have all types of accoutrements that go with chili. Additionally, there will be hotdogs available. “We realize that not everyone likes chili and some families attending have kids that may just want a hotdog.” Martindell continued. “Of course, there will be a huge desert table and various drinks available, all for no charge. It’s a great way to have a meal and rub elbows with the different church’s members in our community”
At the conclusion of the tasting, the top three chilis will be announced and those chefs receive trophies. The winning chili cook will have his name and the name of church he or she is from engraved on a large trophy. That trophy will be presented to the winning church, to reside there until the next chili cook-off.
Craig Valley Baptist Church has sent informational flyers to the many churches in the area inviting them to participate. They ask for participants to RSVP for planning purposes. So, whether you participate as a chef, or just want to try some great chili, bring your family and your appetite for this year’s event.
-The New Castle Record
