European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 10, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                41 spoonfuls of Chil judging the by Sarah Bottorff staff writer Eorge Anderson was a very reassuring fellow a if you can get reassured by a Guy with a big waxed Mustache who goes by the. Name of Buzzard breath. But i Felt better when . Told me not to worry about being a Chili Cook off judge. You Don t have to be some great cooking expert he said. You know a Good Chili when you taste it he said time after time in Chili  kinds of different judges with a i kinds of credentials pick the same chilis As the top winners. Well you could t have less credentials than mine. My main qualification for being in Baum older West Germany last saturday for the Usa eur Chili Cook off was that i raised my hand when the Guy at the desk across from mine at work said a who wants my invitation to judge a Chili Cook off Quot and there i was facing 41 spoonfuls of Chili produced in the hot Baum older Sun by teams of sweating Chili slaves All hoping to be picked the Winner for a free trip to the Worl Tchili Cook off in the High desert in Southern California. One team Leader told me head spent $175 just on fixings and entry fees alone to get to Baum older. The Winner from last year a mess Cook from Augsburg named Kevin Wilson made no Bones about wanting to go to California this year again. A it s Nice to be a Winner Quot he said. Quot sure i want to go  he added a there s Money in Chili. Whole Bunches of  As it turned out though Buzzard breath the organizer of the thing was right. It was real Clear to All of us judges what was a Good Chili and what was t. The three top teams m True no Beans and Maverick Beans Chili won by landslides. But that was a while later. We judges had a Bunch to do before we got to the tasting including judging the teams. In a separate contest for originality of Booth and team spirit. So Down the rows we went a clump of judges with Blue forms to fill out. With the chief judge asking teams about their spirit. Quot do you have a team song or a poem Quot he asked a fellow from the Quot Texas Chain saw massacre Chi i team Quot who was brandishing a Chain saw at him. Next door were the Quot tee d off Quot Chili makers who played through the tents when they weren t stirring Chili up on a Hill was a team i did t even know was a team Guys with Long fake beards who d made a tent lock like a tumbledown Hiti Bly Shack. I thought they were some kind of Fairground attraction but it turned out they were cooking Chili in the tent in Between whooping and carrying on. Most of the teams though were just cooking. Quot i believe in Fine ingredients Quot said Randal Johnson a tuba player from the 33rd army band and chorus in Schwetz Gen As he poured a six pack of Coors into his Chili. Quot and i believe in  that meant he Wasny to making a Quot True Quot Chili and Wasny to eligible for the world Chili Cook off. Quot Well Okay so i can to go to Rosamond Quot he said. Everyone was talking about the Guy last year who used armadillo and Goat meat. This year Toby Bisso apparently was the Only one using Goat a no armadillo anywhere. Bisso a specialist from Bamberg did t panic when his entire team was sent to the Field at the last minute. He recruited Pam Castle and friends from the nearby campgrounds to help Cook. Mostly though he was worried about the herbs. Quot i got third place last year and i think it was the Rosemary Quot he said Quot so no More italian spices. I went with oregano this  by this time the Sun was pouring Down. A deejay was set up in a tent playing country music and people were a doing that Point your toe dance that s so hard to do. Cooks were sweating arguments were breaking out Over numbers of Chili peppers. It seemed a Long time to dinner so i did what i usually do when i come to a new town i went to Check out the pm. When i got Back a couple of hours later i Learned i d missed the or Chili Pepper contest one of the contestants did a strip tease. One of the bearded Fellows from the hillbilly tent won. With his clothes on. Everywhere you locked Cooks were stirring their chilis with worried locks on their faces. Bob Crane a lieutenant colonel who d driven All the Way from Vicenza Italy to stuff compete wanted some lips on what the judges were instructed to look for in a Good Chili. Red color i said As Crane looked dubiously Down in his pot. A texture that Means it slides right off your cooking spoon i said and Crane looked even More worried. He was t cooking with a spoon. Inconsistent Gristle i said some Gristle is supposed to be Good As Long As the chilis not consistently grisly a Hue and cry went up at the tables around me a inconsistent Gristle Quot a woman cried As everyone looked in their pots. Crane found some Gristle and tenderly dropped it into the judging bowl finally it was time to judge. We lined up around two tables loaded with judging bowls of Chili numbered with no indication of what team they wore from. There were bowls of grapes too and celery and Lemon to Clear he palate or whatever. And bottles of Wator a Only one per judge most of us found out too late. So round we went with spoons writing comments on our forms As we went through. There was an explosion of Wrath just As i wrote Down Quot forget the Curry Quot on my notes for the no. 6 bowl. A Cook just on the other Side of the judging area had somehow figured out which number he was and asked to read my comments As i went by. Quot Curry who puts Curry in Chili who fumed. Quot he a stressed Quot soothed another team member. Quot you should have said cinnamon. That a what he puts in  finally it was Over. The judges headed for the drink tent and various dignitaries got up to announce the winners Patrick Diamond Gol first place in the Maverick Chili Barbara Price came in second and the Chain saw folks came in third. Bisso had gotten rid of last year s Rosemary for this year s oregano and to came in third again in the True Chili category. A Weil you re consistent Quot Buzzard breath comforted him. Bob Crane and his carefully selected piece of Gristle came in second. And first for the second year in a Row was Kevin Wilson. A two two two in a row1&Quot he shouted All Over the tent. Not a gentle Winner. At the judges stand a member of the losing tee d off team was living up to his name and Buzzard breath s wife Starr was trying to explain to him that the judging methods were not a throwback to hitlers Germany. The disappointed fellow with the cinnamon Chili was packed up and gone in a minute but a lot of the rest of them seemed to be settling m Tor a night at the Campground. I told Buzzard breath i d had a great time and he said next year i d have to come Back and Cook in the contest. Sure anyone know of a Good armadillo supplier7 Friday August 10, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 13