PUHI — The annual Chili Cook-Off is not until tomorrow, Saturday, July 23, at Kukui Grove Center, but earlier this week students from two of the Kaua‘i Community College culinary-arts programs were busy preparing for the annual showdown. “The deadline
PUHI — The annual Chili Cook-Off is not until tomorrow, Saturday, July 23, at Kukui Grove Center, but earlier this week students from two of the Kaua‘i Community College culinary-arts programs were busy preparing for the annual showdown.
“The deadline for teams to enter (was) Wednesday,” said Jamelyn Padre, one of the chili cooks. “But, I think teams can enter all the way up to the end.”
The KCC culinary-arts department leaders are entering two teams made up of six students total.
On Monday, the students were busy assembling materials in preparation for their actually cooking, which will “probably take place Friday (today, Friday, July 22).
“And, I think Nikki (Lucidarme) is also going to enter two chilis,” said Laurie Suganuma, a team member. “I think she might be doing a vegetarian, and one Puerto-Rican style, but we still have to figure out a name for it.”
Lucidarme, who was busy on one of the department’s computers, said, “Yeah, I’m going to try something different. One is going to use roasted vegetables, and the other is going to have Puerto Rico spices among other things. Gotta be different, yeah?”
The students said the Chili Cook-Off will take place at Kukui Grove Center this Saturday, July 23, in the food-court area.
Although they said their schedule calls for them to be there from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m., Suganuma noted that the judging will take place at 10 a.m., and chili aficionados could probably start enjoying the sampling portion of the event from then.
“I think that’s how it went last year,” she said.
Tickets for the event are available at $1 per sample, and will be available at the Cook-Off. “That’s pretty reasonable,” the students noted. “A sample (size) is pretty good.”
For more information, or to register a team for this popular event, people may contact Richard Cariaga at 639-9885.
The event is a fund-raiser for the American Culinary Federation Kaua‘i chapter, to fund scholarships for high-school and college students majoring in culinary arts.
