Vermont Community Media Blog

'Chiligate' probe widens; scandal spreads to GM's office

By Rupie Murdocks
The Astonished Press
Amid accusations of cheating, the outcome of the 2009 Times Argus-Rutland Herald Chili Challenge has been thrown into doubt, and an investigation by the Astonished Press has revealed possible tampering and vote fixing.
A sample of chili entries sent to the State Police crime lab for testing  cast doubts on the origins of some of the meat used in competition.
"We believe at this time that some of the meat may have been what is commonly referred to as 'road kill,'" said Sgt. Joe Bland of the State Police. "Beyond that, I can't comment on an ongoing investigation."
He would not confirm which of the chili entries had come under suspicion, but anonymous sources within the department reported seeing 'skunk' and 'squirrel' on internal crime reports.
"I was cheated," said General Manager Catherine Nelson at stand up meetings on Wednesday and Thursday. She claims her chili was left unattended during the first round of competition, allowing for the possibility of tampering with the entry. But the Astonished Press' investigation into photos posted outside Nelson's office in Barre and in the advertising department in Rutland show she may have manipulated the voting.
In the photos in question, Publisher R. John Mitchell is handing a fistful of cash to some members of the advertising department, including Marketing Consultant Chris Hoffman, who was one of the judges in Rutland. The source of the cash? GM Nelson.
Hoffman referred all questions to his supervisor, Peter Colomb, who said, "hey, we're in the business of making money here!"
Nelson claims the money was part of a sales incentive reward, and has no connection whatsoever to the Chili Challenge.
"This is ridiculous," she said. "One has nothing to do with the other."
But voting was close at both locations - in Rutland the champion was decided by one vote, making Hoffman the possible swing vote, and the finals were also decided by one vote.
Both-zone champion Thatcher Moats had this to say: "My chili was the best, hands down. I don't know about any vote fixing, but you can't beat my chili - just try it. See you in 2010. Besides, I already spent my prize money on a Snickers Bar."
Rutland People's Choice Champion Dennis Jensen issued a statement through his publicist Darren Marcy saying, "I knew it all along. We all know what went down on that day, and I can take comfort in the fact that I was the people's choice. And hey, skunk's not too bad, right?"

'Badly Beaten': I'm moving to cupcakes

Letter to the Editor

It is not often that I feel compelled to write to such distinguished news gathering organization as the Astonished Press.

As evidenced by my early silence, I wasn't prone to talkin smack. I was certain my Chilli could handle itself in a street fight.

But now thanks to your exhaustive investigation you've confirmed my suspicion of conspiracy and skullduggery.

As a fellow "People's Choice Winner" I must retell the tale of a judge who, not surprisingly, manages the department of the winner in the Barre semi-final.

While the results were being tallied, the judge mistakenly left a ballot in the envelope.

Living in Florida for such a long time it was a painful reminder, the equivalent of a "hanging chad".

This was a crucial and questionable error. I was doomed.

Quickly I brought the miscount to her attention and the vote was re-tallied, all to no avail as one of her own walked away with the bragging rights.

Will we ever again compete under the standards of honesty and fair play ?

I have decided to give up the Chilli game and start a new career in cupcakes.

Signed,

Badly Beaten in Barre

'Chiligate' Probe confirmed

The Astonished Press
Reports that a special prosecutor will be named to probe the results of Monday’s “Chili Throwdown” were confirmed Tuesday by contestant Dennis Jensen.
Jensen is challenging the results which named Jody Allen as the recipient of the “best chili” award. Jensen, meanwhile, was named the “People’s Choice” winner by the rank, file and hungry staff at the Herald.
Albert J. Marro, who was not in the office on Monday and therefore, was above all the controversy surrounding the judging, said that it is his belief that a great disservice was rendered.
“You were robbed,” he was quoted as telling Jensen on Tuesday. “I heard the fix was in.”
There were other concerns raised, as well.
Bob Fredette said Monday’s judging reminded him of the elections at Deadwood, back in the 1800s when George Hearst came in and rigged the election.
“I hope you used some pork in that recipe because you got porked,” Fredette said. “I’m surprised you’re walking upright,”
Fredette also took aim at the lack of competition, despite the fact that so many people were sounding off, just days before the contest.
“All of this was so lame. What an outrage. All of this smack-talk and then four people show up,” he said.
But Fredette again returned to his view that Jensen was the victim of a judging scam.
 “I heard that the deer Dennis put in the chili rose from the dead this morning and said, ‘who’s on the take?’ and then died again.”
Gordon Dritschilo, whose reasons for suddenly dropping out of the competition remained as murky as his recipe for Guinness and lamb stew, said he had serious reservations about how the contest was conducted.
“I did attempt to monitor the contest from a secure, undisclosed location and my contacts, who cannot be named for their own safety, have raised a number of very serious allegations concerning the contest,” he said.
“I don’t know who Jody Allen is, but the People’s Champion remains my target.”
Darren Marcy, Jensen’s unpaid publicist, said in a prepared statement that he believed that the judges weren’t qualified to judge a dog food commercial.
 “The judges must have been a bunch of city-folk, biased toward preserved and processed meats because it's clear they didn't appreciate a great venison chili. Just look at the Peoples' Choice award for proof that the judges were obviously overcome by fumes from the other entries and didn't recognize good chili when they tasted it,” he said.
Jensen refused to comment on the specific allegations, but did say that he was gratified by the vote of confidence from the people who, in his words, really matter.
“The people have spoken. What do a bunch of so-called judges know, when it comes to real Vermont chili? I could rest on my laurels by being the People’s Champ, but I must defend my chili reputation by challenging this questionable decision by the judges,” he said.
“The court of public opinion has already sided with me,” he said. “But I’m taking this even further. There’s a chill in the air, the chill of scandal and deceit, the chill of a chili contest that was skewered by corruption and shame. I could go on, but I think you get the chilly message. I’ll see all of you in court.”
(Dick Cheney of the Hearst Press Syndicate contribute to this report)

Ron Craig's Road Kill (optional) Chili

Here is the list of ingredients:
Hamburg
kidney beans
black beans
lots of onions, chopped
lots of crushed tomatoes
tomato paste to taste
pepper
chili powder
garlic powder
oregano
splash of Worcestershire Sauce
1 medium hot cherry pepper

Optional ingredients:
interesting looking things in the refrigerator
tequila with worm
parts of carcasses off of Rte. 2

"Most Interesting" Award-winning White Chili

White Chicken Chili

Submitted by Deborah Morse

Cook in stoneware or crock with some vegetable or chicken broth after meat has marinated with rub 3-4 hours or overnight. Save pan drippings:

Chicken breasts 8 – 10

Fresh herbs for rub – Thyme, Cilantro, Sage, Garlic Powder, Salt, Pepper, and Cumin

Sauté in olive oil or butter:

Sweet onions – two large, finely chopped, Vidalia if in season

Yellow pepper - one or two, finely chopped (experiment with hotter peppers if preferred)

Make standard rue by adding flour to warm cream or milk and stir to eliminate lumps.

White flour

Cream or milk

Simmer 3 or 4 boxes of vegetable or chicken stock with chicken bouillon cubes, sautéed vegetables and rue. Add pan dripping from chicken. Boil to thicken.

Add: to thicken stock:

Shredded carrots – fine (one bag)

White corn (3 bags frozen or cans minimum)

Garbanzo beans – 2 or 3 cans

Northern White – 2 or 3 cans

Small white beans 2 – 3 cans

Or other …beans of choice, of course

Cooked chicken –  skinned, cubed and/or pulled

Can or two of pureed beans of choice to thicken for desired consistency

Simmer and season to taste with herbs and spices. You can experiment hotter or mild:

Coriander

Chili powder

White pepper

Sea salt

Cumin

Smathers (Canadian) Chili

The following chili recipe was submitted by Randal Smathers of the Rutland Herald:

New Mexico Green

3 med. onion
2 poblano peppers, 1-2 jalapenos, 2 cubanelles, 4 green bells
3 cloves garlic
2-3 stalks celery.
1 tbsp oregano, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp sugar
Chop above, discarding (most of) the chile seeds. Saute gently in plenty of oil.

Boil 2 lb. tomatillos until soft, chop roughly and add to pepper mix.

Meanwhile, brown 1 lb. hot Italian sausage in cast iron skillet and keep the greasy skillet handy.
Dice 2 lb. pork roast, dredge in 1/2 c. flour mixed w/ 1 tbsp. blackening spice (or 2 tsp. cayenne pepper) and brown in the sausage skillet, scraping up any black crusty bits.

Slice sausage, add to pepper mix; add browned pork to mix.

Add 1 bottle dark beer, 1 cup chopped cilantro, 3-4 chopped green onions, 1/2 cup dried or 1 c. fresh parsley & simmer.

Mix 1 tbsp. masa harina in 1/4 cup water, add to chili and cook 10-15 minutes to thicken (corn starch or flour will work).

Season to taste w/ (in order of preference) ground ancho chilis, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and/or chili powder.

Better the next day.

Churchill Chili Recipe

The following chili recipe was submitted by MaryBeth Churchill of the Times Argus:

-----Original Message-----
From: Marybeth Churchill
Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 12:53 PM
To: Terry Smith; Sarah Hubbell
Subject: Chili recipe from MB CHURCHILL

3 Bean Chili 

(first time attempt)

Slow Cooker

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5-6 hours (Low)

                1-2 hours (High)

 

1 can 15 oz. pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 can 15 oz. black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can 15 oz. chili beans in spicy sauce, undrained

1 can 14.5 oz. Diced Tomatoes with Zesty Mild Green Chilies, undrained

1 large green bell pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

½ cup vegetable broth

2 tsp. each ground cumin, coriander, chili powder and minced garlic

 

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker mix well. Cover and cook, until vegs are tender.

 

Serve with crushed tortilla chips, cilantro and shredded cheese.

Moats The Younger takes Times Argus Crown

The Times Argus Challenge went off well, but created technical problems for the Barre office:

From Shawn Stabell:

"The Times Argus is currently unable to take your calls, as Tamyra Ladd's chili has melted the phone lines.
We are pouring milk over the cables and covering them in saltine crackers hoping that will do the trick."

Ladd took the title for Hottest Chili, while Melodie Ashford won the "Most Interesting" award.
Cops and courts reporter Thatcher Moats took home the top prize, setting up an inter-paper showdown this Friday.
The People's Choice Award votes are being tallied - please email Terry Smith with your vote for your favorite chili. We will post recipes here as they become available.

Jody Allen wins Herald Chili Challenge Throwdown

While several judges failed to show - citing concerns over the virus that has been making the rounds in Rutland - the First Annual Chili Throwdown commenced at the Herald at 12 noon, with 4 official entries and two tasting only entries. The chilis ranged from mild to semi-hot, with venison, chicken, pork and beef entries; there was green chili and a white chili entry. When the voting was done, the Circulation Department's own Jody Allen emerged the victor, with NEBJ's Deb Morse taking "Most Interesting" for her white chili entry.
"I'm happy," said Morse about her award, which was tagged early on variously as a "chowder" or "chicken soup". "People just don't seem to appreciate white chili." Morse cooked her chili at her family's deer camp, which is located in the vicinity of Bridgewater Corners and has no heat and limited running water.
Allen, who works the night shift, was unavailable for comment, but had submitted her recipe late last night:

The winning recipe below:

 -----Original Message-----
From:     Jody Allen 
Sent:    Monday, February 16, 2009 2:29 AM
To:    Terry Smith
Subject:    RE: Final chili communication

Terry,

     Hopefully I edited this form properly. My chili started out 3 dancing chiles hot, however may get hotter by competition time. I will make note. It contains hamburger and sweet italian sausage. The recipe follows:

                                                                    Haba Haba Chili

                                                                  

                                                                    Dice
                                                                    1 Large Red Pepper
                                                                    1 Large Green Pepper
                                                                    1 Medium Onion
                                                                    6 Habanero peppers (minus seeds, unless going for suicide hot) add more for more Zing!
                                                                    Saute vegetables in a little oil
                                                                    Add a small container of sun dried tomatoes
                                                                    Remove from stove and place in bowl
                                                                    Sprinkle a generous amount of brown sugar on top. Enough to cover veggies and then mix well.

                                                                   

                                                                    In a skillet
                                                                    2 lbs. Hamburger
                                                                    3 Sweet Italian Sausage Patties
                                                                    Break up patties and mix with burger. Mix well, can have ground together at butchers.
                                                                    Brown meat, drain grease

                                                                    Mix all ingredients together in a crock pot
                                                                    Add a large can of diced tomatoes
                                                                    Add a large can of tomatoe sauce
                                                                    Stir well and cook on low for 3 hours or so

                                                                                                                                     See you later this morning!
                                                                                                                                                 Jody

The Day is Here

 -----Original Message-----
From:     Terry Smith 
Sent:    Friday, February 13, 2009 2:53 PM
To:    Jody Allen
Subject:    Final chili communication

Good afternoon,

I have attached your entry form.  As you can see, there is a place for you to circle the degree of heat your chili has as well as the types of meat (or not) that you have used in your chili.

We would love to have a copy of your chili recipe - if its not a state secret - so that we can put it up on the web for our readers.

Please bring your chili to my office on Monday morning.  If I am not yet in, you can leave it in the hallway - I'll be in by nine.  I'll be sure to take your chili in its crock pot to the tasting room for the morning.  Tasting will begin at noon.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Good luck!

Terry Smith
Executive Assistant
Rutland Herald/Times Argus
802-747-6121 x2130