The top cuisinier at Fall Festival Chili Cook-Off 2017 was also the winning 2016 chili chef. Holly Stadler has twice been awarded trophies, like a golden chili pot with ladle, for her culinary creativity. Chili tasters tested meals prepared by five culinary artists and then submitted their votes. Some samplers voiced opinion on whether they preferred taste characteristics such as “a more mellow spice”, “real spicy”, or “lots of meat”. The winning chili pot by Stadler was noteworthy for the fact that it was not the common red chili, nor was beef an ingredient. Her white bean and chicken chili was the tasters’ hit. Chili Cook-Off was part of a community event that also included children’s games and projects. It was sponsored by Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church.
