Chilly outside, chili inside

MILLERTON — The American Legion Hall Post 178 was packed last Sunday with racing fans wearing an abundance of NASCAR memorabilia. They were congregating around a big-screen television and pots of chili to watch this year’s Daytona 500 and vote for their favorite chili.

The occasion was the 6th Annual Chili Cook-off, to raise funds for the Legion’s ladies auxiliary.

Twenty-five chilis simmered in crock-pots from noon on. Die-hard racing fanatics and cooking connoisseurs alike found common ground in the different varieties of spices and ingredients. The hard part, many agreed, was choosing a winner.

“Which one is the best? The last one I tried!� joked Mary Howard.

Dutchess County Clerk Brad Kendall often attends the cook-off, calling it “a great event for the Legion and the community. But,� he joked, “I can’t pick a favorite because I’m an elected official.�

Last year’s big winner was Bob Jenks, who entered this year but didn’t make it to the podium. Instead, the winners were Stephen Zuluaga in third, Allen Acklin in second and a first-time contestant, John Bonhotel, taking home the blue ribbon.

“I’ve gotta come back next year now!� Bonhotel joked.

The three winners were tight-lipped about their winning recipes and ingredients.

“If I told you, then you’d win!� said Acklin, whose recipe took second place last year as well. Both times he’s found success with a recipe from his boss, Tom Flood of Flood Sanitation, whose company provides free service to the Legion after the event to keep costs down.

More than 100 people paid the $10 entrance fee to the event, which bought unlimited chili samples and beverages. Prizes were raffled away from businesses in Millerton, Amenia, Lakeville and Dover, as well as from Cathy and Jim Hosier, who live in North Carolina but donated three boxes full of NASCAR clothing and memorabilia to the cause.

The Cook-off is the largest fundraiser of the year for the ladies auxiliary, which assists the Legion, donates to local food pantries and an auxiliary college fund, and works with veterans’ homes and Girls and Boys State, a program where high-school seniors are chosen to attend camp to learn more about government.

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