The Great 2022 Chili Cookoff begins
Oct. 5—GREENSBURG — Greensburg Fire Department shifts A, B and C recently squared off against Greensburg Police Department shifts A and B along with Assistant Investigations during "The Great 2022 Chili Cookoff."
The winners of the event, the best GFD Chili and the best GPD chili, will then go toe to toe publicly at the last Night's Out event on Ryle Center Street in Greensburg.
Each of the six chili recipes competing was served blind, with the chef of each unknown even to the personnel serving. Each sample was scooped into Dixie cups from roasters stationed around the events room at City Hall with crackers, sour cream, cheese and all the usual condiments necessary for fine chili available at each station.
Peanut butter sandwiches, arguably the "most important" chili go-along, were expertly made by Building Commissioner Sarah Hamer, who donated all her ingredients and labor.
And the chili. Oh my!
There was a chicken chili, there were chilies with noodles and without, with beans and without, blond chili, hot chili, mild chili and chilies to cater to just about every taste. The judges (all city employees) were served one of each in styrofoam cups.
Tables were filled with hungry firefighters, famished EMS personnel, starving police, peckish detectives and ravenous city office personnel, and the event room was noisy with friendly laughter for a one-of-a-kind event that served as a nice stress-breaker for otherwise focused civil servants.
All ingredients, the time, labor and accessory items for the event were donated by each shift, making for an event that cost taxpayers nothing.
"This is to bring our employees together, have a fun lunch and kindle camaraderie," said City Hall Communication Director Kristen Williams.
The two winners will be served at the final Greensburg Night's Out event scheduled for October 20 in Ryle Addition and the recipe for the winning chili may be run in the Daily News unless the chef of chefs involved prefer to keep it a secret.
"It will be on the center road in Ryle, but there will be so much going on during that event that it might take up the whole addition," Fire Chief Stoermer said.
Contact Bill Rethlake at 812-651-0876 or email bill.rethlake@greensburgdailynews.com
