Got Chili?

 Food lore is packed with traditions and customs that are (or were) designed to keep people alive and well. Food ways – cultivation, gathering, storing and serving - have purposes that often go beyond the present moment or meal. Created to explain the whys and hows of food as an important ingredient in any and all life passages, food-related traditions are designed to ensure bountiful harvests and protect against the uncontrollable forces of nature (weather, etc.) that could threaten our access to food.

Over time the food ways we find most vibrant in this country are those that have adapted to our melting pot nature. One great example of this is chili. Here is some food lore about this popular dish:

• The spicy origins of chili aren’t contemporary.  Some records note that the earliest arrival of chili can be traced back to 17^th Century stories about the first-ever chili recipe. Written by Sister Mary of Agreda, a nun from Spain, it included venison or antelope meat, onions, tomatoes, and chili peppers.

• An 18^th century folk tale states that chili was created when a group of colonists settled outside of The Alamo in Texas to build churches.  In this newly found village, the women would cook their meat stews, bring them in pots to the center of the village where they continued to cook over a fire. Local residents would stop by to eat the food. The camp-like setting is still a popular way to cook chili today.

• A  wealthy Texan and chili enthusiast discovered that Texas nomads and adventurers created these spicy delicacies on travels to the California gold fields of the 1850’s. Since the life of most gold seekers was hard, they often ate quick, ready to eat meals of ground dried beef, fat, pepper, salt, and chili peppers.

• In the early 20th Century chili restaurants and joints cropped up in the Southwest and then the West.  From there it became a national favorite with creative ingredients.  For example, on the east coast, spaghetti was incorporated into a dish of chili. Shredded cheese, kidney beans and chopped onions became ideal elements for this dish.

Chili has evolved from a quick-to-cook meal choice to a traditional dish that can take hours to prepare. It is now infused with Asian, African and Arabic flavors that suggest the dish has been adapted to suit a broad range of cultures. It is itself now the center of some foodway celebrations.

Chili cook-offs are showing up across the country. Amateur and professional competitions pit creative cook against creative cook, each with a personal approach to this one pot meal.

In two months, the adaptable quality of chili will make history again. That’s when the Rohnert Park 4th Annual Chili ‘N Wheels takes pace on September 8 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

If you're in the neighborhood and want to show off your chili style, you can enter the competition OR you can check out what other people do with this rustic dish. In any case you and everyone else wins because this FREE ENTRY event is a benefit for Fence at The Top, an afterschool mentoring program for at risk youth. All booth rental fees go directly there.

Hope to see you there!

Chili 'N Wheels: Community Folk Festival

When people think of folk festivals, they generally think about 'old time' folk music, arts and crafts, and foods. They think about way back when... not here and now.

The upcoming 2011 Chili N' Wheels Fall Classic - held September 10, 10-4, is all about chili and pre-1975 classic cars.

Here are some details:

Presented by Fat Dogg Productions and Rohnert Park Business Community

Highlights include FREE admission, chili, and family entertainment, including a demonstration by the Rancho Cotate High School Marching Band. Other activities include cooking awards, car trophies, and beer garden. Plus:

• 50+ booths of chili to sample.
• Appearances by former National Football League Players including Honor Jackson.
• Automotive Alley sponsored by RPM Automotive: 75 car will be on display including foreign car, custom car and American classic.
• Chili judges: Heidi West (Heidi West Catering), Mayor Gina Belforte (Rohnert Park), David Templeton (North Bay Theatre Critic and Playwright), Angela Hart (Editor: Rohnert Park Patch.com), and Letitia Turner Hanke-Ryzhkov (President: North Bay Black Chamber of Commerce).
• Event sections include Entertainment Alley, Automotive Alley, The Beer Garden and more.

This is a benefit for Fence at the Top, a non-profit dedicated to providing mentoring services to at risk youth.

555 Rohnert Park Expressway, Rohnert Park, CA