# ANYBODY IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY MD (or if you don't mind driving)



## big twig (Aug 17, 2012)

I am competing in the MD State Chili Cookoff (8/18/12) being held at the Hard Times Cafe in Germantown, MD. This is an ICS event and I am trying to defend my peoples choice title from last year (also trying to take 1st place red 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






). If you are in the area and want to support a fellow SMF member, come on by. Tasting starts at 1pm announcements probably around 5-6pm.

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Hard Times Cafe[/font]

13032 Middlebrook Road

Germantown, MD 20874

(240) 686-0150

Thanks for the support!


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## daveomak (Aug 17, 2012)

Twig..... I can't get there in 24 hours....  I'll be rootin' for ya.....   Like a hog after truffles I will.....  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  ......


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## big twig (Aug 17, 2012)

Thanks Dave! I probably should've posted this with more then a days notice


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## pat ferrante (Aug 17, 2012)

i was actually just down germantown last saturday for my cousins wedding...to bad it wasnt last week...all my family lives in germantown,gathersburg,fredrick and Monrovia


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## chef jimmyj (Aug 18, 2012)

Can't make it down but will be Pumpin' the GOOD LUCK vibes South!...Take 'em out and don't forget to take some pics...JJ


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## mdboatbum (Aug 18, 2012)

Crap, I just saw this!! Don't think I can make it over to Germantown today but GOOD LUCK!!!


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## big twig (Aug 20, 2012)

Thanks for the well wishes everyone! I probably should've posted the info earlier to give you anyone that wanted to come a chance but it honestly slipped my mind. Well I did defend my people's choice title from last year but I did worse in the competition chili. I got a bad batch of judges this time (no one liked heat? 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





). I made my chili 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





less hot then last year since you are supposed to appeal to the masses (not everyone can handle as much heat as me) and I didn't even make final table (I did last year). All of the comments said too spicy (this is supposed to be chili, you know made with chili peppers, duh spicy but well rounded in flavor, not boring with no heat at all). The winners cup tasted like the chili you buy from Giant (which is good for store bought but no heat at all). There was a team from Texas that said it tends to be a regional thing, in Texas you better bring the heat but the wimps in my area don't like any (said that for basically the mid-atlantic and north east comps, basically any I would enter, he tasted mine and said I would've placed high or won at Terlingua, definitely a Texas style chili, funny cause the category is called Texas Red, OK kind of bitter). Either way had a blast with my fellow competitors 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	









 Lots of drinking, joking and story telling (this event is more of a cooks competition then anything). My wife was furious I didn't place high since she said it was probably the best pot I have made for competition, and doesn't want me to compete anymore. I didn't take it as hard because I knew right away it was just a bad batch of judges. Now I have to work on a wimpy version of chili for any MD competitions I enter (if I do any more here, hoping to move out of the area). I gave my wife the camera before we got there, checked it today and low and behold, she didn't take one picture 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





. Here is what little I took, none of the actual chili of course.

My set up, couldn't find my decorations, etc. realized I put it in the storage unit (great place for it)

(my grandmother, youngest brother & his wife and my wife in the Redskins jersey)













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My buddies, Trailer Trash Chili out of Harrisburg, PA













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Me on the left and one of the team members from ASSh Burn chili out of Ashburn, VA













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Last years on right, this years on the left, hey at least it is bigger!













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Since the Redskins had a preseason game later that night I went home after a long day of cooking to unwind (in my case that means cook again) so I fired up the trusty Mini that has me smoking at least 3-4 times a week now 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





. Did I mention this is such an awesome little bugger. (If you haven't seen mine before the therm is on the other side)













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Made some Old Bay & Lime Wings (a DMV Favorite) & some regular style Buffalo Wings (I had been injecting buffalo wings for years, so the sauce is on the inside and it looks like a regular wing on the outside but I cooked all day and wasn't in the mood so people had to get messy)













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Old Bay & Lime in Green bowl













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Sat back and watched a little football (37" TV I bring outside on nice days)













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Then I fired up the BGE (My uncle died last year and I got to choose one thing from his house, well I had been eying the egg that never gets used for years and when I was told I could choose one thing that's what i went for. I have had it for maybe a month and a half, only used it 2 times so far, it's a large BGE that was used maybe 8 times max but taken care of poorly)













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Made my famous burgers but I was too tipsy to remember to take any more pictures(very long day).

Thanks for looking!


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## daveomak (Aug 20, 2012)

Twig, Afternoon and CONGRATS on finding a group of judges that hates good food.....   I worked in Md for 3 months on a guvmint project and couldn't find anyone I liked....


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## big twig (Aug 21, 2012)

Thanks Dave. Yeah I have lived on and off in MD for most of my life and only like a small few.


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