Talons will be hosting a Chili Appreciation Society International, Inc. (CASI) sponsored Chili Cookoff this Saturday prior the the basketball double header. The Cookoff will begin at 1:00 pm. and will be at the Super Pit. The Entry fee is $10, which will go to both Talons and Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. Please help us raise money and come see if you make the best Chili around. Unlike other chili competitions, CASI strictly enforces what contents are allowed in the chili. CHILI COOKING RULES A. CHILI COOKED ON SITE -All chili must be cooked from scratch on site the day of the cookoff. All chili must be prepared in the open (no cooking in motorhomes, etc.). 1. CHILI COOKED FROM SCRATCH -"Scratch" is defined as starting with raw meat. No marinating is allowed. Commercial chili powder is permissible, but complete commercial chili mixes ("just add meat" mixes that contain premeasured spices) are NOT permitted. 2. NO FILLERS IN CHILI -Beans, macaroni, rice, hominy, or other similar ingredients are not permitted. 3. SANITATION -Cooks are to prepare and cook chili in as sanitary a manner as possible. a. INSPECTION OF COOKING CONDITIONS -Cooking conditions are subject to inspection by the head judge or his/her designee. (Failure to comply is subject to disqualification.) b. COOKS MAY HAVE TO TASTE THEIR CHILI -At the discretion of the head judge, chili cooks may be required to remove the lids from their chili cups and taste their chili before turning in for judging. (If a contestant refuses, his or her chili will be disqualified.) B. ONE CHILI PER COOK -Each head cook is responsible for preparing one pot of chili that he or she intends to be judged and turning in one judging cup from that pot. No more than one judging sample can be taken from any one pot. C. COOKS MUST SIGN NUMBER SLIPS -Chili cooks must sign their secret ticket slips in ink with their first and last names at the time cups are issued. A cook will not be eligible to win (place in the top 10), if their secret ticket is unsigned when presented. NOTE: Cooks must present their signed secret ticket to win. D. PROTECT THE JUDGING CUP -Once judging cups have been issued, each head cook is responsible for his or her judging cup. Cooks must not remove or tamper with the ticket on the outside of the cups. Any marked or altered cup must be replaced prior to turn-in or it will be disqualified. E. FILLING CUPS -Cups will be filled ¾ full or to the level designated at sign-in or the cooks' meeting. * each chili will be judged on its own merits and on the following criteria: aroma, color, consistency, taste, aftertaste Look forward to seeing you out there. Go Mean Green!