By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
The weather was nice and warm for the Caribou Cares about Kids Festival earlier this month, but not a single event was hotter than the Caribou Fire and Ambulance Department’s chili cook-off.
Much of that heat radiated off of Fort Fairfield resident Wade Wright’s chili recipe, which blazed its way through the judges taste buds to be named winner of the Hottest Chili category.
Eight different chefs competed to bring home the gold with their chili recipe.
According to event organizer Danny Raymond, a firefighter and paramedic with the Caribou Fire and Ambulance Department, the chilis ranged from mild to flaming and the judges named Scott Michaud’s moose meat chili the best dish of the cook-off.
A firefighter at the Caribou Fire Department, Michaud’s first-place chili also won his firehouse bragging rights the honor of housing the Traveling Fire Department Trophy, which will be up for grabs again during next year’s chili cook-off.
Placing second in the chili contest was Dwane Theriault Sr. of Caribou, followed by Jim Zell of Caribou in third.
Zell, donning a poncho, fake handlebar moustache and a crazy straw hat, placed first place in the Funniest Dressed and Best Decorated Area.
It seemed every chef had a story behind their recipes; Elwood Hersey’s shrimp chili recipe, for example is a two-time winner of chili cook-offs at Disney World in Florida.
He developed his shrimp chili recipe specifically for the Disney cook-off and when his wife, Nancy, gave him the taste-test thumbs up, Elwood knew the recipe was good.
Zell developed his recipe about ten years ago, and it’s the most requested dish he makes.
“Kids love it, but most importantly, my in-laws love it,” he said.
Proceeds from the chili cook-off went to the Caribou’s winning FFA team members, who earned the opportunity to compete in Nationals this year in Indianapolis, IN.
Chefs that competed in this year’s chili cook-off were Michaud, Theriault, Zell, Hersey, Wright, Frank and Micheline Patane, Emma Blacker and Heidi Marshall.
