Austell Resident Wins Chatt Tech Chili Cook-Off

An Austell resident has what it takes when cooking chili.

Stella Taylor won first place in Chattahoochee Technical College Culinary Arts chili cook-off on Oct. 31.

According to the judges, the Austell student won because of her attention to detail and knife skills and by using fewer ingredients than her competitors and concentrating on perfecting the sirloin tip she used as her protein.

There were no beans or garnishes allowed, as well as a ban on thickening agents. The six students that competed pulled out creative additions from chicken to corn to try and best each other in the competition.

Taylor won by only .25 of a point and walked away with some nice prizes. She was a team of one named Hallowed Be Thy Chili because of the competition's Halloween date. She said she wasn’t sure what competition chili should taste like, and she brought her own cheering section with her mom and her 2-year-old daughter.

The students competed for deluxe knives and tools donated by Mercer Cutlery. Judges fincluded Chattahoochee Technical College instructor Julia LeRoy, maintenance technician Jeremy Spurgeon and Mercer Cutlery Business Development Director John Nunez.

The difference between first and second place was only .25 of a point. Entries were judged based on taste, quantity, color, texture, knife cuts and other elements.

The winners were:

• 1st Place - Hallowed Be Thy Chili - Stella Taylor of Austell
• 2nd Place - Spooky Chili Chix - Regina Bays of Kennesaw and Caroline Colbert of Kennesaw
• 3rd Place - Chuck Wagon Girls Chili - JoAnne Davis of Acworth and Denise Rogers of Canton
• 4th Place - Lone Ranger - Jenny Kiewat of Canton 

For more information on Chattahoochee Technical College, visit www.ChattahoocheeTech.edu or call 770-528-4545.