CLARKSVILLE, Mo. — Linda Blakey is happy to talk about chili all day, but don’t call it a soup or a stew.
“It’s a sauce,” she said. “It’s chili sauce.”
Blakey and her husband, Bill, are overseeing the 28th Annual Show Me Missouri State Chili Cook-Off hosted by Raintree Arts Council.
The event is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at Riverfront Park in Clarksville. Prizes of $1,500 will be awarded and cooks will compete to move on to the world championship Sept. 23-25 in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Admission is $3 and samples are 50 cents each. There will also be vendors, music, raffles, cold beverages and other foods.
“You will get to taste competition chili,” Blakey said. “The cooks are very good about samples. Come and eat and get your belly full.”
Categories are red, verde, homestyle and salsa. Each has its own general guidelines, but homestyle is as close to “anything goes” among the four. Cooks must provide about a quart of competition chili from each category entered. Volunteer judges award points based upon taste, spices and color.
One new addition is the festival’s fire-breathing skeleton logo, which was designed by Blakey’s grandson, Bo Meers, of Lake St. Louis.
Musicians performing this year include Patrick Thayer, Ricky Fournier and The Original Chili Cook-Off Band featuring Jerry Epperson. The Clarksville Julep and the Apple Shed Red drinks will be available.
Sponsoring partners with Raintree are Ameren Missouri, LaCrosse Lumber Company, Pike Rental Center, A & W Communication, Brown’s Auto Body, Cherry’s Bar & Grill, People’s Bank & Trust, Todd Hagemeier, Roy and Judi Bruce, County Market, Three C Ranch, Heartland Restoration, Gibson & Dehn, Rob’s Auto Care & Towing, Boland Chevrolet, Shelter Insurance Tim Jenkins, Family Drug/Bowling Green Pharmacy and Northeast Missouri Title.
Anyone can enter the competition, but an International Chili Society membership is required. More information is available by logging on to www.ics.com and clicking on the “I want to cook” tab. Blakey can answer questions at 573-754-0335.
Blakey says chili is popular because it’s so versatile.
“It’s a good place to put leftovers,” she said. “Your spices help cure things, so it lasts awhile. It can be good with anything.”
Unlike many foods, chili is rarely the same from pot to pot. What’s delightful for some may be odious to others. Blakey noted that competition cooks change recipes based upon how well they’re liked by judges and crowds. Judges’ critiques, regional preferences and even altitude of the venue may lead to substitutions.
“They learn from that and make a better pot of chili,” Blakey said.
Though lists of ingredients sometimes are long, cooks are urged to avoid overthinking. The key?
“Patience and the right chili peppers – and patience,” Blakey said. “It’s relatively simple. It just has to cook for a while.”
After almost three decades at the helm, Blakey and her husband wouldn’t mind turning over the organizational duties.
“I’ll mentor,” she said. “That’s fine. I’d be happy to.”
As for her own chili recipe, Blakey used to laugh if asked for it. These days, she’s less protective.
“I don’t really have a secret,” she said. “Maybe white pepper or maybe garlic salt. I would put them in there, but if you like something else, that’s fine. Do what you want to do.”