Long Valley Residents Warm Up With Chili Cook-Off

It’s winter, which means it’s cold outside, sometimes freezing. But sometimes it’s just a bit chili.

And on Saturday, Feb. 5, it was a whole lot of chili at the 11th Annual Chili Cook-Off fundraiser held by the Long Valley Women’s Club at the .

The annual fundraiser benefits the support and emergency services throughout Washington Township. Joyce Kowalak, co-chair of the group and member of the evening club (the women’s club is divided into a morning group and an evening group), was proud to be part of the yearly event. “It’s always a hit,” she said. “We always have a great crowd. I enjoy doing the whole thing. And the money raised comes in and goes right back out [to the emergency services groups].”

This year’s cook-off had 17 entries, and included just about every meat, vegetable and spice you can imagine. All 17 chili concoctions were taste-tested and judged by a panel of four in the categories of spiciest, most original, and best overall.

While a handful of spicy pots were available, one stood out above the rest, and belonged to Steve McLelland, who took the title in that category.

“I sliced up some jalapenos, and re-constituted some habaneros,” McLelland said about the spices he used. “It was actually a little too spicy, and I was afraid some people wouldn’t be able to eat it, so I had to tone it down. But chili isn’t chili without the spice. At that point it’s just marinara sauce.”

In the most creative category, Long Valley resident and returning champion Adrian Gumbersell took home her third title. Gumbersell whipped up her Dragon Chili–which included everything from pork to ginger to root beer, accompanied by wontons and rice.

“I grew up here, so this is a fun event to be part of,” Gumbersell said. “I change [the chili] every year, and just give it a shot. It’s fun.”

Many would assume the winner of best overall taste would be a seasoned chili-making expert. But this year’s competition saw a rookie take home the crown.

Mia Szymienski, this year’s overall winner, admitted this was just the second time she had ever made chili. The first time was a test run prior to the competition that was “judged” by the .

“I’ve never made chili before this,” Szymienski said. “I just began experimenting, and made this pot. On a cold night, I brought it over to the [Washington Township] Police Department, and I knew if I picked it up later and it was still full, it wasn’t any good. When I went back the next morning, the pot was completely empty!"

Szymienski was actually entered into the competition by her husband Rich. “She’s a competitor,” Rich Szymienski said. “I knew with that alone she would do well.”

Each year the fundraiser brings in between $800 and $1,000, according to Kowalak. “We’ve been able to maintain our budget recently,” Kowalak said. “And anything we can get is a plus.”