RIO GRANDE VALLEY REGIONAL CHILI AND SALSA COOK OFF

<body topmargin="0" leftmargin="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" height="100%"> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200" BGCOLOR="#FFCC80" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03c8e8e3.jpg"> <div> <img SRC="03e95810.gif" border="0" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="149" height="129"></div> <div> <img SRC="044b4950.gif" border="0" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="180" height="149"></div> <div> <img SRC="046a4e50.gif" border="0" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="164" height="229"></div> <p><br> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FF9900" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03d00c82dwnjbj.jpg"> <div> <b>RIO GRANDE VALLEY REGIONAL CHILI AND SALSA COOK OFF</b></div> <div> <a HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><u>About Us</u></a></div> <div> <a HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shop for RGV Merchandise"><u>Shop for RGV Merchandise</u></a></div> <div> <a HREF="id58.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="OnLine sign up"><u>On-Line sign up</u></a></div> <div> <a HREF="id59.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mission Statement"><u>Mission Statement</u></a></div> <div> <a HREF="id60.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ICS Rules Regulations"><u>ICS Rules & Regulations</u></a></div> <div> <a HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Prizes"><u>Prizes</u></a></div> <div> <a HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="More Information"><u>More Information</u></a></div> <div> <a HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><u>Contact Us</u></a></div> <div> <a HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photos"><u>Photos</u></a></div> <div> <a HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="world cook off pix"><u>world cook off pix</u></a></div> <div> <a HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BIG TEXAS THANK YOU!"><u>BIG TEXAS THANK YOU!</u></a></div> <div> <a HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Padre Vs South Padre Island"><u>Padre Vs South Padre Island</u></a></div> <p><br> <br> </p> <div> Welcome to the 2nd annual regional chili cook off on beautiful South Padre Island, TX.  Your ICS sanctioned regional cook off will take place on May 1st of 2004.  It will be held in the Isla Blanca Cameron county park on the southwest tip of the island.  In crossing the Queen Isabella Causeway one would turn at the first right turn once on the island and go south to the entrance of the park.  When you pass through the gate stay to the right and go south until the blacktop road turns left.  At this point one continues south or straight ahead into the Dolphin Cove.  About a 1/2 of a block inside the road turns right.  Follow it around to the parking lot.  You are at the cook off!  If you noticed while coming south through the park that there is an RV park off on the left.  It is on the other side of the fenced in area.  </div> <p><br> </p> <div> All you chiliheads that travel to and from cook offs in your RV will be situated across the park road from the cook off.  Call  956-761-5494 for RV reservations.  Ask for parking space on the southwest corner of the park.  Lots numbering in the area of C-359  on Coral Sea Road will have you as close as you can get to the cook off area.  Also to get as closer as there is a holding area for RV's at the Boy Scott camp in the rear of the Dolphin Cove.  This area is used to temporarily park RV's when the park is full.  There is electric but no sewer. </div> <p><br> </p> <div> The park is opened at 6:30 a. m.  Get there as early as possible to avoid the rush and congestion.  Depending on the number of entries we may allow preparation to start before the cooks meeting.  We don't want our contestants to feel that they are rushed.  We have added Chili Verde this year. </div> <p><br> </p> <div> The cooks meeting will be at the stage starting at 9:30 a. m.  Preparation can start immediately after the cooks meeting if it hasn't been started already.  See the<a HREF="http://www.chilicookoff.com/Event/Event_Rules.asp" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.chilicookoff.com/Event/Event_"><u> ICS rules and regulations page</u></a> on this website.  Click on page titled Rules and Regulations.</div> <p><br> </p> <div> People's choice tasting samples WILL NOT be handed out until 1 p. m. At that time serve it up until it is gone!  Be sure you have a canister on your table/booth with your booth number on it.    <b>Do Not</b> hand out samples unless the person requesting the sample puts a ticket into your canister.  This canister will be turned in at 4:30 p. m. for tallying of the tickets.  The canister with the most tickets wins the People's Choice award.  One gallon of chili with beans or pasta in it is the minimum amount of chili required to enter the People's Choice category.  People's Choice chili <b>MUST</b> have beans or pasta in it.  This chili can be brought from home.  All you have to do is warm it up for serving.  All ICS contest chili <b><u>MUST</u></b><u> be cooked on the spot at the cook off site.</u>  However, with the People's Choice chili, if you wish to bring 5 gallons it is your choice. The person serving the longest or the most will get more tickets in their canister.  This increases ones chances to win this award.  Bring as much over a gallon as you wish as the money made from ticket sales for tasting People's Choice chili all goes to our charity "Teach the Children."  The "Teach the Children" charity is solely administered by Clear Channel News Channel 5 out of Weslaco, TX.  Channel 5 will be filming the cook off and interviewing cooks randomly most of the afternoon.  They will edit this film down to a 30 minute program and will show this event throughout the Rio Grande Valley.  All you cooks have on your best chilhead face and your best booth.  You will be on Camera!</div> <p><br> </p> <div> Red Chili cooking starts at 12 noon--with turn in at 3 p. m.---Chili Verde cooking starts at 10 a. m.--with turn in at 1 p. m.</div> <div> Salsa which can be purchased and doctored any way you see fit or made at home and brought to the cook off.  It will be turned in at </div> <div> 11 a. m.</div> <p><br> </p> <div> The announcement of the winners of all categories will be announced between 5:30 p. m. and 6 p. m.  In the meantime enjoy the entertainment and have a beverage of your choice.  You have had a tough day slaving over a stove.  Relax and enjoy the view while listening to the music.</div> <p><br> </p> <div> As the International Chili Society's chief  judge Mr. Fred Wieland always proclaims at all events that he oversees, "If you don't have a good time it's your own damn fault!"</div> <p><br> <br> </p> <div> <a HREF="http://www.allaboutpadre.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.allaboutpadre.com"><u> www.allaboutpadre.com</u></a></div> <p><br> </td> </tr> </table> </body>