The Clarkstown Education Foundation hosted its sixth annual Chili Festival Saturday night at Felix Festa Middle School in West Nyack.
The foundation is a non-profit that raises money for students in the Clarkstown Central School District that go toward educational enhancements. This year about 470 people attended the event, according to Barry Robins, president of the foundation.
Ten vendors competed in the chili competition, with attendees voting for Best Taste, Hottest Chili and Best Table Display. The vendors were:
- Rockland BOCES Culinary Arts School
- Jordan’s Hot-cha WAA-cha Sauces
- Chefs2Be
- Clarkstown High School South cooking students
- Clarkstown High School North cooking students
- Union Restaurant, of Haverstraw
- American Burrito, of New City
- Doyler & Dunneys, of New City
- Club House Bar and Grill, of New City
- Emmett’s Castle at Blue Hill, of Pearl River
The Club House won for Best Taste, American Burrito won Hottest Chili and Jordan’s Hot-cha WAA-cha Sauces won Best Table Display.
This was the first time in the festival’s history that the North and South students were invited to compete. South culinary arts teacher Patricia Donaldson said she had her students submit recipes and they spent a day trying them all and voting on which they liked best, and used that one at the competition.
“We made it in the cafeteria kitchen at school,” Donaldson said. “It was really good for the students to see large quantity food production in such a large kitchen.”
North senior Tiffany Vasquez said her group looked up a bunch of different chili recipes and ultimately decided on the one to use because it contained bacon.
