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Safety Expo - Chili Cook-Off
Prior To June 1, 2012 - $120.00
Save $30.00
Safety Expo - Car Show
Prior To June 1, 2012 - $20.00
The Palmdale Sheriff's Station, in cooperation with the Antelope Valley Mall, and the LA County Fire Department will be hosting their annual "Public Safety Expo".
The event showcases both the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Los Angeles County Fire Department's public safety services that they provide to the communities in the Antelope Valley.
The 2012 Safety Expo will also include our first annual Public Car Show. Participants in the Car Show will receive a Sheriff's Booster Challenge Coin for showcasing their vehicle.
Thank you for participating in the Palmdale Safety Expo Chili Cook-Off presented by the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station and the Palmdale Sheriff Boosters. The Palmdale Sheriff Boosters are a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and your entry fee is completely tax deductible (95-4683976).
The entry fee for the Chili Cook-Off prior to June 1, 2012, is $120.00. The entry fee from June 1, 2012, through June 13, 2012, is $150.00. We will not accept entries received after Wednesday, June 13, 2012. Please READ THESE RULES BEFORE ENTERING THIS EVENT. All Chili Cook-Off contestants must complete the Chili Cook-Off Application and sign indicating they have read and agree with the rules.
Please make your check payable to “Palmdale Sheriff Boosters” attention: Chili Cook-Off, and submit your application to the Community Relations section at the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station, 750 East Avenue Q, Palmdale, Ca. 93550. Please direct any questions to Community Relations at 661-272-2400 or at PalmdaleSafetyExpo@gmail.com
The Boosters have partnered with the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station to help raise funds which are earmarked for several charities and to build a memorial at the Palmdale Station for peace officers killed in the line of duty. The City of Palmdale and the Antelope Valley Mall have graciously stepped forward to help us with this event.
If you haven’t been to any of our previous events, you are in for a great time. Teams can begin setting up and cooking as early as 7 am, the morning of the cook-off. The event opens to the public at 10 am. Wristbands for chili tasting will be sold at the event. Just imagine, eating some fantastic chili, while listening to great music, broadcast live by Classic 106.9 FM and checking out some great classic cars and emergency equipment. It is a recipe for a great day!
Your chili entry will be judged by a committee and by the public, based on taste and vote. These rules are designed to be fair to all participants. ALL decisions of the Chili Committee are final.
Judging Categories
There are four judging categories for this event:
Judge’s Choice Award: 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place winners. Plaque is awarded to the top three teams for the best over-all chili from all finalists, according to the judges.
People’s Choice Award: 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place winners. Each event patron will be given three vote tickets to vote on the chili they like most. They can spread out their votes for their favorite tasting chili or they can award them all to one team. The team with the most vote tickets will win.
Best Booth / Most Spirited Booth Award: 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place. Plaque is awarded to the top three teams with the best theme, booth design, decoration, and the most unique and appropriate way costumes support the theme of the booth and for overall presentation of theme, demonstrations, performances, etc., according to the judges.
EVENT PRIZE – IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ!!!
Big Bowl Champion Award: 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place winners. While this event is a contest for the best chili recipe and best of show car show entry, our primary objective is to raise money for the Palmdale Station Memorial and we ask for your help in this endeavor. The Big Bowl Champion Award is given to the top three (3) teams or participants collecting the largest dollar amount for their “fishbowl” or donation jar on their table or at their vehicle (car show contestants will be competing for the same prize). You may begin fundraising prior to the Safety Expo. Ask your friends, family, and coworkers to sponsor your team by making a donation. You can also sell Chili Cook-Off event wristbands in advance and count those funds toward their totals! Just complete the “Advanced Wristband Sales” form and start collecting the money. Tickets are just $6.00 each or two for $10.00. This form can be downloaded from our website at: www.palmdale.lasd.org look under the “Special Events” section for “Safety Expo.”
At approximately 1:40 PM, the judges will stop by each booth and count all the money collected in each team’s fish bowl. The team will receive a receipt for the money collected. Any monies collected through advance wristband sales will also be added to the total. The three top fund raising teams will receive awards.
Lets Get Cooking!
We’re just a few weeks away from the cook-off. Blow the dust off your secret recipe and start telling all your friends to come on out and support this great event! Attached you will find several items, including the contest rules. (Please note these rules look harder than they really are.)
Help Us Promote This Event!
While this event is primarily a exhibition of safety services from throughout the Antelope Valley, the purpose of the chili cook-off and car show are also to raise funds for the Palmdale Station Boosters and their charitable efforts. We need your help in getting the word out to as many people as possible.
Please consider:
- Inviting friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors to this event
- Using email or sites like Facebook to promote this event and your chili team
- Send messages to friends letting them know you have a team entered and they can help you to win by voting for your chili
- Sell Chili Cook-Off wristbands in advance Promote this event by sharing our website: www.palmdale.lasd.org
RULES AND INFORMATION
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: There will be a Pre-Event meeting for chili cook-off contestants at 6:30 AM, by the fountain at the main mall entrance on the morning of the event (Saturday, June 16, 2012). ALL TEAMS MUST HAVE AT LEAST ONE REPRESENTATIVE PRESENT. This meeting will cover basic instruction of how the event will be run and review some basic requirements of the health department.
Each participant should plan on preparing enough chili to serve approximately 300 to 500, one ounce servings (minimum 5 gallons). You may include cheese, crackers, onions, Fritos, or any other addition you feel will compliment your chili. Chili may NOT be made prior to the event unless it has been prepared in a certified food preparation area as approved by the Health Department. We have taken care of all Health Department fees and forms.
YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO SELL ANY FOOD ITEMS! Our agreement with the Health Department allows you to provide samples of your chili for free. In the event you sell ANY food products, you will be considered a food vendor and you will be required to pay the requested application fees, and comply with different food preparation,sanitation and booth standards.
Health Code Requirements For Preparing Chili
The following is a list of rules and regulations approved by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health concerning the Chili Cook-Off. These rules will be strictly enforced by a representative from the Department of Public Health.
ALL Chili Booth Participants are REQUIRED to keep ALL hair restrained. This can be done with a hair net, pony tail braid, ball cap, etc. NO hair can be out of the restraint.
All food is required to be delivered to the booth site pre-packaged. Coolers with ice will be needed to store meat and other refrigerated ingredients. The holding temperature in the ice coolers needs to be at 41 degrees (f) or below. Food must not be stored in direct contact with or submerged in the ice.
POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOODS (all meats, sauces, etc.) must reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees (f) when cooking.
After the chili is fully cooked it must be held at 140 degrees (f) or warmer, to be served. Be sure to keep your chili hot. Each team must have a food thermometer and test the temperature of perishable foods regularly. This food handling practice is necessary because the risk of food borne illness occurs when potentially hazardous food is held in a temperature danger zone between 41 degrees and 140 degrees (f).
Bring 3 separate containers for a dish washing station. One to hold soapy water, the second to hold bleach water for sanitizing cooking utensils and cleaning rags, AND a third container for holding rinse water. This will be where you wash all your utensils, and cooking equipment. Bring a small bottle of non-scented bleach. Only 100ppm of bleach water is needed (approx. 1 capful per gallon).
These containers can be small plastic shoe box containers which can be purchased at any discount or dollar store. The container must be large enough to completely submerge your utensils.
Bring one additional container (total 4 containers) as a hand washing station (you CANNOT use the same container as used for the dish washing station). You will need a pump-type soap dispenser and paper towels. You will need a container to keep WARM water in (100-120 degrees (f)). This can be a.5-20 gallon, Igloo container or Coleman camping shower with a spigot.
Place all hand washing equipment (solar shower, catch basin, soap & paper towels) in your booth area so it is easily accessible to all team members. Restroom sinks are not an acceptable substitute for the hand-wash station in the booth area. Upon returning to the booth, all team members are required to wash their hands at the hand washing station inside the booth area.
Food items not stored in coolers must be stored up off the ground.
No taste testing during preparation of chili with food preparation utensils is permitted.
Containers holding the chili MUST remain covered except when serving.
Teams will keep the booth area clean and free from trash during the event. Teams will be required to clean their areas thoroughly after the event and they will be required to remove their booths at the completion of the event.
Beer or alcohol can only be brought onto the facility by teams FOR COOKING ONLY. NO ALCOHOL MAY BE SOLD OR CONSUMED.
ALL Tobacco use is prohibited in any food preparation or service area.
The names of responsible persons are to be in your booth during all hours of operation.
BOOTH STANDARDS:
The Safety Expo is intended to be a fun family event. With this in mind, we encourage you to set up your booth in a fun and exciting way. Have a theme. Dress up. Have a great time and encourage others to join in the fun at your booth! The only thing we ask is that you remain in good taste and that no outside music be played.
Each booth must display your team name. You name should represent your booth and your chili. Be creative and have fun!
All booths must have a roof. The easiest way to do this is with an “E-Z Up” or other similar type canopy (or you can make something, but be prepared to remove it at the end of the event!): You will be setting up your booth on a pre-designated spot in an asphalt parking lot. You will need weights to hold your canopy down. This is the high desert and it is not uncommon for the wind to kick up. You will NOT be allowed to put stakes in the ground or damage the parking lot with holes. Please plan on bringing water bottles, sand bags, weights, or anything else you think you can use to hold your canopy down, should the wind kick up.
The Health Department would normally require your booth to be fully enclosed and screened. For this event, they have allowed us some leeway. They still require some enclosure and have agreed to allow you to cover just the bottom 3 feet of your booth. This may be done with plastic table cloths (or rolls that you can get at stores like “Michaels”). The primary purpose is to keep stuff or flying things from blowing into your chili or contaminating your food preparation area.
If you are setting up your booth as a theme, your props will work as long as they come up at least 3 feet.
You can plan on your booth area being approximately 12ft. x 12 ft. You must provide a table for serving your chili to the public and/or for preparing your ingredients for cooking. Plastic spoons and small bowls will be provided to the public with the purchase of their wristband, to sample your chili.
Please bring a fish bowl or donation box to collect contributions/donations from the general public. (NOTE: ALL Proceeds from the fish bowl count toward your Big Bowl Champion proceeds.) You may decorate your collection bowl in any manner which you
think will help you collect the most money for the Palmdale Station Peace Officer Memorial.
Each team is responsible for supplying all their own cooking utensils, i.e., Coleman stoves, pots, pans, culinary supplies, safety supplies, water and cooking ingredients to make their own prize winning chili. Please no electric stoves or crock pots, unless you have it hooked up to a battery or solar panel and an electric inverter. No generators, please.
OFFICIAL RULES
1. Each team is requested to prepare a minimum of five (5) gallons of Chili. Ten ounces of chili will be required for judging purposes and the general public will be sampling your chili throughout the event.
2. Chili for judging will be allowed to contain beans but, no extra toppings. Chili samples served to the public may contain beans and any additional toppings on the side such as cheese, onions, etc. Additional toppings such as cheese, onions, etc. must be served by a team member with gloved hands or using appropriate utensils, per the Health Department guidelines. All decisions by the judges are final.
3. Chili for the Cook-Off is defined as any kind of meat or combination of meats, ie: beef, pork, chicken, seafood, etc. cooked with chili pepper seasonings or spices and other assorted ingredients.
4. The number of members per team shall not exceed eight (8) people including the head cook. Regardless of the number of booth spaces, each team is limited to 8 cooks per team.
5. Each team must have an ingredients list on display at their booth clearly visible to the public. We are not looking for the ratios of your secret recipe, just a list of what’s in it. This list must be submitted with your judging samples. The list is necessary for food allergy information.
Judging Criteria
Chili Judging
Each team will be provided 10 cups with your designated team number. Each of these cups will be filled with a one ounce sample of your chili. At 12 pm (High Noon), your head chef will prepare the ten cups, which will be picked up with a copy of your ingredients list for judging. Judges will only be supplied with the team number on the cup. They will not be provided the team name, chef or team participants.
Each cup of chili will judged on five (5) categories to arrive at one whole number. Each of the five categories will be given a score on a scale from zero (lowest) to 10 (highest).
Your chili will be judged based on the following factors:
- Appearance - Chili should look appetizing, reddish brown is generally accepted as good.
- Aroma - Chili should smell good. This also indicates what is in store when you taste it.
- Consistency - Chili must have a good ratio between sauce and meat. It should not be dry, watery, grainy, lumpy, or greasy.
- Taste - Taste, above all else is the most important factor. The taste should consist of the combination of the meat, spices, etc. with no particular ingredient being dominant.
- Aftertaste - The aftertaste or bite is the heat created by the various types of spices and or peppers.
Votes will be tabulated and the highest overall scoring chili’s will be re-tested and scored. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony at approximately 1:45 PM. The top three teams will win awards.
People’s Choice
At approximately 1:40 PM, Judges will come around to each booth. They will tally the total number of tickets collected for each team. The top three teams with the most tickets will win awards.
Booth Judging
Each judge will award 1 to 5 points in each of the following categories:
- Booth - design, theme, banner/signs, logo, setting/decorations
- Costumes - creative, colorful, unique and appropriate to theme
- Showmanship - enthusiasm shown by all team members, performances, and special effects.
The overall setting and decorations of the booth should be colorful, eye catching and should carry off the theme. The theme should be obvious throughout the whole booth.
Banners or signs should include the team name and your theme should be eye catching.
Designs or graphics appropriate to the theme should be displayed on the banner and perhaps elsewhere in the booth and/or on the costumes.
Costumes should be creative, colorful, unique and appropriate to the overall theme. The more team members who are in costume, the better the score will be.
The teams’ (all members) enthusiasm must be present and sustained throughout the day. Performances and special effects are the criteria where teams can be especially creative. This would be something that the team does or has that would not be ordinary and expected – something that really makes the booth stand apart from the rest in the minds of the judges.
SCORING
“0” - Characteristic was not in evidence.
“1” - Minimally present; hardly noticeable
“2” - Present, but not impressive
“3” - Average by comparison to others
“4” - Above average
“5” - Much better than most — exemplary
Big Bowl Champion Award
At approximately 1:40 PM, the judges will stop by each booth and count all the money collected in each team’s fish bowl. The team will receive a receipt for the money collected. Any monies collected through advance wristband sales will also be added to the total. The three top fund raising teams will receive awards.
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