Sandra Baker, left, and Linda Graham-Greek count the votes at a chili cook-off Sunday, Jan. 28, at Sons & Daughters of Italy in downtown Butler. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/28/24)
Kyle Prudhomme
Winner picks VOICe as charity recipient
Karen Grady has made “white chicken chili” for years based on a recipe given to her by a friend, having previously served it to more than 100 people at a time while her husband was stationed in Korea with the military. She tweaks the recipe almost every time she makes the dish, and even tweaked it while making it the night before her first entry into a chili cook off.
So when her entry — the only white sauce and chicken recipe in the cook off — earned her first prize at the Sons & Daughters of Italy’s first ever chili cook off Sunday afternoon, Jan. 28, she was a bit surprised.
“I just do white chili because it’s different,” said Grady, of Center Township. “Now I’m going to have to do the chili cook-off circuit.”
Grady’s chili was one of five entries in the Sons & Daughters of Italy’s first ever chili cook-off on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 28. Her chili earned the most votes, so the $260 raised from the event’s vote ticket sales went to the Victim Outreach Intervention Center (VOICe), which was the charity of her choosing.
Sandra Baker, an employee at the Sons & Daughters of Italy, said the chili cook-off was a simple idea for the organization to have a weekend event that would raise some money for charity. It also helped give visitors a taste of something different from the usual food at the lodge and bar.
“We’re hoping to make it happen every year,” Baker said. “We already offer Italian food so often, so this was a way we could have something else.”
Baker herself entered a slow cooker full of chili into the running, which had some Buffalo sauce thrown into the mix to give it some kick. The chili cook-off runner-up was Kelly Huff, of Butler, and the third place winner was DJ Paserba, of Butler. Only Grady’s charity of choice would receive the proceeds from the event, however.
“There really wasn’t a bad chili here,” Huff said.
Peggy McKinney, of Cowansville, traveled to the Sons & Daughters of Italy on Sunday specifically to try the chilis. She said she and her friend, Dona Flowers, of Saxonburg, are “foodies.”
“This is the first time we’ve ever been here,” McKinney said, of the Sons & Daughters of Italy lodge. “We’re always looking for something to do.”
Flowers gave all her votes to Grady and her chili, alongside McKinney who did the same. They both said its taste was one-of-a-kind.
“It’s really good and just really unique,” Flowers said.
Grady said she may enter her chili into more competitions around town now that it has proven to be a fan favorite. Although other chili cook-offs she has been to have a lot more competition, Grady said she thinks her white chicken chili could still have a chance at winning.
“They have like 20 chilis, how can you decide which one you like best?” Grady said. “But none of them were white chicken chili.”
Karen Grady, of Center Township, holds up her first-place medal after winning the chili cook-off Sunday, Jan. 28, at Sons & Daughters of Italy in downtown Butler. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/28/24)
Kyle Prudhomme
Linda Graham-Greek, of Butler, tabulates votes at the chili cook-off at Sons & Daughters of Italy Sunday, Jan. 28, in downtown Butler. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/28/24)
Kyle Prudhomme
Chris Undercuffler, of Butler, places his votes during the chili cook-off at Sons & Daughters of Italy Sunday, Jan. 28 in downtown Butler. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/28/24)
Kyle Prudhomme
The medals awarded to winners of the chili cook-off Sunday, Jan. 28, at Sons & Daughters of Italy in downtown Butler. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/28/24)
Kyle Prudhomme
Peggy McKinney, of Center Township, places her votes during the chili cook-off Sunday, Jan. 28, at Sons & Daughters of Italy in downtown Butler. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/28/24)
Kyle Prudhomme
DJ Paserba, of Butler, gestures toward his pot of chili, which took third place in a chili cook-off at the Sons & Daughters of Italy on Sunday, Jan. 28. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/28/24)
Kyle Prudhomme
Michael McDonald, of Butler, enjoys a bowl of chili at a chili cook-off at Sons & Daughters of Italy Sunday, Jan. 28 in downtown Butler. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/28/24)
Kyle Prudhomme
Sandra Baker, the organizer of the Sons & Daughters of Italy chili cookoff, stands by a table of chili submitted for the competition on Sunday, Jan. 28. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/28/24)
Kyle Prudhomme
Donna Flowers, of Saxonburg, takes a peek at chili in a slow cooker during a chili cook-off Sunday, Jan. 28 at Sons & Daughters of Italy in downtown Butler. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/28/24)
Kyle Prudhomme
Sandra Baker, an employee at the Sons & Daughters of Italy, enjoys a cup of chili during the lodge’s chili cook-off Sunday, Jan. 28 in downtown Butler. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/28/24)
Kyle Prudhomme
Dennis Greek, of Butler, scoops a cup of chili during a chili cook-off at Sons & Daughters of Italy in downtown Butler on Sunday, Jan. 28. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/28/24)
Kyle Prudhomme
A chili eater scoops out a bowl during a chili cookoff at Sons & Daughters of Italy in downtown Butler on Sunday, Jan. 28. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/28/24)
Kyle Prudhomme
A ladle covered in chili during the chili cook-off at Sons & Daughters of Italy in downtown Butler on Sunday, Jan. 28. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/28/24)
Kyle Prudhomme
Kelly Huff, of Butler, holds up her second place medal after the chili cook-off at Sons & Daughters of Italy in downtown Butler on Sunday, Jan. 28. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/28/24)
Kyle Prudhomme
From left, Kelly Huff of Butler (second place), Karen Grady of Center Township (first place) and DJ Peserba of Butler (third place) stand for a winners photo following the chili cook-off at Sons & Daughters of Italy in downtown Butler on Sunday, Jan. 28. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle (01/28/24)
Kyle Prudhomme
