This past weekend was a little chilly.
This coming weekend (there) will be a lot (of) chili.
See what I did there?
We spent last weekend in Baton Rouge with some Florida friends at the Louisiana Book Festival.
This weekend a lot of friends will gather at Chunky Baptist Church for the church’s annual Fall Festival and Chili Cook-off.
Our friends were one of the festival’s featured authors and his wife. We listened to a panel of authors of which he was a part, hung out during a book signing then went to lunch.
No panels or signings to fool around with this coming weekend, though. Saturday, 4-6 p.m., you can just play games (kids up through sixth grade) and eat food.
While we walked around the festival, I bought a cup of Community coffee. When our friends arrived, I bought him a cup of coffee from a different vendor. He was very polite and complimentary to the politician who was proffering the java, but dumped it as soon as he could.
“Whoever washed that coffee pot didn’t rinse out all the soap. This stuff tastes like Dawn dishwashing liquid!”
I bought him another cup from the Community vendor, and all was well.
I wouldn’t worry about any chili cookers and the cleanliness of their pots. Just sample and help somebody win.
If you’re part of CBC and you want to participate in the cook off, let me remind you to talk to Emily Dean, Morgan McClure or Krystal Bailey a.s.a.p., if you haven’t already.
A couple of our friends’ cousins drove 4.5 hours to surprise them at this book event (and they were pleasantly surprised). All six of us had a great time visiting and sharing lunch at a seafood restaurant I had recommended.
The original restaurant is in New Orleans and had some of the best fried oysters I’ve ever eaten. Thankfully, I was the only one who ordered them at the BR location, because they were embarrassing. Tiny nuggets of oysters fried almost beyond recognition, disappointing visually and in taste.
Thank God for fried catfish and alligator to the rescue!
I don’t have any reservations about recommending CBC chilies, though. Sample and savor! And if you have someone in your party who’s not big on chili, hot dogs will be available, too.
Enjoy this cool weather while you can. Eat some hot chili to keep from feeling chilly.
