Register to Compete!
We have 15 contestant openings available and 3 alternates.
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DEADLINE to register: May 15th, 2024
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Entry Fees are non-refundable.
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CONTEST RULES
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Contestants must pre-register, no walk in entry’s are permitted.
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Contestants must sign in at the registration table upon arrival.
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Chili must be prepared in advance and brought to the competition in a crockpot or other vessel to keep it hot. Contestants need to bring their own serving utensils.
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Contestants should have prepared between 5-8 quarts of chili.
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Contestants must have an ingredients list at their station (recipe not needed) this is for anyone who may have allergies to see the ingredients listed.
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Eating utensils such as bowls, spoons, cups, and napkins will be provided.
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Special condiments or sides are not permitted-this is about the chili after all!
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Each contestant will prepare their chili cup with their assigned number on it for the judges. Runners will collect the entry’s and deliver them to be judged. No identifying details are allowed.
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Judges will be facing away from the chef stations or in a separate area altogether to keep the judging fully anonymous.
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Contestants are responsible for the station clean up.
JUDGING
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Judging will start promptly at 1pm-no late admittance will be allowed.
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Winners will be announced once the judging has commenced around 3:30pm
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3 rounds of judging will occur to determine the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.
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An honorable mention winner will be selected by ticket holders/public.
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Judging is based on TASTE alone.
ROUND 1
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Each judge will sample the 15 chili submissions and rank them on a scale from 1-10 based on the criteria above.
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The top 5 highest points will move on to round 2.
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In the event of a tie, a 4th judge will be asked to sample the tied chili’s and rank them to break the tie.
ROUND 2
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The top 5 chili finalists will be tasted a second time and the top 3 will be chosen.
ROUND 3
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Each judge will rank the top 3 chili finalists.
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Based on the rankings received the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will be determined.
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Honorable Mention winner is chosen by votes/public voting.
Chef's Please fill out the form below to enter.
MEET OUR 2024 JUDGES
Chef Tama Karp, she/her CEC
Bryce Jordan Center
Chef Tama grew up in Reno, NV and spent the early part of her career in the depths of casino kitchens. She worked full-time while working on her culinary degree at the
local community college. After graduating, working around the Tahoe Basin for a while, and achieving her Certified Sous Chef (CSC) credential from the American Culinary Federation, she bounced over to the East Coast, landing in Boston, and then Raleigh, NC.
She spent several years at NC State, running the Training Table for the Football team, working banquets, and got her Certified Executive Chef credentials, before taking the leap to Penn State. She currently is the Executive Chef of Catering at the Bryce Jordan
Center.
When Chef Tama is not working in the kitchen, she will usually be found baking, volunteering at a local dog shelter, or tabletop gaming.
Chef Zach Lorber, he/him CEC, CSFE, CDM,CFPP
Chef Zach Lorber is the culinary arts instructor at State College Area High School teaching 4 levels of students professional track cooking and baking. Chef Lorber has been at State High for 5 years and absolutely loves the transition from industry. Prior to teaching, Chef Lorber spent 6 1/2 years as the managing chef at Penn State Altoona, several years around central Pennsylvania at Foxdale Village, Lock Haven University, and Bedford Springs Resort, and several years in and around New York City after living the transient chef life and wandering the country working in restaurants, professional sports stadiums, and universities. Originally from Wisconsin, Chef Lorber is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City and will soon complete his master's degree in Workforce Education at Penn State University. Chef Lorber is a certified executive chef with the American Culinary Federation and certified secondary food service educator with the National Restaurant Association's Education Foundation. Chef Lorber lives in Port Matilda with his wife Megan, two sons (Derrick - 16, Juan - 11), and their crazy dog Doug.
Chef David Anderson, he/him CEC, CCA
Chef David Anderson is the son of an army officer and although he was born in Teagu South
Korea due to many moves he considers Salinas, California his hometown. David’s first taste of
cooking was in a junior high home economics class. It wasn’t until after high school that he
started waiting tables and cooking professionally. David enrolled in the Culinary Institute of
America and spent the next two years studying culinary arts, participating in the gastronomy
club, working in local restaurants and completed an externship at Carmel Valley Ranch golf
resort.
Post-Graduation Chef David worked in the Philadelphia area as a Poissonnier (fish cook) at
Passarelle, tournant at Tangerine, lead sauté at Budhakkan and in California as the Executive
Sous Chef at Bittersweet Bistro in Rio Del Mar. Starting in 2002 Chef David started working for
a Bon Appetit Management Company and for the next 13 years worked at Santa Clara
university, University of the Pacific, University of San Francisco, Cicso Systems, The Monterey
Bay Aquarium as well as opened new accounts at Stanford Graduate School of Business, UC
Berkeley International House and Disney Studios. Chef David contributed recipes to two
cookbooks, was the host chef of the 2009 cooking for solutions and has competed (and placed)
with his wife and two daughters in multiple barbecue competitions. Chef David is a member of
the Bread Bakers Guild of America and the American Culinary Federation and has earned the
designations of Certified Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Administrator.
Currently Chef David is the owner and baker of Bellefonte Bread Baker and managing chef of
Redifer dining commons on the Penn State University Park campus.
Throughout his career chef David has cooked for John Cleese, Clint Eastwood, Nancy Palosi
and Rick Bayless. He has also been able to cook alongside famous chefs like Jose Andres,
Bobby Flay and has met Julia Child.
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