Hot and spicy times at New Hartford chili cookoff

NEW HARTFORD — The Trinita Family Life Center held a chili cookoff on Saturday, June 18, at its retreat center on 595 Town Hill Road. Eleven teams competed, with names like Phantom Heat, Los Demonios Guapos, Strini’s Secret and Not Smurf, The Murphs.The chili recipes had names like Chuckwagon Red, Tantalizing Tumultuous Terrorizing Tongue Tornado Chili at Trinita and Goshen Grown. Organizer Nancy Strini said the cookoff is a fundraiser for the organization. “I’ve been to other chili cookoffs and I think it’s a good way to bring families together,” said Sister Deb Wilson, a judge at the event. She said a good chili recipe comes down to relationships. “It’s about all of the ingredients working together,” Wilson said. “All ingredients work together, they have a role to play, but they remain distinct. That’s what the whole chili experience is about, distinct ingredients coming together.” The Gaslight Gang team won the judge’s award for best chili, while Strini’s Secret won the People’s Choice award.