Belly Up: All hail the carne-less chili cook-off

Vegans, start your spice grinders. On Saturday Sept. 19, the Goodman Community Center will host its Sixth Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off. Chili tasting begins at 5:30 p.m., and from 6:30–8:00 p.m., the chili entries will be scored by a panel of volunteer judges (call 257-6333 if you’re interested). Prizes will be awarded for the best chili, so make sure you have your cumin, turmeric, basil, and thyme ready to rock in righteous proportions. Those drawn to this event are likely already vegans, but as a reminder, the strict requirements of the discipline mean no products derived from animals—and that includes foods processed using animal products, like white sugar. The rules call for your list of ingredients to be printed on a 3 x 5 card, and contestants should bring that list, the ingredients, and all the elements needed to prepare the chili (including a crock pot) and be onsite by 1:30 for a judge-review of the cooking plans. The cook-off is sponsored by the Alliance For Animals, and costs $8 for adults, $6 for students, and $3 for kids. Cook-off contestants get in free, along with receiving a case of obligatory heartburn.

Fatsometer: 2. Food doesn't get much healthier than vegan chili, but let's all be glad the Fatsometer doesn't measure gaseous output.