This Sunday — Kosher Chili Cookoff in St. Louis
Congregation Nusach Hari B’nai Zion of St. Louis will be hosting its second-annual Kosher Chili Cookoff this Sunday, according to this press release. I’ve always wondered how to properly assure kashrut at such a community-wide event — not only do the organizers require that meat be purchased through the shul, and that their rabbi approve all other ingredients brought to the competition, but they even provide all the cookware and utensils.
For attendees, the $5 entrance fee will get you tasting rights until all the chili’s gone.
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Our school has been running the Totally Kosher Rib Burn Off for the past 14 years. We have booths from many different organizations, including Conservative and Orthodox synagogues. As the Head of School, and the Rav HaMachshir for the school, I work hard to make sure people will be comfortable eating at our event. All prep work is done in our kitchen. We provide the meat, the teams buy everything else. I personally supervise every team that participates which includes approving the items they bring from the store, the prep work, the cooking, etc.
What is so wonderful about this event is that it brings in 2,000 people from all parts of the community. As a Conservative day school we are committed to the highest standards of Kashrut and to K’lal Yisrael. Anyone who has any questions about Kashrut is welcome to come into the kitchen and see how we do things. So far, kashrut politics have not been a problem.