LERNERVILLE - The end of summer may be disappointing for sun-lovers, but a breezy fall day with scattered rays of sunshine is the perfect opportunity for a steaming serving of chili.

Such was the setting for Lernerville Speedway's first Chili Cook-Off held Sept. 24. It brought out 12 contestants and many more tasters.

The event began at 8 a.m., when contestants arrived to set up their booths and begin cooking.

Though most opted for propane turkey fryers, electric roasters or slow cookers to simmer their 5-gallon vats of chili, Lou Bartley of Saxonburg chose a more traditional route.

Bartley prepared his chili in a large black kettle heated by an open fire.

"The kettle gives it an extra little flavor," said Bartley who stirred his chili with a long plastic paddle.

Though Bartley hoped to win favor with flavor from his kettle, other contestants had other time-honored traditions they hoped would give their chili the edge over the competition.

For Ron Kosecki of Cabot, the most important ingredient is time.

"It's nothing fancy, just chili," said Kosecki, who began cooking 24 hours before the competition began.

The dedication and patience resulted in a beefy chili infused with the sweet taste of peppers and onions.

More than one team added the taste of chocolate to their recipes for a change of pace.

"I took (a recipe) I've been using and tried to make it different," said Zeke, a radio personality and cook for the Y108 team.

In addition to the taste and originality of their recipes, teams were also judged on the decoration of their booths and team spirit.

For Team USA, their booth's décor included flags, red and blue beads and patriotic face paint.

Several teams also featured fall decorations and one, an amateur hula dancer, complete with grass skirt.

Just after noon, however, attention at the track turned back to taste as tasters and judges grabbed cups and spoons and visited booth after booth, tasting the sweet, spicy and sometimes strange ingredients.

Alongside individual servings of sour cream and crackers, the Chuckwagon Chili team composed of George and Anna MacCheyne of Curtisville, served small scoops of peanut butter.

Though not a common topping among other contestants, Barb Bauman, co-director of the track said it reminded her of lunches in the South Butler School District, where peanut butter sandwiches accompany chili.

Those attending the event were given tickets to vote for the best tasting chili and the best decorated booth, while judges decided which was the most original recipe and who had the most team spirit.

As judges and contest organizers tallied the scores, teams kept busy packing up their booths and enjoying live music.

The teams were then gathered in a circle to hear whose chili was chosen the winner.

Prizes for both team spirit and booth decoration went to the team from the Fieldhouse Restaurant.

The most original chili was presented to Dennis Rader, a contestant with wins at several other chili contests.

The last trophy, adorned with a ladle and gold crown went to the Allday Motorsports team, which included Matt Allday, who participates in racing at Lernerville.

Amanda Allday, cook for the team, said her winning list of ingredients included condensed tomato soup, chili beans, chili seasoning, chili powder and diced tomatoes.

Her technique, however, was kept secret, giving her an edge in next year's competition.

4 tablespoons oil, divided2 large onions, chopped1 tablespoon minced garlic2 pounds boneless top roundorsirloin steak, cut into ½-inch cubes1 pound ground beef¾ cup water1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in purée1 can (15 to 19 ounces) red kidney beans, undrainedcup cayenne pepper sauce2 packages (1¼ ounces each) chili seasoning mixHeat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 5-quart saucepot or Dutch oven until hot. Sauté onion and garlic until tender; transfer to a bowl.Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in the same pot; cook meat in batches until well-browned. Drain fat.Add ¾ cup water and remaining ingredients to pot. Stir in onion and garlic. Heat to boiling, stirring.Simmer, partially covered, for an hour or until meat is tender, stirring often. Garnish as desired.Makes 10 servings.Tip:Substitute 3 pounds ground beef for the combination of beef cubes and ground beef. Brown meat without oil. Proceed as in step 2. Simmer 20 minutes.Recipe from Bender Hammerling Group

With hush puppy dumplings1 whole dried Anaheim chili pepper, rehydrated4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves3 cans (14½ ounces) chicken broth, divided2 tablespoons olive oil1 cup finely chopped onion, divided2 cloves garlic, minced½ cup chopped green pepper½ teaspoon cumin1 tablespoon chili powder2 tablespoons lime juice1 can (19 ounces) cannellini beans¼ cup self-rising yellow cornmeal mix½ cup flourcup buttermilk2 tablespoons chopped parsley½ cup sour cream6 tablespoons bottled salsaRemove stem and seeds from Anaheim pepper. In shallow baking dish, place chicken, Anaheim pepper and 1 cup chicken broth.Bake in a 350 degree. oven 30 minutes, turning once. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces; chop Anaheim pepper.In a large saucepan, mix together chicken, Anaheim pepper and remaining chicken broth. Place over medium heat and bring to simmer.In small frying pan, place olive oil; add ¾ cup of the chopped onion, garlic, green pepper, cumin and chili powder; sauté about 3 minutes, or until tender.Add onion mixture to chicken. Add lime juice and cannellini beans; simmer while preparing dumplings.In a small bowl, mix together cornmeal mix and flour; stir in buttermilk, remaining ¼ cup onion and parsley.Bring chicken mixture to a boil and drop dumpling mix in rounded teaspoons into boiling liquid. Cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook 15 minutes without lifting lid.Garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream and a tablespoon of salsa.Makes 6 servings.Recipe from the National Chicken Council and U.S. Poultry and Egg Association Chicken Cookbook

1 egg¼ cup fat free milk¼ cup garden-style salsa1 pkg. (8½ ounces) corn muffin mix1 can (7 ounces) corn, drained, or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed½ cup 2 percent milk shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese¼ cup green onion slicesPreheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat egg with milk and salsa in medium bowl. Add remaining Ingredients; stir just until moistened.Spoon batter evenly into 6 medium paper-lined or greased muffin cups.Bake 20 min. or until golden brown. Remove muffins from pan to wire rack. Cool slightly.Makes 6 servingsRecipe from Kraft Food and Family