CaJohn’s 2010 Open House
No Weekend of Fire gathering would be complete without a trip up to Columbus, Ohio for the annual CaJohn’s Fiery Foods’ Open House. This year is special because of the announcement of the 1st ever Reviewer’s Cup. A blind taste test given to any reviewer who so chooses to put their tastebuds on the line. The winner will take away the 1st ever chile reviewer’s trophy, the Reviewer’s Cup.
Who will take it and what food concoctions will Chef Steve come up with for those in attendance. Only time will tell. We will have all the news for you as it breaks. Stay tuned!
And the winner in two overtime sessions is…
Buddah!!! He bested Scott Roberts who pushed this contest to a third round. Firehead Thomas was tied with the two after what I thought would be impossible situation, a tie! Not just a tie, but a three way tie! All of the contestants proved their mettle, but the run of chile powders put some confusion into the mix. All did well and I tell you, I personally was impressed with the overall gustatory recognition shown by all of the contestants. Trust these folks tastebuds! The other Contestants:
Betty Huddleston
Bill Kraft
Joe Levinson
Ed Rome
It was great fun, thanks to you Mr. Cajohn, Sue and the entire Firey Foods Crew!! It was a special day for us:)
Congratulations Buddah!
Good job Scott and Firehead Thomas!
I hope I make it next year to Cajohn’s open house…
Thanks Francois. A big thanks to CaJohn, Sue, Chef Steve, Bret, Jason, Jeremy, Nate and anyone of the krewe that I forgot to add in making this gathering worth going to. The food was great, but the company was even better. A big clap on the back to Thomas and Scott who took it to the limit and beyond. Especially Scott who should be a co-owner of this fine trophy after double overtime.
I will admit to you that on Wednesday, I went to the store and bought a few peppers and some basic herbs, and did a taste test with Sean who randomly gave me the food. I was counting on some texture, but flavors definitely played a hand in my victory. Although I have had rosemary plenty of times, having some before the event made it stand out for me when it appeared in the spice mix. Not to mention the ancho which I never tried plain before the practice tasting. That was the ultimate difference in winning for me. I still didn’t think I would win, all I was looking for was a respectable showing. Thanks again John for arranging everything.
:_redpepper:
Actually, Scott and I talked about it on Sunday, we let you win, since it was your birthday and all….Good job!
You can’t read the trophy, but it says “Potentate of Taste” on the middle line. So Buddah is royalty now…
Congrats again, Buddah. The contest was MUCH more difficult than I anticipated. Before going into CaJohns, I had no idea what to expect. I was thinking there could possibly be dishes like chili or jambalaya where we’d have to guess at all the flavors.
A BIG thanks to CaJohn and crew for the hospitality and for making us feel like family. You guys are truly shining stars in this business in every way imaginable and I’m blessed to know you all.
Yes Buddah is a royal…ah never mind! Congrats Buddah and thanks to the CaJohn family for such a great time.
BEST NEW HOT SAUCE INGREDIENT: Ground Dehydrated Lemon Zest!!!
Was that one of the things we tasted?
Oh that’s right, you missed that one….LOL
[img]http://www.iloveitspicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/DSC_0487.JPG[/img]
It definitely was a good time! Congratulations again to Buddah; thank you to everyone at CaJohn’s!
Chilehead Ed guessed that on one. 😆
I would like to thank everyone who showed up at either the Weekend of Fire or our Open House! For those who missed the Open House, feel free to drop in anytime and visit. I apologize for not being able to personally spend time with all of our guests, but we’ll blame Buddah for that. He gets blamed for everything anyway. Hope all had a good time, and pass the word that our doors are always open for chileheads!