Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 26, 2014

Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 26, 2014 
9FOOD & DRINK Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 26, 2014 
9FOOD & DRINK 
SIERRA MADRE CHILI COOK-OFF 

No Beans about the Annual Sierra Madre Kiwanis Chili Cook-Off is just around the corner. I am 
an old hand at these events; you see I put on the very popular Pasadena Chili Cook-Off for some 12 
years. At one point we attracted some 30 cooks and 1200 attendees. I invite all of you to this event, I 
judged last year and I was absolutely impressed with the quality of entrants. My idea of a true chili is 
one that has no beans, but I have a feeling that there will be all sorts of entrants that I will state “This 
is Chili?”…I did a little research on how this Chili 

TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills 
thechefknows@yahoo.com 
Craze got started, 

and these are the two that make the most sense. 

See everyone Saturday Night, May 17th at the 
Sierra Madre Room 611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre. 

Now, about Chili:
There is little doubt that cattle drivers and trail hands did more to popularize the dish throughout the 
Southwest than anybody else, and there is a tale that we heard one frosty night in a Texican bar in Marfa, 
Texas, about a range cook who made chili along all the great cattle trails of Texas. He collected wild 
oregano, chile peppers, wild garlic, and onions and mixed it all with the fresh-killed beef or buffalo - or 
jackrabbit, armadillo, rattlesnake, or whatever he had at hand - and the cowhands ate it like ambrosia. 
And to make sure he had an ample supply of native spices wherever he went, he planted gardens along 
the paths of the cattle drives - mostly in patches of mesquite - to protect them from the hooves of the 
marauding cattle. 
The next time the 
drive went by there, 
he found his garden 
and harvested the 
crop, hanging the 
peppers and onions 
and oregano to dry 
on the side of the 
chuck wagon. The 
cook blazed a trail 
across Texas with 
tiny, spicy gardens. 

The other story I like 
as well, is that a small Rio Grande Jail in Texas was home to the original chili, the story goes that the 
inmates gathered scraps of meat, any kind of spices or anything that was left over and made a think 
soup, as they added vegetables the “soup” got thicker and thicker. The inmates added gruel, bread and 
water to thicken it up. By the 1850’s each Texas Jail was rated by the chili that was served!! 


Join me this Saturday May 17th and decide for yourself, is this the stuff that legends are made from? 
For more info call 626 627 3363 

Plus …. 

San Marino Chamber of Commerce invites you to this scrumptious food and wine tasting event at 
the beautiful Huntington Gardens, raffle, silent auction, Music, Visit the gardens and see the Lost and 
Found Secrets of the Archimedss Exhibit as well as gather with friends. Pre-purchase tickets thru Gilda 
(gmoshir@gmail.com) at $25 pp or $35 at the door. Or purchase through the sanmarinochamber@
att.net (626) 286-1022 May 15th 5 PM 1151 Oxford San Marino 


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What’s on YOUR Mind? 
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com/mountainviewsnews ANDTwitter: @mtnviewsnews 
BANANAS FOSTER 
CRESCENT SWIRL 
QUICK AND OH, SO GOOD! 

INGREDIENTS 

1 can Pillsbury™ Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated seamless dough sheet
1 cup dulce de leche (caramelized sweetened condensed milk; from 13.4-oz can)
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 large banana, sliced
Vanilla ice cream 


DIRECTIONS 

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. 

Unroll dough onto work surface. Spread evenly with dulce de leche. Cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch strips. 

Starting at one end of 1 strip, roll up to other end; place cut side up in center of pie plate. Wrap second 
strip around center roll. Repeat with all strips to form one big pinwheel. 

Bake 25 minutes. Cover lightly with foil; bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until thoroughly baked in 
center. 

Meanwhile in 10-inch skillet, cook butter, brown sugar, water and vanilla over medium heat, stirring 
occasionally, until butter is melted. Add banana slices; cook and stir until tender. 

Remove pie plate from oven. Cool 5 minutes. To serve warm, top with ice cream and saucy bananas 

SAVOR THE FLAVOR! 

A BURNING ISSUE: SOY BASED CANDLES VS. 
PARAFFIN BASED CANDLES 


Many of us enjoy burning candles for a number of reasons. From setting the mood and aroma therapy 
to enjoy while relaxing in the tub, candles offer us a chance to enhance our surroundings with our 
favorite fragrance to soothe our souls. 

With many candle products on the market today, there are big differences in the way they are produced 
and the materials used to make them. 

Most candles are either Soy based or Paraffin based. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. 

Soy wax is produced from soybeans. Paraffin wax is produced from petroleum. 

Since they are made of vegetable oil, soy based candles burn cleaner and release no known carcinogens. 
Whereas paraffin 
based candles can 
produce atoxic 
soot that can affect 
people, pets and the 
environment. 

Soy candles burn 
50% longer than 
paraffin and almost 
always leave no 
excess wax on 
the sides of their 
containers. While 
you may pay more 
for soy, in the long 
run it cost effective 
due to the longer 
burning time. 


Soy candles burn 
cleaner than 
paraffin candles, 
due to the fact they 
are vegetable based 
and not chemically 
based. Soy will not 
produce the same amount of soot and if you burn a lot of candles over time it can discolor walls, 
furniture and carpet. If you have had a soy candle that did produce a lot of soot, it is likely that the 
candle was not 100% soy. 


The scent of a soy candle is much stronger due to the fact they have a lower melting point and 
therefore a larger liquid wax pool around the wick. The essential oils of a candle are evaporated into 
the atmosphere through this process. 

Just a couple of tips to help in keeping your candles longer and cleaner: 

Always keep the wick trimmed to ¼” and use a wick dipper instead of a snuffer, as this will cut down 
on the smoke when extinguishing your candle. 

It is best to burn a candle in 2-3 hours intervals to keep it more level. If your candle comes with a lid, 
keep the lid on when candle is not burning, as this will help the fragrance to last longer. 

Of course, never leave a candle burning unattended. 

We have a wonderful and varied selection of candles in the shop now – from Citronella, Sake Lemon 
Flower to Peach Blossom. We are sure there is one to delight your senses!