December 19, 2011

A chili day on the Homewood campus

The competition just keeps getting hotter. This year’s Chili Cook-Off and Bake-Off—an annual Homewood campus fundraiser for the United Way of Central Maryland and the Johns Hopkins Neighborhood Fund—drew 11 entries in the chili category and six in the baked goods taste-off.

For $5, the Dec. 5 lunchtime crowd got to sample the contenders and purchase a meal of chili, cornbread, dessert and a beverage, raising a total of nearly $900. The Johns Hopkins Federal Credit Union sponsored the chili lunch, and The Dome Corp and Johns Hopkins Real Estate donated two Baltimore Ravens tickets and a parking pass for a drawing.

Prizes went to first-, second- and third-place winners selected by judges and to a “people’s choice” winner as voted on by the attendees.

Kerstin Flynn of the Carey Business School’s Office of Campus Operations won first place for her White Chili. Second-place honors went to Samantha Ohmer of the Krieger School’s Department of Biology for her Sweet and Spicy Chili and third place to Renato Rapada of the Krieger School’s Department of Biophysics for The Baby Maker. The people’s choice award went to Joyce Lambert of the School of Medicine for her Heartfelt Chili.

Ruth Scally of Homewood Student Affairs’ Office of Student Employment Services was a double winner in the Bake-Off, with her Streusel Apple Coffeecake getting the top nod from both the judges and the crowd. Second-place honors went to Nathan Nicholes of the Whiting School’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering for his Toll House Melt in Your Mouth Bars and third place to Charla Fowlkes of the Krieger School’s Office of Graduate Affairs and Admissions for her 5-Flavor Pound Cake.

The campaign officially ended on Dec. 16. As of press time, the Homewood campus and affiliated entities had raised more than $501,491 for the United Way of Central Maryland and the Johns Hopkins Neighborhood Fund—99 percent of their $505,000 goal.

The 2012 Chili Cook-Off/Bake-Off is scheduled for Nov. 9, which gives you plenty of time to perfect a winning recipe.