Photo of the Day: Good Eats for a Good Cause

Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen (left) and a team judges rate batches of chili entered in the first Commandant's Chili Cookoff.

Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen was hard at work judging the first annual Commandant’s Chili Cookoff on Dec. 10. It was all for a deliciously good cause: raising funds for the National Capital Area Combined Federal Campaign, according to Allen’s blog. And from his comments there, it sounds like it was tough:

However, as much as I tried, I couldn’t match the intensity of Command Master Chief [Petty Officer Steven] Cantrell who obviously has grasp of the intricacies of fine chili.

Ultimately, Allen chose  U.S. Army Col. Kevin Hawkins’ steaming batch of Airborne Ranger Chili as the “Commandant’s Choice.” Hawkins’ chili also  collected the titles of Best Overall (picked by the judges) and People Choice (picked by employees), according to Allen’s spokespeople. The event raised $550.

Hawkins’ dish is described as follows:

Infantry chili in the best spirit of the American service member: Simple, strong, hearty. This recipe has been warming the nation’s Guardians since 1790.

Yum. Sounds like just the thing on a cold day like the ones we’ve been experiencing in Washington lately. I recently enjoyed some Pumpkin Turkey Chili. What are your favorite chili recipes? Post them in the comments section below.

Also of note: This isn’t the only food-related fundraiser the Coast Guard Headquarters has hosted for the CFC. On the morning of the chili cook-off, Allen and senior executives in the Coast Guard’s acquisition office held a pancake breakfast that raised $900, according to Allen’s office.

Photo Credit:  Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Jo Cousins.