As some of you awesome blog readers know Edible Europe has been hosting  monthly Ghetto-gethers in Amsterdam (OK its been a few months since the last one, but hey, I’ve been busy flying back and forth to London to work).  If you’re new to the site and wondering what the hell is a Ghetto-gether, well here it is: (to view previous ones click HERE)

We all need to eat, so why not do it together?  Ghetto-gethers are a little underground potluck supper club where everyone brings a dish we feast on everyone’s homemade food, drink, and meet cool new people.
It’s a Ghetto-gether, because none of us are real chefs, but enjoy good food.  It’s a movement.  It’s about how we eat, what we eat, and who we eat it with. It’s about inspiration, creativity and stepping outside of your culinary comfort zone.
If you’re interested in joining our next Ghetto-gether, it is going to be:

Saturday November 12th 
7pm Start Time
The theme of this Ghetto-gether is:  First Annual Chili Cook Off

I’m a Texan.  I moved there from NYC when I was 5.  We moved because my dad worked on the American Airlines account for a top accounting firm and they decided that DFW was the new AA hub and he was transferred.  My mom thought of it as more like a prison sentence – 3-5 years.  That’s all we’d have to do and then we can move back to New York.  But it hardly turned out like that of course.  We were in Texas until after I went to college.  So yeah it’s where I’m from, and it’s where I go home to.  Even though my parents don’t consider themselves Texan, my brother and I do.  But then again, they still have the hard-core Brooklyn accents.  I’ve got just a muddled accent.  Don’t sound like I’m from New York, don’t sound like I’m from Texas.  Citizen of the world I guess.

Every year around Halloween Chili Cook Offs pop up like acne on a teenager. They are in car parks and convention centers or at South Fork Ranch like the ones I used to go to.  They can be downright serious with substantial prizes and judging or just informal get togethers of chili lovers sharing recipes.  They’re as much about having fun as they are about the chili.  It’s as much about music and entertainment as it is about spicy chili’s. It’s about friends, fun and food.  Essentially it’s what a  Ghetto-gether is all about.

So why not share some of the South to my new home in Amsterdam?  This next Ghetto-gether is the First Annual Chili Cookoff.  So bring the heat, add the depth, some smokiness, and challenge yourself to making one mean Chile.  There will be winners and there will be losers.  Make it veggie or make it with meat.  Beans or not? Be creative.  What’s your favorite kind of Chile and why.  Take liberty and make it your own or go traditional.  It’s up to you.  Show us what your chili is made of. What you are made of.

Given the nature of the cook-off, this Ghetto-Gether will be a little different.  A little more structured.  We are limiting the amount of cooks to 15.  Twelve cooks will be cooking chili.  Three others should do southern styled appetizers, sides or desserts.  We will be judging, each other, anonymous balloting, and there will be prizes.  So if you’re ready to throw down your best chili and think you’ve got what it takes to make one mean chili,  just email me at lauren@laurenbecker.net and let me know how many in your party. Once your reservation has been accepted I will email you with the address and further details.If you haven’t been to a food event like this, you can read about our last one here. Also for the latest events and updates, join our Facebook Page or follow us on Twitter!

Click h Texas Chili Cookoff to read the funniest account of a real Texas Chili Cookoff.  It truly is piss in your pants funny and makes me cry because of laughter.

Tagged as: Amsterdam cooking events, amsterdam expats, chili, ghetto-gether, Texas, underground supper clubs