The Chili Queen Wins Another Big One!
Cindy Reed Wilkins is the New Texas State Chili Champion!

HOUSTON, TX August 21, 2006 - Last Saturday August 12, 2006, Cindy Reed Wilkins proved once again why they call her the Queen of Chili. 144 cooks signed up to compete in, the Texas Open Chili Competition, held at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, just North of Conroe, Texas. The temperature was hot and the competition was even hotter. There were championship cooks from all over Texas, sweating and stirring and making bets on who was going to win. After all the smoke cleared, from the judging; the best of the best rose to the top. Cindy Reed Wilkins emerged as the 2006 Texas State Champion for the CASI organization.

This was the one title that had always eluded Cindy. Sure she has 2 First Place Bronze Peppers from Terlingua. She has her First Place trophy from Texas Ladies State. She has over one hundred other trophies from various cook-offs; but she had never been able to claim the Texas State Championship title before. Cindy's Cin Chili recipe still has what it needs, to be the best in Texas.

Cindy's success with chili, started with her parents dragging her to a chili cook-off back in the 1980's. She started cooking with and competing against them in chili competitions around Texas. In 1992 she qualified to cook at the International Chili Competition in Terlingua, Texas. Her mother Maxine Reed taught her well. Cindy took First place that year and received her First Bronze Pepper. The following year, 1993, Cindy returned to Terlingua to defend her title. Once again she proved she has what it takes. Cindy became the only person in history to win The International Chili Cook-off Competition twice, and back-to-back. There are only 39 Bronze, First Place Chili Peppers in the world and Cindy has two of them.

This type of chili expertise doesn't go unnoticed. This year Cindy was chosen to be on the Food Networks new series called Throwdown With Bobby Flay: The Chili Challenge. Cindy's new chili mix called Cin Chili was featured on the show along with her culinary expertise with chili. It became a challenge between Texas and New York, when Bobby Flay showed up for a Throwdown. Cindy proved once again that she's unbeatable; although Bobby did tie her. Watch for re-runs of this fun show.

To sample some of Cindy's chili, visit her web site www.cinchili.com and try her many recipes made with Cin Chili. They're Cin-fully Delicious!