Much food preparation was being made for Thanksgiving, but the weekend before had a different kind of cooking going on. To stave off the chill from the first cold snap of the year, WSA was hosting their first ever Chilly Cook-Off. Despite the name, it wasn't just about chili. Other kinds of soups and stews from around the world were allowed to be brought to school. Except for chilled soups, no one wants chilled soup on a cold day.
The Cook-Off was mainly held in the gym, though there were some soups in the cafeteria which wasn't a long walk away. The heady aroma of the different soups were very enticing to the students here, some more than others. There were different vegetarian and carnivore soups for the different Animalian students. No one was likely to go hungry today.
Sarah and Malice went to see what Ellie had brought as she was so excited for it. They found her stirring a pot full of deep red soup. "That's a lot of soup," said Sarah, "You think everyone will eat it?"
"If not, it's their loss," said Ellie, "You don't find very much good borscht in States."
"Borscht?" asked Malice.
"It's traditional Russian soup, my babushka's recipe," said Ellie, "Made with beet sour and fermented tomatoes. Is wery good for you." Malice leaned over the pot and took a sniff. She reeled backwards, her eyes watering from the strong smell. "Babuskha also say it's good for removing grease stains."
"Smells like it can take off skunk spray," said Malice, wiping her eyes.
"It sounds like your grandmother makes a stronger borscht than mine," said Sarah.
"You vant some?" asked Ellie.
"Uh, not right now, thanks. I'm saving room for the 5-alarm chili Travis's family is bringing from the firehouse," said Sarah.
"I say it's more like 2-alarm chili. Two-and-a-half, tops," said Malice.
"Oh, I am going to make you eat those words. And that chili," said Sarah.
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Speaking of spicy chilis, some people were using this cook-off as a means of pulling pranks. For instance, Fred Stairs had put a special ingredient in the chili he brought: the infamous Carolina Reaper. The current title holder for world's hottest chili pepper. Just one pepper in the chili was enough to make it a deathtrap for tongue cells. Of course, Fred wasn't planning on using this chili on just anyone. He had one particular person in mind. Barney, a infamous prankster, had tricked him into sitting on super-cold ice which left his seat embarrassingly wet. Of course, since Barney was a mockingbird, it was natural to expect jokes from him. But today, the joke is going to be on him.
"Hey Fred, that looks like some tasty chili," said Barney, looking at Fred's chili.
"Sure is," said Fred, "Here, I want you to have the first bowl."
"Don't mind if I do," said Barney before helping himself to a bowl. Fred waited for Barney to yelp or cry out for water. But Barney just gulped it down. "Not bad," said Barney, "Could use some seasoning."
Fred look at his chili with confusion. That Carolina Reaper was guaranteed to have Barney spitting fire. Did he get a dud? He scooped a spoonful to check it.
Scientific note: What Fred is not aware of is that chili peppers have evolved specifically so that birds don't find them spicy. The source of a pepper's spiciness is a chemical called capsaicin, which can have a higher content depending on the type of pepper. Chili peppers want their seeds spread far from them and the best way to do that is having birds eat them and poop the seeds elsewhere. To keep unwanted eaters like mammals from eating their seeds, the peppers developed capsaicin to discourage them from eating them. So while Barney is immune to the Carolina Reaper's spiciness, Fred is about to feel it like a bolt of lightning.
The second he put the spoon in his mouth, Fred realized he had made a horrible mistake. He was soon breaking out in a sweat as his face was turning increasingly red. His eyes bulged and watered as he felt his stomach clench in agonized torment. But this was nothing compared to the blazing inferno that was currently his mouth. Dropping the spoon, Fred ran for the cafeteria with all his might. If this were a cartoon, he'd either be trailing smoke or breathing fire. Fortunately, the cafeteria has plenty of ice-cold milk readily available for people who've bitten off more than they can chew.
Fred quickly gulped a cup down, giving a sigh of relief as the fire within started to abate. His tongue was still very sore, but at least it wasn't in agony anymore. Fred groaned and said, "I need to stay away from hot food."
"Tell me about." Fred glanced over. He hadn't even noticed Malice in his frenzied rush. The husky had an empty cup in her hand and was panting heavily. "Those Dalmatians make a hotter chili than I thought," she moaned, "Next time, I'm sticking with the mild stuff."