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The day had finally come. With my giant pot shut securely, I drove to Picnic Point and met a large group of my family members for the reunion we had been planning for weeks. This was no simple meet-and-greet. With my family, everything is competitive, and every interaction has to have a winner. So this year’s reunion involved a cut-throat chili cook-off.

I placed my anonymous stockpot on a picnic table alongside two others, and one more pot was sneaked into the lineup while I was chatting with some cousins and waiting for the competition to begin. At exactly 1 PM, the matriarch master of ceremonies, my grandmother, declared that she would conduct the first taste test.

The first pot of chili was a simple beef and chili pepper stew. A few uncles mumbled that this is the real way to make chili, without any extras.

Next, my grandmother tasted some chili that had red beans and onions in addition to the beef and chilies. It looked like most of the chili variations I’d seen elsewhere.

After that, grandma tasted my chili sin carne, or chili without meat. It contained black beans, tomatoes, chili peppers, corn, and tofu. A grateful vegetarian cousin remarked that she was happy she’d at least be able to try one dish.

The last pot was a white chili with turkey and white beans instead of beef and colorful beans. I’d never seen white chili before, but it was pretty good.

Everyone formed lines after Grandma to try all four recipes, then we cast votes at the end. The second chili with the beef and beans was the winner. My Aunt Tess stepped forward and claimed the recipe as hers, and everyone applauded.

I was disappointed that my chili didn’t win, but I’ll have another shot at victory next year. We’ve already decided that the next family reunion will involve a pie bake-off.