Sibling Rivalries: Chili Edition

[brave_heart_verity]

Flyers have been going up around the Forum and Commercial District for the last week or so. This morning,the lights in the VSW Meadhall came on. By noon, anyone getting close enough to an open door would know: chili's on!

Inside, everything's set up and waiting for the hungry and the curious: Clint's cooking in one corner, and Verity's in the other. Between them, tables are laid out with the necessities: bowls, plates, spoons, and plenty of napkins. There's beer and iced tea, some lovely tres leches cakes provided by the Nexus' favorite Japanese detective, and various toppings for the chili: bottles of sriracha and sweet Thai chili sauce, red pepper flakes, green onions and red, lime wedges, diced bell peppers and jalapeños, crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. Cornbread and tortilla chips round things out.

Long tables with a mix of benches and chairs fill the hall on either side of the fire pits. One has board and card games stacked neatly at one end (they were neat when they were put out, at least). Another has two boxes, one wrapped in purple paper and one in pink, for depositing voting slips.

Poll #17301 1st Annual Chili Cook-Off

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 7

View Respondents

Who gets your vote?

View Answers

Clint--Avengers Assemble!
3 (42.9%)

Truthfully? Verity.
4 (57.1%)

The fire pits are lit, the food is waiting, and there are games in want of players. What are you waiting for?
((There will doubtless be further Cupid-based shenanigans, but this weekend, it's all about the platonic relationships. Bromances, BFFs, and family ties rule the day! Let's celebrate! Threadhopping, tangents, games, and mischief are all encouraged. Just don't start a food fight or Verity will have to yell.))

Comments

[juststeverogers]

"Sounds pretty much perfect to me."

Steve's doing a lot better on the food/germs spectrum thanks to some interference (read: biological warfare) on behalf of his trainer. Considering how much milk Nana forces on him insisting it will help him grow, it's probably a good thing that he's pretty okay with dairy.

He gives a hum of approval around his second spoonful. The first disappeared too quickly to really be appreciated.

"Did you grill this before you turned it into stew? I like the campfire taste."

[aw_hawkguy]

That woman is terrifying. Even microbes need to run and hide. (His trainer, not Nana.)

"Better," Clint answers, "I browned it up in the bottom of the pot. You didn't think I'd leave all that great flavor on the grill, did ya? But I did smoke it a little, before I cooked it. Just enough to get some hickory in there." Doing chili right is an involved process.

[juststeverogers]

So long as the Nexus never knows what Nana looks like upset, this is true.

"Sure beats the heck out of the meager things I can make." Steve chuckles around his bowl and savors the spicy stew. "I don't think I've ever had chili this good. And I've been to a Dodgers game."

He still doesn't know they're not in Brooklyn anymore.

[aw_hawkguy]

"Hey, we all start somewhere. Just happens I grew up in a circus and got to learn how to make carny food." He gives a conspiratorial mock-whisper, adding, "ancient semi-nomadic secrets."

[juststeverogers]

"Well, I'll get there sometime. Verity's teaching me how to cook, so that's been pretty great."

Ancient nomadic secrets huh? Steve is giving you an eyebrow for that one. His Cap face game is on point right now.

"Railroading hobo nomads? Or was that not a thing by the time you joined the circus?"

[aw_hawkguy]

"Tell you what, when you're ready to put your cookout game out there, I will be first in line to try some," Clint promises.

Wow, that is some serious Cap face, there. "There's still guys who ride the rails. I was talking about the circus, though. C'mon, circuses had t'have amazing food even in your day, right?"

[juststeverogers]

"Once I learn my way around a kitchen, I'll start learning how to grill. I take it that's one of your specialties?" He knows who to go to for tips then.

"It wasn't really about the food when we went the one time." Steve admits bashfully. Probably didn't have much in the way of extra money for food. "We went for the show."

[aw_hawkguy]

"I know a thing or two about grillin', yeah. I'll show you the ropes."

"Well, fair enough. When you get the chance, though, I'm gonna take you to a state fair and we're gonna eat like kings!"

[juststeverogers]

"State fairs make the best food huh?" Steve doesn't know what kind of food that is, but hey. He liked Clint's chili, surely he can trust Barton's judgement in all things!

Surely this can't possibly go wrong. (He was also right about Dog Cops and Steve's apparel. Clint has good taste.)

[aw_hawkguy]

"Oh, you better believe it! Ribs, chili dogs, funnel cakes, cheese curds--and they've found ways to deep-fry everything. Deep-fried beer? They have it."

[juststeverogers]

"Deep fried beer?" Steve winces out of reflex. "That sounds...interesting."

He's not saying no, though. Out comes his trusty pocket sketchpad and Steve will flip to the last page to his List.

Visit a fair

They must do this now. It's on the List.

[aw_hawkguy]

"Oh, fairs are magical. I'll take you to the Iowa State Fair, this fall, you'll see." Clint grins, clapping Steve on the shoulder. "Bring your appetite, too."

[juststeverogers]

"All ninety pounds of it." Steve promises with a grin.

"And good luck in the competition. Your chili's real good!"

[aw_hawkguy]

Clint grins. "Damn right. And thanks--it's an honor to be nominated."