With cooler temperatures and the changing of the color of leaves, fall brings the comfort-food season, including slowly brewed stews and chili. That why Rusty Fischer, organizer of Tooele's first annual Dutch oven chili cook-off, chose last Saturday to hold the inaugural event.

Four competitors gathered at the pavilion at the Tooele City Pool Park to vie for first place in the event co-sponsored by Tooele City and Maceys Food and Drug. They lit their charcoal and started grinding and chopping while the Tooele Valley Country Players entertained the crowd with fiddle music, guitars and the singing of old-time tunes.

Recipes for chili vary greatly, and the subject of what chili is can even be controversial. The International Chili Society forbids beans and macaroni at their sanctioned cook-offs and the addition of tomatoes would drive some "chiliheads" crazy. Cincinnati-style chili is served on top of spaghetti noodles. The rules for this contest were much simpler, allowing cooks maximum creativity as they went for the first-place prize.

At 2 p.m. the cooks were finished simmering and the judges sat down to do their duty. David Gillette, Tooele fire department assistant fire chief, was selected to be one of the judges, as were Tooele City Police Chief Ron Kirby, Shawn Milne of the Tooele City Planning Commission, Steve Pruden of the Tooele City Council and Rusty Fischer, event organizer and butcher at Maceys Food and Drug.

Fred Lowry walked away with first place, which included a $200 cash award and an armload of prizes donated by local businesses. Second place went to Steve and Geri Lawrence, third place to Rod Lundwall, and honorable mention in fourth place to Lloyd Thomas. Second place received $100 cash and third place received $75 cash. All contestants went home with prizes.

Lowry's winning recipe is titled "Chili-Dump," since it is made by opening cans and dumping the ingredients into a pot. The mixture is then topped with cornbread dumplings with green chilies.

Fischer said that recipes from all the contestants will be posted on Maceys Food and Drug Web site at www.maceys.com.

Tim Gillie: tgillie@tooeletranscript.com