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Kathy Hipskind of Lodi, California, easily walked
away with the 2004 World’s Championship title and a very big check for $25,000.
Kathy’s “Dago Red’s Wop N’ Good Chili” recipe was developed over the past
twenty-two years. She had to twist her husband, Dave’s arm to get him to chili
cookoffs. He didn’t even like “chilibeans” and wasn’t interested in real chili
competitions. The Hipskinds had two sets of friends who cooked chili. One of
the two won the 1979 WCCC. Kathy says, “It was the aura surrounding Joe and
Shirley Stewart that convinced Dave that cookoffs were a fun family activity
and now there’s NO BEANS about it!” Kathy had two angels sitting on her
shoulder as she cooked her now infamous recipe. Her parents, Marilyn and Louie
Richichi, were with her through 22 years of cookoffs and were at Mandalay Bay
in spirit not only once, but twice. Kathy also won the Heatin’ Up The Bay chili
cookoff held at Mandalay Bay in November 2003. Maybe Mandalay Bay is just lucky
for Kathy.
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