It started out as an Internet recipe on the Food Network for a vegetarian chili. Two hours into its preparation in the early hours before the 31st Annual UH Chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Chili Cook Off, the chili became a concoction all their own.
It was one that would unseat two-time student organization chili champs, and the organizers of the event, IEEE.
“It was the first time I made chili and the only time I made this recipe,” said Reshma Yelaka. “I was so nervous, but I’m so excited to have won.”
Yelaka created the chili with fellow electrical engineering senior and UH Robotics Team member, Alex Marciano.
In the four hours it took them to prepare their winning dish, these chili cooks added just about everything to their creation—from the more unusual squash and vegetable broth to the traditional tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, and, eventually, a few pounds of ground beef.
This is in addition to one ingredient they were keeping to themselves as they proudly displayed their trophy Thursday night.
“We added a secret spice,” Marciano admitted, a grin growing over his face, “but we can’t tell you what that is. That might ruin our chances next year!”
Marciano and Yelaka were celebrating alongside representatives from Schlumberger, who beat their own two-time champions in the company division—Fluor Corporation. The creator of their recipe, Kaya Mukherjee relied heavily, she said, on a combination of bacon, bacon grease, pork, beef and several kinds of hot peppers.
The two dishes ranked the highest with a group of four judges—two UH engineering faculty members, a staff member and one company representative from KBR—who faced 20 bowls in search of the best chili in each category.
Though it’s the highlight of the IEEE event, the annual gathering is about much more than just chili. Fueled by the support of corporate sponsors—Shell Oil Corporation , CenterPoint Energy, Fluor, Schlumberger, BP America, The University of Houston Engineering Alumni Association, Enterprise Products, KBR, Burns & McDonnell, OxyChem, CablePro LLC and Cameron—the cook off provides students an opportunity for informal interaction with the companies present. Not to mention, it helps IEEE raise money for scholarships and other activities the organization does throughout the year. Held just a mere day before the start of spring break, it is also a chance to have a little fun, which students did in a variety of ways.
There was a remote controlled boat race, deemed the IEEE Regatta, where organizations competed against each other on a course set up in the new meditation pond outside the engineering buildings. Others tested their ability to balance on a mechanical bull and threw a few air balls at a target intended to send volunteers plunging into the icy cold water of a dunking booth.
They cheered on three of their professors who demonstrated their ability to solve a series of math problems using a slide rule. The reigning champion, Stuart Long, professor of electrical and computer engineering, took home the win for the ninth time.
And in the commons area of engineering building one, students showed off their robotics projects. There were NXT robots nicknamed “sumo bots”—one autonomous and one remotely controlled—that battled for a ring. Two teams competing for UH in the robotics competition at the 2010 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Region 5 Technical, Professional and Student Conference in April were also there to give their classmates a look at their handmade creations.
Held in front of the engineering buildings for the first time, the event brought hundreds into the spring air Thursday.
"The change in the location of the event was a huge advantage for us this year, along with the great weather," said Marlon Belleth, chair of the IEEE student chapter. "The cook off is a monumental event for our organization and we cannot pull it off without the dedication of the officers and support of our department and industry partners. IEEE has successfully raised enough money this year to continue to fund extracurricular projects for our student branch and many more scholarships and field trips."
The event not only offered more activities, but an increased number of entries in its main event—20 compared to last year's 11 chili participants.
The student champions, the UH Robotics Team, which became an official student organization this semester, had to out cook 11 other student organizations for this year’s trophy. It was tough for these first time winners to hide their excitement over winning. For as they put it— it’s hard to predict what the chili judges are going to like.