Student tenants cook up spice, battle out for homemade chili crown
In the “Rent From Ben Chili Competition,” nine chilis competed against each other, all made by “Rent From Ben” tenants. In addition, a spicy chili competition was hosted to spice things up. Eli Schwartz | Asst. Photo Editor
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On a hazy Tuesday afternoon, students walked to and from campus, stopping to get a taste of homemade chili along the way. The sound of live jazz music flooded Euclid Avenue as a Mardi Gras themed tent was set up for the contest.
“Any chance to inject some energy, some fun, some hot food, like it’s a no brainer,” Benjamin Tupper, founder of Rent From Ben, said.
Tupper hosted the “Rent From Ben Chili Competition” on Tuesday. Nine Rent From Ben tenants showcased their very own chilis. The development company rents out houses to Syracuse University students. The competition started around 10 years ago, with some breaks in between, Tupper said.
Tupper, an SU graduate, grew up in the University Neighborhood and moved to New Orleans for four years where he fell in love with the Mardi Gras celebration. Tupper said he wanted to bring the celebration to Syracuse when he returned to the area as a distraction from the harsh Syracuse winters.
Chili is both “fun in the cold weather” and an accessible dish to make, Tupper said.
“Throw in some beans, throw in some meat, whatever you’re good at. So it’s an easy thing and it appeals to everybody,” Tupper said.
Ben Tupper, founder of “Rent From Ben,” lived in New Orleans for four years, where he fell in love with Mardi Gras. In his “Rent From Ben Chili Competition,” he decided to bring the spirit of Mardi Gras and the warmth of chili to counter the hazy day. Eli Schwartz | Asst. Photo Editor
Competitors had the chance to win $200 for Wegmans and anyone could judge and vote. When passersby walked up to the colorful tent, decorated with Mardi Gras themed flags, beads and other ornaments, they were given a bowl and a spoon. After tasting all the chilis, they put their spoon in the cup next to their favorite chili.
Each chili was labeled with their names and the ingredients. Many of them had creative titles like “Bean Flick’n Good” and “Georgia Gold Brunswick Stew.”
SU senior Elle Kelmenson, the chef behind the chili, “Chat are we Seeing this Chili,” won the competition. Kelmenson didn’t have a recipe going into the contest; she said she had to look up what ingredients are included in chili. But, Kelmenson added a special ingredient to her recipe, bacon, which made her chili stand out from the rest of the competition. With her winnings, Kelmelson intends to throw a party at her house.
“I have been boots on the ground telling everyone I know to come and vote for me,” Kelmenson said.
Out of the nine chilis competing, “Chat are we Seeing this Chili” was sophomore Aiden Kayizzi’s favorite; voting for it was a no brainer, he said. Kayizzi plans to live in a Rent From Ben property next year and is “110%” going to enter.
Syracuse University senior Elle Kelmenson’s “Chat are we Seeing this Chili” was the winner of the “Rent From Ben Chili Competition.” However, Kelmenson didn’t have a recipe for her chili. Eli Schwartz | Asst. Photo Editor
While the chili cooking contest was the main draw of the event, John Allen, an employee of Rent From Ben, was holding a contest of his own. Allen made a separate chili titled “Melt Your Face,” which contained various peppers and hot sauces on top of the other traditional chili ingredients. Competitors were required to eat an entire bowl of the spicy chili and wait three minutes before consuming anything else. Anyone who didn’t eat or drink anything would walk away with $10 cash.
The “Melt Your face” chili made multiple people walk off sweating, crying and asking for a cup of milk before their three minutes were up. “It was nice knowing you,” Allen said to someone as he handed them the chili after adding a hot sauce called “The End: Flatline” to the bowl.
Allen said hosting the competitions were a great way to gather the tenants together.
“It’s a way to interact with them and let them know that we were once their age. We remember what it was like to have fun and do things, so we don’t want to be the uptight landlords,” Allen said.
