FEELIN' HEAT CHILI FANS FEAST AT CONEJO COOK OFF.

Byline: Paul O'Donoghue Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS - Hot chili and high temperatures combined Sunday to make it a perfect day for fans of southwestern cuisine like Newbury Park resident Vince Torres.

Torres and his girlfriend, Michelle Lundby, and their son, Cole, 21 months, were checking out some of the chilis produced by 53 competing cooks in the 25th annual Conejo Valley Days Chili Cook Off at Conejo Creek Park.

``This is delicious, it's the best,'' said Torres, after a few seconds of rolling the sauce around in his mouth like a fine wine.

``It has all the right ingredients. It's got just the right amount of garlic and tri-tip and it's got a lot of beans as well. And I like that you can choose either hot or mild.''

That chili's cooks, Barry Steinberg, his wife, Sylvia, and his brother Marvin, watched Torres consume their special blend, the product of 18 years of entering competitive cook-offs. Their secret ingredient is the habanero chili from the Caribbean.

The habanero is thousands of times hotter than regular jalapenos, said Marvin Steinberg with a devilish smile.

``We hurt people, we burn 'em,'' said the Woodland Hills resident, whose stand was labeled R.I.P. Chili. ``We're world-renowned for our 10-alarm chili. This will burn your hair. It brings tears to glass eyes.''

For a 50-cent scrip ticket, chili connoisseurs got a small cup of chili, which consists mainly of well-cooked meat and tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onions and other spicy ingredients imported from places such as Mexico and Texas. A band played country and rock music as folks wandered around stalls and checked out the amusements.

Money from the cook off, which is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks, goes for a variety of local service organizations and charities including Drug Abuse Resistance Education, Manna, college scholarships for high school students and junior Rotary clubs, said Mike O'Beirne, the coordinator for Rotary.

``It's a wonderful happening, and a lot of people come to kick back and eat chili, so this is much more than just making money,'' said O'Beirne, a past president of the Rotary Club.

``Chili gives you an excuse for doing everything else.''

About 150 Rotary club members and friends helped out at the event, which is expected to raise $40,000 to $50,000 for the charities and service organizations, O'Beirne said.

With temperatures in the mid-80s, organizers expected about 15,000 people to attend the event that traditionally launches the Conejo Valley Days festival that continues Wednesday to next Sunday.

Chili cooks, who came from all over California and other states, began setting up for the cook off early on Sunday morning to compete for prizes for best chili, showmanship, booth decor and the chili bought by most patrons, judged by the number of 50-cent scrip tickets at booths. Prizes ranged from $500 to $50.

In addition, the cook of the chili judged best by a special panel of judges gets to go to the national championships, which will be held later this year in Las Vegas. Last year's championship purse was $25,000.

The elaborate chili stand by Bob Delaney of Newbury Park and friends featured coffins that served as a counter, and a graveyard out front with headstones inscribed with names such as ``Pappy Prieka - He's a cumin, Lord,'' and ``Hal Opeenya - Started out fresh, ended up pickled.''

And the chili was good, too, said Ed Deberry of Thousand Oaks.

``They've cooked out the tomatoes and the beans are done,'' Deberry said. ``I hate it when they undercook the chili. I like chili fries and chili dogs. It's a beautiful location and a beautiful day.''

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2 photos

Photo: (1 -- color -- ran in Conejo edition only) What an uncultured few might deride as merely a bucket of meat, peppers and other stuff, true chili connoisseurs appreciate as an ambrosia all the more beautiful for its bounty.

(2 -- color) T.J. Blackburn of Newbury Park cubes a slab of beef for his Gimmesummadat chili at Sunday's Conejo Valley cook off.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer