Irma Olivas
Irma started cooking competition chili in 2017 when she started dating her now significant other, Andy Dalton. Before that time, all Irma knew about chili was Wolf Brand. Andy introduced Irma to a whole new world of Chili, but more importantly, according to Irma, a whole world of DEAR, DEAR friends.
It’s the friendships that Irma cherishes the most by participating in the chili cook-offs – of course placing/winning chili cookoffs doesn’t hurt either. Irma is often quick to volunteer at the cookoff, especially at the ones held in Maxdale, Texas, Irma can often be found making salsa to serve with chips and breakfast before the cookoffs, helping to cook and doing the dishes.
Irma’s salsa is well known at Maxdale – it is “delish” as Irma puts it but at this time, she has not entered it into the Salsa competition in Terlingua (we are working on her to enter!). Irma has also placed well with her bean entries in the cook-offs.
When asked what her favorite cook-off is – Irma responded she really did not have a favorite – that they were all her favorite in their own right as she continues to make new friends at the cook-off she attends with Andy.
Her most recent success at LSCC shows what perseverance can bring. Irma has been working on improving her competition chili recipe year after year and is a proud user of Mild Bill’s spices and Sazon. She has also won at a Maxdale cookoff but has been pretty consistently placing in the top 10 since LSCC. She laughed when asked if she had placed first anyplace else and said she could not remember since she was overwhelmed. Her first top 10 place was in her first year of cooking and she was totally “over the moon”.
Irma says winning the Tolbert Ladies State Chili Queen was THE BEST. With Andy and all her friends being so excited for her, which in turn made her very emotional and very happy. She says she will treasure that day and memory forever.
When asked what her next chili goal was – it was a surprising answer. Along with placing in Terlingua, which we all want to do, the chili trail to Terlingua is always the best along with the ability to cherish her friends and have a great time cooking with everyone. She says winning is a plus, but not always her priority.
She loves all of her Chili Friends!
