Red hot chili preppers

Philip Henderson didn’t win the top prize for his recipe at the Orange County Fair’s chili contest Sunday, but that was OK with him. Just being there was the main thing.

“I enjoy being a part of the fair, whether I win or lose, it doesn’t really matter,” he said. “I just love to cook.”

Henderson ? who likes his chili hot and spicy, enough to make you sweat ? and his 40-year-old recipe snagged him a third-place ribbon Sunday.

The cowboy hat-wearing Irvine resi- dent also volunteers at the fair everyday and drives two 2,000-pound oxen around the fairgrounds. So far this year he’s won four ribbons for his culinary creations, and he estimated he’s won about 25 ribbons over the past eight years in various cooking contests at the fair.

Other contestants share Henderson’s love of cooking, and tried their hand at the contest, although for many it was their first time entering. The grand prize went to first-timer Roger Becker of Trabuco Canyon for his fiesta chili. Becker has been fine-tuning his recipe for the past five years, and this combination worked for chili judge Tina Davidson.

“This was an exceptionally good bowl of chili,” she told the crowd after she announced the winner. “All the flavors blended really nicely, and I liked that there were all the colors and textures.”

Becker, who brought his own rooting section of family and friends, said the blend of five chilies and four kinds of beans created a nice colorful chili with some major heat, but he was quick to applaud his fellow cooks.

“A lot of the other people did good,” he said. “[This was] more than I expected.”

Davidson, who has her own extensive experience competing in similar contests, was Sunday’s judge. There were separate ribbons for spicy and mild versions of the dish, and each was judged based on taste, presentation and originality.

“It’s like having your child judged,” said Terry Fyffe of Fountain Valley.

Next year, Aliso Viejo resident Michelle Cummings plans on improving her presentation. The stay-at-home mom was inspired to enter the contest because of her love of “Oklahoma” and because of praise she gets from her family.

“My husband loves my chili, so I thought, ‘Why not?’” she said. “Next year I’ll have a better presentation, I definitely want to make it more eye-pleasing.”

The fair will host more contests, including a whittling competition and a spinning wheel match. For more information, visit www.ocfair.com.

FROM THE FAIR

ATTENDANCE

Sunday’s crowd as of 6 p.m.: 31,320

Saturday’s crowd: 53,125

Tuesday’s BEST BET

Check out the Fab Four for a rocking tribute to the Beatles, one of the most influential bands in rock history, at 8 p.m. in the Washington Mutual Arena. The fair is closed on Mondays.dpt.10-fair-chili-2-kt-BPhotoInfoKB1SPKT420060710j25zayncKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)Philip Henderson accepts his white ribbon for winning third place in the spicy chili category during a contest at the Orange County Fair on Sunday. dpt.10-ocfair-logo-CPhotoInfoKB1SPKKG20060710j207elnc(LA)dpt.10-fair-chili-1-kt-CPhotoInfoKB1SPKE120060710j25za3ncKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)Tina Davidson judges a chili sample during a contest at the Orange County Fair on Sunday.