Liz Kraatz didn't go to culinary school, she went to art school but fell in love with the art of baking.
"I had a coworker ask me to make a cake one time... and I really really enjoyed it. It was my way of doing art," said Liz.
She started her own business back in 2011 called Liz' Cake Art and has been creating custom cakes and cupcakes ever since.
"I really like to do things that take a long time to create," she said.
On a whim, she applied for Season 2 of Cake Wars Christmas on Food Network and made the cut.
"It was a seven episode series and our team was eliminated on the third episode," he said.
That's when her loves for sweets took a savory turn.
"When i got home from filming in Los Angeles, I looked up World Food Championships. There's 10 categories and chili happens to be one of them," she said.
She came up with a recipe for creamy ancho white chili with the help of her mom and headed to the competition in Alabama. There were dozens of teams and guess who won first place and the $10,000 prize? Liz Kraatz of Imperial, Missouri.
"Totally shocking. The chili community travels all around the world to compete and here's me, my chef's coat says Liz' Cake Art," she said.
That was in 2016. She went to the same competition in 2017 with the same recipe and blew the judges away once again taking home first place.
"They were amazed... all the different flavor combinations," she said.
On Friday, for the first and possibly only time, the World Open Chili Championship recipe will be served to the public.
"I am going to do a one day restaurant," she said.
The Chili Experience Pop Up Event offers lunch and dinner sessions at Anew Test Kitchen on Grand Boulevard. A chance to try the world's best chili.
"Two-time world's best chili," she said.
The Chili Experience Pop-Up Event
February 23rd
LUNCH $12 11am – 1:30pm
Dinner $20 6:oopm – 7:30pm
Anew Test Kitchen
519 North Grand
eventbrite.com
Search: The Chili Experience POP-UP Event
