New Mexican hot chili peppers, skiing, and a rabbinical chaplain have more in common than you might think. Together, they form the secret sauce behind Dylan Anderson and Rachel Shindman’s win at JCC Denver’s Latkes & Lights Citizens Latke Competition last December. Two months ago, while carpooling back from a ski-filled Saturday, the couple learned that a participant in the Latke Competition cook-off had dropped out, and thus opportunity knocked! “I had heard of latkes before, but I wasn’t raised Jewish,” Dylan, a New Mexican native, explains. “But I thought it would be a fun way to get great chilis to the masses. There aren’t enough pathways for Hatch Green Chilis to reach people.”

Dylan and Rachel enjoying the JCC Denver Jewish Deli Bike Tour last September.
Dylan is a green chili enthusiast and currently in the process of converting to Judaism. He was inspired by Rabbi Emily Rosenzweig, his unit chaplain while serving in the Marine Corps from 2012 – 2017. “The other chaplains were from different religious backgrounds and didn’t serve everyone equally. But Rabbi Rosenzweig was awesome and just talked to people and asked questions. It felt real,” he recalls. As the they approached Denver that Saturday at 4:00 pm, Dylan decided he was in. “I turned to Rachel in the car and said, we can do it on the condition that we add green chilis inside the latkes.” With the help of Rachel and Dylan’s foodie sister, the couple churned out 300 latkes by 3:00 am, adding more chili with each batch until they had doubled the amount.
“We thought it would be funny if our last-minute entry won,” Rachel says, but didn’t consider it until she saw people returning for second helpings. No sooner was Dylan posing on stage with their trophy alongside Colorado Matters Senior Host of CPR News and event emcee, Ryan Warner. The medal is proudly on display in their dining room.
The couple agrees that the most rewarding part of the whole experience was watching people enjoy their latkes and rave about the chilis. They continue to infuse Hatch Green Chili flavor into their meals when hosting Shabbat, like a Hatch Green Chili stew paired with Rachel’s homemade challah. Dylan reflects, “One of my favorite aspects of the conversion process is being exposed to the community. It was meaningful to participate in the latke competition and community is one of the things I really like about Judaism.”
Elevate your Jewish baking skills with our Jewish Baking class series: Jewish Baking – Hamantaschen Cookies – JCC Denver