The Guilderland Chamber of Commerce returns with its second annual ‘The Heat is On! Soup, Chowder and Chili Cook-Off from noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Westmere Fire Department.

For my friend Patricia, cooking is a distant second to everything else in her life: kids, her husband, painting, shopping and travel. In fact, she does not cook except for seafood chowder, the day ...