Thursday, October 12, 2006

Chilly weather is finally here



About August I didn't think I'd be saying this but it's time to cook chili! Damn us Californios had us some hot weather this summer, not unlike the rest of the country. So now all the ugly electric bills are behind us let's get cookin' some tummy-warmin', not to mention soul burnin' chili.

I have this burning question, how do you make chili? From a recipe or just start throwing chili-like ingredients in a pot and hope for the best? This isn't really a challenge just something informal from our readers. Add a comment, long or short or send an e-mail and share your chili favorites or your own secrets.

My chili? I slow cook some beef shanks or ribs or any other bony beefy thing with some dried and fresh chilies and garlic and onions and tomatoes. Somehow in the end it becomes chili good enough to eat. I'm always a bit amazed it comes together.

8 comments:

Annie said...

I've never made chili, but yours looks great. It is the perfect dish for a chilly night!!

La Vida Dulce said...

This chili looks delicious! You know, we all must be on the same cooking vibe. Michael finished off the last of the chili mac last night. Always tastes better the next day. This time I added in some chorizo with the ground meat, not bad. Next time I'll try a chuck roast and some pork, and no beans. Gotta love this weather!

maltese parakeet said...

i've never really done authentic chili like that. i usually do the ground beef and chili spice mix from the grocery store thing. i actually only recently started being able to eat chili again, so i don't have a long history in its preparation.

why was i unable to eat chili, you ask? well, i'll tell you. when i was but a small child, my mother (that's mooncrazy, for those of you keeping score at home) entered a chili cook-off. in order to promote her chili to the crowd and the judges, she dressed me in a red satin chili pepper suit (that she made herself) and made me walk around the cook-off handing out little envelopes of rolaids with the name of her chili on them. to add insult to injury, she then made me get up on a stage in front of countless tens of people and sing a song about being a chili pepper. to my aunt doodles' credit, i do recall that she accompanied me on stage for the humiliation. scarred. for. life. couldn't look at a bowl of chili for like 20 years.

i'm sure mooncrazy or doodles have a picture of the chili pepper humiliation that they would love to share with all of you!

Lea said...

I always do the zen method of chili cooking =) Starting with browning the meat with onions (I like to use lamb in my chili, ground or stew chunks), then I add the spices and chilli peppers and liquids (beer!!!) Now for authentic chili you'd leave it like that and let it simmer a while.. but I always like to throw absolutely everything in the world in mine... bell peppers, beans (usually more than one kind), corn....

Coincidentally I was just given a recipe for "black chili".. which is sort of a mole chili.... chili with chocolate.... hmmmmm =)

barb said...

omg I have not thought of that incident in years hahahaha
now if in fact I did have a photo it would certainly be hanging next to you and the rooster. Do you spose we scarred you for life really? ;)

about chili I have moments of craving chili varieties, cincinnati chili which has a cinnamon base, mexican chili warm and spicy, no bean chili, beef chili, white chili, hhhmmm not too often. Wonder if there is a salute to chili week.
I'm gonna go look for some old phot's now OK?!

Lea said...

hahahahahaha!

Deborah Eley De Bono said...

Lea, black chili, now that sounds like a halloween party dish.

Lil bird, I thought we were having fun. Damn, I wish I could find a pix of that event. You neglected to add your chili pepper suit had a green "stem" hat. ha!

barb said...

moon you're torturing the poor child. ha!