Pat Deuson is a fellow Echelon Press author. Her new book is SUPERIOR LONGING, about which more later. Tell us what you mean by “Approximate Chili”, Pat.
One of the great things about chili, besides taste and goodness, is that anyone can make it, and they can make it anyway they want. When I make chili I use every kind of bean I can find, and I use canned because really, why not? I’m especially fond of ceci, aka garbanzo or chick-peas [have you ever tried chickpea flour?] and then use every other kind of red, white, pink, speckled, or black bean around. While not a natural vegetarian, I prefer chili without any animal protein.
Since chili making isn’t an exact science, you might do something like this:
In a large pot sauté up a lot of diced white onion, a large amount of diced pepper – red, green, or yellow – with a goodly amount of crushed garlic in olive oil. When softened – and remember this won’t need to cook for all that long if you’ve used canned beans – add a large can of whole tomatoes that you’ve squished by hand and the can juices. If you like more tomatoey goodness, add some tomato sauce as well.
Now flavoring. I use chili powders [NM chili powder, CA chili powder, mysterious and unknown chili powder, paprika, regular and smoked, & cayenne] with a dash of pepper flakes for more heat, and spices: cumin, cloves, cinnamon, salt, sometimes coriander and sweeteners: a dollop of molasses and a sprinkle of dark brown sugar. Sometimes I use ketchup [ketchup was once a spicy ‘Asian’ sauce, and if you haven’t made your own (which you should immediately hide) it is a revelation] but I always use a bottle of beer – a fairly light beer. Give this a stir and add your choice of beans. Stir again, gently. If more liquid is needed I always add more beer, but water would do.
Turn the heat to medium low under the pot, and let the chili slowly raise to a simmer. Keep an eye on it and do stir from time to time and add more liquid if needed. Chili is fairly resistant to mishandling, but nothing tastes better for being scorched to the bottom of a pot. Stop cooking when it’s as thick as you want, and remember it will thicken as it cools. Like stew, chili is better the next day. And the day after that!
Chili is a meal, a side dish, a soup [more beer? broth? tomato juice? water?] and a life saver from the freezer, because another great thing about chili is that it freezes well.
This recipe was brought to you by the folks at Cooks Inn Cooking School, whose further adventures [some of which lead to murder] can be found in SUPERIOR LONGING, the first Neva Moore mystery, written by Patricia Deuson, published by Echelon Press and available from 9/15/11 until the end of time in most fine ebook formats such as Kindle, Nook, Smashwords and Omnilit and maybe others no one told me about. SUPERIOR LONGING has its own blog and Facebook page as well. Go visit them!
Yeah, that’s the kind of recipe I like. 🙂
Meanwhile, I’ll be guesting on Sylvia Dickey Smith’s Blog Talk Radio half-hour interview show. Here is the link: Writing Strong Women. The show is live at 1:00pm CDT. If you can’t listen live, please pop in and listen to the archived show.
WRITING PROMPT: Pick any three characters, of your own or someone else’s. As a thought experiment, how would they make chili if they were tasked to do so?
MA
Pat Deuson
September 1, 2011 at 8:45amCincinnati!?!? Very interesting! I started using what we often think of as ‘pie’ spices when I saw how much they added to the savory dishes I ate in Egypt or Morocco or in West Africa. A different palate!, and very tasty too.
thanks for letting me stop by, Marion.
Marian Allen
September 1, 2011 at 9:11amVery glad to have you visit! What’s Cooking America said, “Macedonian immigrant Tom Kiradjieff created Cincinnati chili in 1922. With his brother, John, Kiradjieff opened a small Greek restaurant called the Empress. The restaurant did poorly however, until Kiradjieff started offering a chili made with Middle Eastern spices, which could be served in a variety of ways.” So, if you go to the store and find a can of “Sky Line Chili” or “Cincinnati Chili”, you’ll probably like it! Outside of Texas, they say, Cincinnati is the chili capital of the world. 🙂
Pat Deuson
September 1, 2011 at 8:41am@Ellis Vidler –
Thanks, Ellis! Food often carries family memories , the rituals we observed as we grew. I know I’ve got a few – although I too have ‘tweaked’ them.
Ellis Vidler
August 30, 2011 at 7:34amKate in Haunting Refrain would open a can of chili and be done with it. Claire, from Cold Comfort, would spend the afternoon tasting and tweaking as it simmered. 🙂 Fun idea, Pat. I’m looking forward to Superior Longing and seeing how your characters do it.
At the first cold snap of autumn, my sister and I both make chili, just as our mother did. Ours has a little spaghetti in it–Kentucky style. We love chili.
Marian Allen
August 30, 2011 at 10:24amEllis–with spaghetti is the only way to fly! lol
Chili with cinnamon and jazz like that is what I think of as Cincinnati chili. I loves me some Skyline Chili!
Alex J. Cavanaugh
August 29, 2011 at 2:33pmAs long as it’s spicy, I’ll eat any type of chili.
Pat Deuson
August 29, 2011 at 2:45pmOr almost anything!
Cindy Sample
August 29, 2011 at 1:17pmMy character would add chocolate to her chili and call it Chili Mole. Chock full of antioxidants. I can always find a way to justify chocolate consumption.
Pat Deuson
August 29, 2011 at 2:45pmA brilliant idea! I wonder if you’d have to leave cinnamon out?
Bob Sanchez
August 29, 2011 at 11:42amI like it hot, but not so hot it burns a hole in my tongue.
Pat Deuson
August 29, 2011 at 12:05pmVery true Bob! It’s just another nice thing about chili – if you don’t make it too hot you can actually taste it.
Pat Deuson
August 29, 2011 at 8:54amMarion,
Thanks for inviting me to Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes. I feel right at home here!
Pat
Marian Allen
August 29, 2011 at 9:16amSo glad you could visit! Sounds like you cook the way I do. 🙂