I'm always hesitant to get excited about cool weather, especially when its only the first cool front of the season. But cool weather invokes thoughts of hot chocolate, fall colors, pumpkin pies, sweaters, and holding loved-ones close to stay warm (the imagery is good, but I'm not sure it ever gets that cold around here). One thing I love about the cooler weather is cooking soups, stews, and especially chili.
Chili has got to be the easiest dishes to prepare. Ground meat, onion, a couple cans of beans, a couple cans of diced tomatoes, add heat, and season to perfection. The great thing about chili is that it can be as simple or complex as you want. When I first started cooking I used the recipe in The Joy of Cooking. That is, until I found a few simple ways to make my chili more exotic.
For example, I add a couple cloves of garlic, a 1/4 teaspoon of cumin or coriander, 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon or cayenne pepper, and of course a good bit of chili powder. Sometimes I'll add turmeric just for the cancer fighting properties, and some paprika for schlitz and giggles (both are relatively mild spices, so they don't add much flavor). Lately I've been using three different beans (blackbeans, kidney beans, chickpeas, etc.), and we call it "Three Amigos Chili." Really, the possibilities are endless.
If you're still reading, here is a pro tip for you chefs out there. I ad 1 oz. of dark chocolate at the end for a smooth texture and a little thickness. While you won't see this on Wiki's page on chili, I once read in an anthropology class that the origin of chili has been traced to ancient Greece. Accordingly, the Grecian chili was not considered "true" chili if it was not sweet to the palette.
So there you go, another crazy post from a guy who likes to eat.
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