“A soup like this is not
the work of one man.
It is the result of a constantly refined tradition. There are nearly a thousand years of history in this soup.”
Willa Cather
It is the result of a constantly refined tradition. There are nearly a thousand years of history in this soup.”
Willa Cather
I'd like to imagine that Willa Cather uttered these words at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chigago as she spooned up her first taste of chili, the strange Texas stew that was about to become a national phenomenon.
I'd like to imagine that, but I can't. Because in 1893, Willa Cather was 20 years old and living in Nebraska.
She'd have been right about the history though- chili goes way, way back.
Other ancient foods of humble origin-bread, hummus, cheese, yogurt, quinoa- have gone all upscale and artisan, but good ol' chili remains what it's been for almost a thousand years. It's still the sort of food that gathers friends, warms conversations, and encourages a little harmless shouting at whatever athletes and officials have taken the field.
Ball games and chili have gone together forever.
No, really!
Pre Columbian artifacts prove it!
Just look at these screen shots from an Aztec Superbowl:
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| The players the referee and the half-time show. |
Aztec codices also mention stews made of equal parts meat and ground chili peppers, and there are some pretty gruesome theories about the source of the meat. But I won't challenge your appetite by elaborating on those theories, because jokes about cannibalism would be gross, inappropriate and err....tasteless.
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| Except for maybe this one. This is funny. |
Well, okay. One more.
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| "I love it when conquistadors come over for dinner." "By the way, this guac is fantastic!" |
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| She travels across the planet by the power of her mind and once there, she exchanges recipes? This is vaguely disappointing. |
Fast forward to the 1880's and a crew of more corporeal ladies: the wonderful, the amazing, chili queens of San Antonio.
Every night as the sun went down,these enterprising women carted cooking fires and cauldrons to San Antonio's Market Square. They filled the air with enticing aromas, made happy conversation and sold chili ten cents a bowl to grimy laborers and silk-suited businessmen alike. From dusk till dawn, from the 1880's till the 1930's, the chili queens hosted the best party in town. Here they are, circa a long time ago:
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| Con carne or con queso, it's always convivial. |
Then came a Chili Stand at the 1893 Chicago Exposition and the resulting chili craze gave chili a permanent place on the great American buffet table.
It's the little stew that could.
Because a hundred years later, we still know that when someone says "hey, come on over, we're making chili", it's going to be a great night.
What we don't know is exactly what kind of chili's going to be dished up.
And that's the recipe assessing question that finally determined the winner of my winter-long chili quest.
At the end of each chili quest test, I'd ask those eating
"When one invites friends over for chili, does this recipe deliver what everyone's hoping for?"
So, sure this may be the best chicken chili recipe and the best vegetarian chili recipe I've ever, ever found, but if they were on the menu, I'd say, "come over, we're having chicken chili.", wouldn't I?
So, the best chili I've found this winter?
With the spices added in stages, like they are here, in Hot Rod chili.
I cooked the meat and onions and garlic and peppers as directed in Jamie's chili, but added these spices:
Mixture #1 after the meat has been browned and drained
Mixture #2 after about an hour of simmering
Mixture #3 about 15 minutes before serving.
It's extra work, true, but I really think the hot rod chili creator is right- adding the spices in stages makes the flavor deeper. I tested the versatility of basic recipe last week by replacing the ground beef and sausage called for in the recipe with some pork carnitas, and that was really good too.
Great recipes give you permission to play like that, and this is a great recipe. Consider yourself invited to play in the chili bowl.
And in case you want something salady to go with that, I picked this up at Central Market:
I've tried it as written and it's great, but..... a few thoughts:
1. Don't ever, EVER take a recipe written in Comic Sans All Caps too seriously.
It looks like it's on the edge of hipster hysteria, doesn't it?
Not to worry, it's just a salad.
2. Blood oranges. Sure, their name and their color are sure-fire conversation starters, but you could save money and a trip to the shop by using the oranges and/or grapefruit you already have in your fridge. I'll bet you can find something besides citrus to talk about.
3. I tried this with basil, but if I were serving it with chili, or fish, or tacos, I'd use cilantro instead.
2. Blood oranges. Sure, their name and their color are sure-fire conversation starters, but you could save money and a trip to the shop by using the oranges and/or grapefruit you already have in your fridge. I'll bet you can find something besides citrus to talk about.
3. I tried this with basil, but if I were serving it with chili, or fish, or tacos, I'd use cilantro instead.
4. If you don't have a nice vinaigrette on hand, just splash in your best olive oil and some apple cider or white wine vinegar.
And in other news,
We lucked into the most amazing waitress today when we stopped for a coffee at the Mermaid Bar in Neiman's! I'll tell you more about that, and the inspiration she smiled into next week's menu lineup on Wednesday.
For now,
No matter what you cook this week, I hope that every day is a bowl of chili day-
Days full of simple, humble things that have the power to warm you, body and soul.
Full of tradition, imagination and love.
I hope that you are nourished and nurtured this week by things ancient and new, and that you find it easy to pass that sustaining stuff to all the hungry souls around you.
Oh, and if you could pass the nachos too, that would be great.
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