On Sat, 4 Feb 2006 20:34:14 -0500, "Nancy Young" <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
"modom" <[email hidden]> wrote
Quoted message said:On Sat, 04 Feb 2006 19:32:22 -0500, Karen AKA Kajikit
<[email hidden]> wrote:
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:I put a can of olives into the pot of chilli I made last week and
while it might not have been authentic it was pretty darned good! It
made a nice tangy contrast to the tomato and beans.
You're breaking my heart. Really. It lies in pieces on the floor.
And I weep in my soul. Olives, tomatoes, and beans! Oh my! How
could you be so cruel? What has become of kindness and human
feeling?
(laughing) I did not put her up to it, I just sat back and waited
for you. Too funny. Just the way she said it, nice contrast to the
tomatoes and beans. Screamin riot.
It was funny.
Quoted message said:
No offense meant at all, Karen, it was written just so to
twist the knife in Mike's heart. Sounds tasty to me, too.
Lots of things taste good. I like lamb vindaloo, for example. And
pho. And tagines of various stripes. Not to mention tabbouleh, pasta
Bolognese, gulash, and curry -- these being other foods whose names
are no longer firmly connected to a specific class of recipes.
There was once a noble dish called chili, and it didn't have any
olives in it. In order to clear up any confusion about my opinions,
let me repost a chili recipe:
[begin quote]
Here's a suggestion from a Texan (who believe it or not is less
concerned with authenticity than with the possibility of good flavor
in a bowl of red):
-2 lbs chopped beef
-1 lb chopped pork (note: you can use ground meat, but the texture
will suffer. The meat will cook a long time, so cheap cuts are
preferred)
-5-6 Tblsp prepared chili powder (note: the use of 5 or so rehydrated
ancho chiles is a fine variation, and perhaps other dried red pods
would suit you better--New Mexico, cascabel,, etc. One trick to get
more and better flavor out of dried chiles is to toast them very
briefly in a hot oven or even over a gas flame, but take care not to
burn them even slightly--they'll turn very bitter. After they're
rehydrated, grind them up in the blender with some water or stock and
add them to the pot. The idea is to make the stew turn brick red
because of the chiles, not other red stuff like tomatoes ot tomato
paste or catsup or whatnot.)
-2-3 Tblsp paprika, as desired to redden the mix, and of course to
flavor it, too.
-1 Tblsp cumin seeds (aka cominos)
-1 Tblsp dried Mexican oregano
-6-8 garlic cloves, minced
-salt, as needed (note much chili powder has much salt in it already,
which is a good argument for using chile pods in stead of the blend.)
-Sugar, as needed to cut any bitterness the chiles might land onto
your dish.
-Enough beef stock (watch the salt again if it's canned) or water to
cover the meat.
-About 2 Tblsp dry masa harina mixed with enough cold water to make
it a pourable but thick fluid for thickening the chili. If masa is not
available where you are, corn meal can be substituted. Masa tastes
batter, however.
-Cayenne can be added to make the chili more picante, if desired.
Chipotle chiles also would warm up the picante factor as well as add a
tasty smoke flavor to the chile.
(Final note: all measurments above are very approximate, but don't be
chicken about spicing your chili)
Brown the meat in a large pot, but don't cook it too long or too
brown. If there's a lot of fat in the pot when the meat is pretty
well done, drain it off as you are able. Add the spices except the
salt and the sugar (are they spices?) and cover the meat with stock or
water. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and slowly
simmer for about 3-4 hours. Check it now and again to make sure it
doesn't dry out, adding liquid as necessary.
When the meat is tender, taste the liquid and adjust the spices as
needed. This is the time to add salt and sugar if you feel they are
necessary. If you find it too hot, sometimes a couple of chunks of
raw potato simmered in the juice will suck up some of the spice. When
you are satisfied with the taste, make a slurry of the masa and cold
water and add to the pot, stirring constantly to prevent lumping.
Cook it another fifteen minutes or so till it thickens somewhat.
Serve the beans on the side, so people can add them as they like to
their individual bowls of chili. Red kidney beans cooked in stock
with some cumin and garlic and seasoning meat might be right. In my
house it is usual to serve the chili with chopped onion and grated
cheese. Also warm corn tortillas would likely be well received.
You will notice that this chili is a meat dish. Any vegetables you
need will be a separate enterprise. A green salad with tomatoes and a
nice lime vinaigrette would seem apropriate, but that's just me.
Chili, by the way, makes better leftovers than anything else I know.
The flavor is much better the second day or even the third. I mention
this by way of suggesting that it can be made on a weekend when its
long cooking time might be less of a problem and then served on a
busier day.
[end quote]
Looking over this recipe, I think it'll need more spice. So bear that
in mind if you use it to make chili.
modom
