Chili

Posted in Food

I love making Chili. Not sure why, but I always have. I’ve got a few different versions of it but this is my current recipe. When cooking, I usually like to keep things simple, but will add in a extra touch here or there to make flavors come alive.   (note: I don’t really ever remember my parents using any type of measuring spoons/cups when I was being taught to cook…. so use your imagination when interpreting my suggestions)

Prep:

  • 2 Chopped Yellow Onions
  • 3 chopped garlic cloves
  • 1/2 (or a little more) chopped beef (i.e. stew meet, chuck steak) – You’ll want to tenderize it and cut it into small chunks.
  • 2lbs of ground beef (no leaner than 90/10)
  • Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
  • Mild Chili Powder
  • 1 can Red Beans
  • 1 can Pinto Beans
  • 1 large can Tomato Sauce

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Posted on December 16th, 2008 in Food | Comments Off
Tagged: chili, chili powder, chopped beef, creole, creole seasoning, extra virgin olive oil, flavors, garlic, garlic cloves, ground beef, making chili, mild chili, onion, recipe, seasoning, tony chachere, yellow onions



Spicy vs Hot

Posted in Food

I’ve been reworking my chili recipe over the last few months and I’m getting it better every time. Having live for a few years in New Orleans, I learned the difference between “hot” and “spicy.” The later being full of a rich, lively flavor, the former being… well just dump in hot sauce till you can’t breathe so you can’t taste anything for a week.

Most people outside of Cajun/Creole country don’t know the difference. Too many times I taste something that is “Cajun” and end up kicking myself because I know better than to even try. That’s not to say that “spicy” can’t be “hot.” But, just because you poured in two bottles of TNT or some other fire sauce doesn’t make it authentic. So… occasionally when I tell someone that I don’t like hot food, but I love Cajun cooking, they think I’m nuts. This of course is a direct a result of never tasting the real thing, having only tasted the “cajun” dish du jour down at your local cafe.

I love spicy food! Seriously, for the last year or two I’ve been craving a 20lb bag of fresh crawfish and a bottle of crab boil. Add in some crab boiled red potatoes and real butter and I’d go crazy. Needless to say here in Idaho, though we can get the crab boil, we can’t exactly drive a mile and pull a bag of crawfish out of the swamp.

Making me hungry… must stop. I’ll post the current revision of my chili recipe soon.

Posted on December 13th, 2008 in Food | Comments Off
Tagged: cajun, creole, seasoning, spice