Chilli information page 3

1 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
Written by Linda Beaulieu

Directions

SOURCE: THE NATIONAL CULINAR

Californians like their chili chunky, made with tomatoes, round steak, pork and plenty of chili powder. One of the most famous chili recipes is Chasen's Chili, from the Beverly Hills restaurant, which calls for pinto beans, tomatoes, ground round, ground pork and a mere ½ tablespoon of chili powder. Actress Polly Bergen's chili, made with ground beef and red kidney beans, is almost as famous as she is.

Many health-conscious Californians serve a vegetarian chili, a meatless meal that relies on plenty of cooked brown rice and does not sacrifice good protein value. In Colorado, you will find Chili Primero, made with round steak, tomatoes and pickled cactus, as well as Chili Blanco Especial, or White Chili, made with Northern beans and chicken. The Acapulco restaurant chain's chili, which starts with suet and uses ground beef, veal and pork, is served with pinto beans, rice, macaroni or tamales. Chili Verde, or Green Chili, made famous by La Bola Restaurant in Denver, consists of pork roast, diced green chilies and hot peppers. Combined with an equal amount of Cheddar cheese over heat, this sauce becomes a chili con queso dip.

In the Midwest, Coney Island Chili is a rich meat sauce for pouring over spaghetti. Elsewhere, this is more likely to be used as a topping for hot dogs or baked potatoes. Corn Chips Chili Pie is a baked dish of corn chips, chili, onions and cheese that is the Southwest's equivalent to the tuna noodle casserole. The Walkabout, created by spooning chili, cheese and onions into an opened snack-size bag of Fritos brand Corn Chips, is eaten on foot with a spoon and still enjoyed at drive-ins, rodeos and state fairs. One of the most nontraditional chili recipes can be found in the Silver Palate Cookbook. Chili for a Crowd, with its 40 portions, is more of a Southwestern stew. It is made with sweet Italian sausage meat, beef chuck, tomatoes, plenty of chili powder, Burgundy wine, kidney beans and four cans of black olives! Italian Chili features chopped fennel bulb, hot Italian sausage meat, chicken, balsamic vinegar and corn.

On the lighter side, Chicken Chili is more nutritious and preferable during hot summer months. A light and easy chili can be made with ground turkey, chili seasoning mix, stewed tomatoes and red kidney beans. Toppings might include diced tomatoes, chopped onions, chopped jalapenos, crushed pequin chilies, sliced black olives, shredded cheeses, sour cream, yogurt and lime wedges. A bowl of chili can be a meat in itself. Corn bread, cornsticks or blue- cornmeal muffins and a substantial green salad are all that is needed to round out any chili meal. Chili may be prepared in advance and refrigerated for several days. It can be frozen for one to two months. Back East, many chili lovers will insist that chili must never be spooned into the mouth. The only way to eat chili, they say, is to plop spoonfuls onto sturdy tortilla chips and gulp them down. And to wash down all that chili, Easterners prefer Mexican beer: Bohemia, Carta Blanca or dark Dos Equis. Other beverage options include margaritas and sangria. Gewurztraminer is probably the best wine to pair with cubes of beef in a spicy sauce. Chili reaches new heights when game is used as the chief ingredient, as reported by John Ash, culinary director of Fetzer Vineyards, in his book American Game Cooking. He tells us:

Submitted By SHERREE JOHANSSON On 10-14-94

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