Chili!!

I’m a day late, yesterday was National Chili Day. The story of chili has a long sometimes unsubstantiated history, from a 17th-century nun to 18th- century immigrants in San Antonio to 19th-century gold mines and cattle drives in the American West.

The basic chili recipe is tomatoes, beans, chili peppers, meat, garlic, onions, and cumin. From these ingredients the variations are limitless! Don’t like beans, no problem, leave them out! Like it, hot, how about jalapeno or habanero peppers are thrown in the pot. (There are police officers that put a little pepper spray in their chili, but I wouldn’t recommend it!)

Personally, I like homemade chili, however, I have been known to eat canned chili. If you are familiar with the Cincinnati, Ohio area Skyline or Gold Star chili are just two canned chilis offered in that market.

How do you make chili better? Well, with add-ins of course. Here are just a few. Spaghetti, cheese, green onions, chocolate (Cincinnati chili), corn, etc., etc., etc. There is no wrong way to make chile, only preferences.

So while it is still cold outside, dig out your home chili recipe or try a new recipe variation, take a trip to the store, grab those chili ingredients and start cooking!

Oh, and by the way, leftover chili goes great on hot dogs, with cheese, onions, coleslaw. I think I will go get something to eat.0 views