Looking forward...

Sometimes you just can't help it. Sometimes real life just gets in the way of things you would rather do.
I am back. The San Antonio Express News was kind enough to print an article in the food section on this chili journey and blog. Thanks to all those that contributed their time and efforts...we made the front page of the food section... what a treat!!

Enough chatter!
This week, we're going to hit it hard and come out steaming! Due to unexpected events, we were unable to have our chili night last week, so this week we are doubling up. We are going to make both Famous Dave's Route 66 Truck Stop Chili, (whew), AND Bar Abilene Chili, from Minneapolis, MN. What? Okay, there is a place named Bar Abilene in Minnesota? Cool. I'm very excited about both of these chilis, but I've already discussed Dave's in a previous post.

Bar Abilene's looks like my kind of stew. Full of interesting spices (including dry mustard and paprika), it also requires Guiness beer, chicken broth, tamarind pulp, molasses, chipotle chiles, a poblano chile, salsa roja and masa harina!!! (I wonder if the folks that put beer IN their chili understand how good that beer is when one just drinks it WITH their chili? Always wondered that....) Anyhoo, Thank God we have some good Mexican specialty stores here in San Antonio; Thanks to them I'll be able to come up with these ingredients with no problem.

I'm very excited about trying this one, and in fact, I need to go and find some people to come taste. This is going to be fun. Not enough time to write...gotta go.
Will check in again before the weekend!

First of the Midwest Region!!

Well, let me tell you, we had some differing opinions about this chili! I personally loved the flavor. Now, I have to admit, it was pretty bland, but that can always be fixed, and the initial flavor was good.

On a 1-10 scale for flavor, it only received a 6 (mine was the highest score, but it wasn't enough to balance the others). It received a unanimous "1" on a 1-5 heat scale, i.e., no pizazz, no nuthin'!

Overall, considering the flavor, texture, etc., it received a 5.5. I think it was wronged! Again, it utilized chunks of chicken breasts, which we don't generally associate with chili, so I think the visuals put some people off. My very favorite thing about this chili was the addition of hominy! Okay, so honestly, how many people use hominy on a regular basis? You? You? Yeah, right. I think I may have purchased it twice in my life...for a specific recipe. Well, people, let me say right now that I am going to put it in all my chili from now on. It was delicious! It added a corn-flavored sweet-ish aftertaste that went so very well with the chili, cumin and other flavors. Delish!
Why didn't the others like it so much? I think because of two things: they couldn't get around the concept of chunks of chicken breast in their chili, (understandable, as it wasn't even "hidden", like when we use ground turkey; at least that's ground up!" AND because it had no zip to it. It just didn't seem much like chili.

Some of the comments:
"The flavor ws only a "3" until the toppings were added...no heat! Very bland."

"Pretty presentation; sweet, no heat, good texture, lighter---not a hearty chili--a "chick chili!"

"A delightful option for those who enjoy chili with less heat, a lighter flavor and the absence of red meat which has been replaced by chicken, providing a healthy option for the heart-conscious."

"Hominy adds great flavor. The chili was light and tasty, although there was no heat/spice to it at all. Would be excellent with some heat!"

I must say that I like tasting two chilis in one night...especially when one is beef and one is chicken. It makes for interesting dining conversation. Who knew that just discussing eating could be such fun? On a side note, I did provide fresh hot cornbread, tortilla chips, and crackers to go with both chilis. The toppings were the same for both; chopped green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream. One of the things I've noted, is that whenever sour cream is added, the heat is decreased. Is that why we do sour cream on enchiladas or tacos? To "tame" the heat? Just asking...I never really thought about it; just knew it was GOOD.

Well, I'm off. Tomorrow is a day to think about the next chili, which, with a name like "Famous Dave's Route 66 Truck Stop Chili" has got to be good! You'll never believe what the interesting ingredient of Famous Dave's chili is....actually it has a couple, but the one I find most intriguing is, are you ready for this?
Kahlua liqueur.
Now we're talking. Happy Trails!

Chili #10: We've reached the end! Of one section....

Out with the old, in with the new! Last night, we finished the Eastern U.S. section of the book. We also began the next section, the Midwest.

Yep, two chilis in one night. Joe upped his intake of Tums to 4, and it looks like I may have to get back to my Friday night schedule for chili. I guess our tummies are too old to have cocktails, two kinds of chili and a dessert on a Tuesday night. It's just too much.

The good news is, it was a LOT of fun! We invited our neighbors over to taste chili with us, and they are very kind and sociable, so it was a lovely evening. More good news, and to the point; both chilis were good! The interesting thing was, we didn't all like the same one, which proves once again the power of personal taste.

In order to write a blog instead of a book, I'll discuss the first chili here, then the next one in the next post.

The first chili (#10) from the Sidecar Bar & Grille in Philadelphia, Pa received an average of 7 out of 10 on the Taste/Flavor scale. For heat, it got a 3, which surprises me, because it seemed a bit spicier than some of our previous chilis in this section. On an overall scale of 1-10 for good flavor, texture, color, etc., it received a 6.5.

One of the interesting things about this chili was the way they added the meat. In this I did deviate from the recipe in terms of technique, but not, I think, in flavor. The recipe calls for the ground beef to be made into patties then seared in a hot iron skilled until very dark brown, then broken up into pieces and added to the stew. Since I no longer have any cast iron (due to the heaviness of it on my wrist and the new induction glass cooktop that I'm terrified to scratch) I used the BBQ grill on high, and seared the outside of the patties, then crumbled them to add to the mix, but I don't believe that it detracted from the original intent.

As far as flavor, when I took my first bite, I recoiled from the saltiness. Other tasters didn't seem to have a problem with it, but in looking back over the recipe, it requires salt PLUS Adobo seasoning, which has salt in it. An easy fix; if I ever make it again, I will leave out the salt and just use the Adobo seasoning. We did enjoy it, though, especially with cornbread. Possibly the cornbread's slightly sweet taste balanced the saltiness?

Some of the comments:
"Has some heat but it dissipates quickly. Flavorful, and the toppings really set off the flavor and taste."
"A little salty, good flavor, color was not rich like I would expect."
"This is a refreshing change from the traditional chili that depends heavily on chili powder for flavor. ...a delightful taste and aroma."

Overall, I thought this one was one of the better ones in the Eastern section of the book, and I would not hesitate to make it again; I'd just use less salt.

It was a good way to end the first section. On a personal note, as one chef put it "We cater to the Eastern palate", thus I'll be happy to move on to the Midwest, where, I hope, we'll find a bit more spice!

I'll discuss the next chili in the next post. Happy Trails!

Tuesday morning...chili is in the air!

Having neighbors is wonderful. Sure, maybe sometimes you don't want to hear that lawnmower at 7am on a Sunday morning, but usually they're there and willing to lend a hand. If you need to borrow a wheelbarrow, our neighbors are always willing to offer theirs. We were trying to get our Christmas tree off the roof of our SUV and I'm not quite tall enough...one neighbor saw us and came running to help us with it. Plus, I love the chit-chat with neighbors while we're all out working in our yards.

Yes, neighbors can be wonderful. When our company from the East Coast called last night to say they weren't coming after all, due to a business emergency, I ran across the street and begged our neighbors to come to dinner tonight. Thankfully, and on short notice, they agreed to come over to taste some chili with us!

Now this should be fun. Our East Coast company has been with us before for our "chili nights". This will be new to our neighbors, and they have no idea what they're getting into. I lured them with Key Lime Pie for dessert.

It's morning still, and the house smells like a wonderful restaurant; the kind you walk into and instantly wonder "What's that incredible smell?" The kitchen is redolent with the fragrance of garlic and onions, chili and cumin. I'm still having my morning coffee and I'm ready for lunch! Bring on the cornbread! On a serious note, since I never taste the chili until we sit down for dinner, (no matter how good it smells!)here is what we're having tonight.

The last of the Eastern U.S. chilis, number 10, is from the Sidecar Bar & Grille in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to the cookbook, the Sidecar is downtown and is considered to be a sleek, urban-chic watering hole, serving fashionable martinis. Their chili is called a crowd-pleaser, and the creators encourage the cook to play with it and "experiment with the ingredients at will". My kind of cookin'.

Once we finish that, we'll start a new section, (the Midwestern U.S.) with the Chicken Salsa Chili from the Cafe Latte in St. Paul, Minnesota. A new ingredient for me, this recipe calls for the addition of hominy, as well as using chicken broth. I'm all about trying new ingredients; that's what makes this journey so much fun. I usually put corn into my own chili, but hominy? I'm looking forward to it.

Spring is in the air, and it's going to be a great day. A ground beef chili, a chicken chili, cocktails before dinner with kindly neighbors, and key lime pie for dessert. Does it get any better than this? I can't wait...but I do promise to not sneak a taste!

Last of New England, First of the Midwest!

Okay, tomorrow night we're tasting recipe #10, the last one of the Eastern group! It's from the Sidecar Bar & Grill in Philadelphia This chili has all the common makings of what we generally put in chili; peppers, onions, garlic, cumin, cayenne papper, chili powder, etc. Also, it's made traditionally, with ground beef. It DOES, however, require lager. As I've stated before, I'm not used to the taste of beer IN my chili; I'd rather drink it WITH my chili, but I'm going to stay open-minded and open-mouthed, and look forward to this one!

Because we're having company tomorrow night, we're going to do two chilis. We'll do the first one in the Midwestern U.S. group, from the Cafe Latte in St. Paul Minnesota, it's the "Chicken Salsa Chili". This one is made with chicken breasts, chicken broth, the usual chili and tomatoes and beans, with the additino of a new ingredient: hominy and lime juice. Because it calls for fresh chopped cilantro, I know I'm going to love it. It should be interesting, to say the least!

I will be topping both chilis with sour cream, chopped onions and shredded cheese, and, as usual, there will be fresh homemade cornbread.
I'm off to the grocery store to stock up on ingredients. See you on the other side!
Deb

Another Good One...almost!

Two in a row, I can't believe it. Because we had company from the East Coast last night, we decided to make two chilis in the book and have them help us "taste test". It was a lot of fun, especially because these were right at the top of the heap. The Salamandra Restaurant in Carlisle, Pennsylvania provided the recipe for their "Poblano and Grilled Chicken Chili".

Okay, you say, poblano peppers...big deal. Sounds like they'd fit right into chili, right? So what was the "interesting" ingredient? Well, first off, it used chicken and not beef. Okay, you say, big deal; everyone has tried turkey chili at one time or another, right? Sure, sure, but in this recipe, you grill the chicken on the BBQ first, then ADD it to the chili. Huh?

It also had a second "interesting" ingredient. The serving suggestion is to serve it hot, topped with chopped green onions and shredded cheese. Okay, fine, but the cheese is gruyere! VERY different!

Here's how it all turned out.
On the basic 1-10 scale for taste, it received only a 6. As far as heat, on a 1-5, it received a 1.5, not unusual for an Eastern chili.
As far as the overall rating, it received a 6.5 out of 10. Not bad, but certainly not the one we've liked the best so far.

Some of the comments are very informational, so don't let the score lead you to believe it wasn't a good chili...read the comments:
"I loved the different texture and color. The cilantro and onions really added a unique touch!"
"Not real tasty, but an interesting texture."
"I loved the texture, color and flavor of the cilantro. Did not care for the chicken, but liked the gruyere and onion addition; really added a good zing."
"Good mixture of tastes but nothing stands out. Needs some zing."
"Couldn't quite get around the chicken...would have been great with beef."

This chili was beautiful to behold. It was chock full of all the things we love about food...good color, texture, and flavors; black beans, kidney beans, cilantro, gruyere cheese, green onions. A true feast for the senses. Unfortunately, the grilled chicken didn't go over so well.
We all agreed that if this chili were spiced up a bit and made with bison or beef, it would have been simply outstanding.

See you next time, and don't forget to add a little spice to YOUR life!
Deb

'Twas a good one!

We tasted some good chili last night! Living in San Antonio, I've heard the phrase "Them Yankees don't know how to make chili!" numerous times. Oh, you Southwest chili snobs, I beg to differ. Main Street Euro-American Bistro & Bar in Princeton, New Jersey knows how to make a pretty darn good chili!

Okay, now, I must admit that when I initially read the recipe, I was a bit floored by the addition of dill. Naturally, when I lifted that first spoonful to my tongue, I was looking for it. The surprising thing is, I found it, but only in the background noise...it blended in. I think that the addition of the sweet Italian sausage was the kicker that pushed us over the edge into Happy-Land.

We had 4 tasters last night, and here are the results.
As far as simply taste and flavor, it received a 7.5 out of 10, one of our highest so far.
On the heat scale, like all of the "Eastern" chilis so far, it received a 1.5 out of 5. Again, that is not to say it was without flavor...the flavor was good; it just could have been spicier for our Southwest palates. But that's an easy fix if one wants it spicier.
It received an overall rating of an 8 out of 10, making it right up at the top of the ones we've tried so far.
Some of the comments:
"The Italian sausage adds a nice flavor."
"Good chili. Italian sausage adds to texture."
"A fairly traditional chili...liked the mixture of beef and Italian sausage."
"Traditional taste, good flavor and texture. Two types of meat is a good touch. I added cheese and onions (on the second round) which gave it a kick that tastes great."
Remember: We always serve the chili according to the information the restaurants suggest in the book, i.e., serve with sour cream, corn bread, etc. The tasters rate on that, then if they choose to have seconds, they can add what they want to it. The fact that they went for seconds says something!

Overall, this was one of the best so far. What I liked was that while the restaurant uses their "Main Street Wild West Chili Spice", (which they sell) they provided a good substitute mix to use, which was wonderful.
Thanks to the Main Street Euro-American Bistro & Bar for helping to make a success of another night of chili-tasting.