Tag Archives: spicy

Doin’ The Salsa

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When I was a kid, you didn’t see salsa on the store shelves in Chicago. At least not that I remember in my doddering old age.  There also wasn’t a variety of chips to serve the non-existent salsa with. You had Jays potato chips (yes Jays; not Lays. Jays was/is regional to the Midwest), Doritos in two flavors- Nacho Cheese and Taco (I HATED the Taco ones; still do and wish they had never made a comeback) and bagged popcorn. Yes, yes I AM old. Why do you mention it? I am also old enough to remember when frozen meals were called TV dinners and came in foil trays like this *points down*

I prefer not to think about what the parts that weren’t white meat consisted of. Do Turkeys have lips? These wonderful dinners had school paste masquerading as mashed potatoes and veggies that were so mushy you could feed them to the seniors at the nursing home with no problem.

On the subject of “omg, I’m old and nobody else remembers this”, does ANYBODY other than me remember the pop (soda for those born elsewhere) named “Anna Banana”? I have asked others and no one else seems to remember it.

 

Moving back to the subject of salsa. Yes, that was the original subject… I just got distracted by shiny things. Imagine that huh? When I was a kid, I had never heard of salsa. I imagine it was available in certain areas of the country but not mine. Then came the taco sauces. Thin uninspired mild stuff with very little flavor. Then we started coming into the time when people were branching out in their food tastes and from what I saw, salsas were one of the first things that became something everyone was eating. You name the flavor, there was/is a salsa with that taste. Want some pineapple salsa, no problem! Habanaro Peach Salsa… get it here!  Turkey Lip/Orange flavored salsa? Yep; we have it! Fine, so I’ve never REALLY seen that one but I bet somewhere, someone tried to make something with turkey lips!

My favorites have always been the fruit flavored salsas. There is something about the sweet taste of the fruit mixed with the bite of peppers and onions that I just love. That’s also why I love chutneys. Same fruit to heat thing going on there.

In Spring and Summer, I tend to make Salsas even more. they are a great way to get some fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet. And generally speaking, kids tend to love them too which is always good when it comes to the fruit and veggie idea. So today I kind of cleaned out my fridge of the fruits I needed to use. Add some vegetables, some spice, some sweet and I ended up with a great fruity salsa. It is so good with chips but I can also see it making a fantastic cover for some grilled chicken or fish. I was really pleased with how this turned out so I hope you enjoy it. 🙂 This really needs to be eaten the day it’s made to maintain the fresh taste and texture of the fruits.

SPICY THREE FRUIT SALSA

  • 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped
  • 2 peaches, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 10 grape tomatoes, quartered
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1/2 jalapeno, very finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder (can omit this if you prefer more mild but it adds a nice smokey flavor and aroma)
  • zest and juice of one lime
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  1. Mix everything together in a large bowl. Taste for personal preferences. I added a bit more chipotle and a touch more lime but that’s cause I love them both.
  2. Eat.
  3. Comment here telling me how easy and how tasty this was. 😛

Call Them Delicious But Don’t Call Them Sliders

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I’m not sure if I have mentioned before that I was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago (yes, that gets capital letters… 😛 ). I have been here in Kentucky since 1988 (Sobs as I realize I have lived here longer than some of my readers have been alive) but I am originally a city girl.

Everyone has heard of White Castle right? If you haven’t you either live outside the United States or have been here but need to periodically move away from the rock you live under. 😀 They originated right in the Midwest so I hold a rather possessive interest in them :-P. I loved them as a kid and I still love them. I was thrilled beyond sanity (not that doing something to take me past the point of sanity is difficult) when they finally opened a store not far from me. Ok, so it’s 30 miles but when you live in the sticks, near and far become very relative terms. I don’t get them often but oh my do I love those greasy little bite sized pieces of oniony heaven.

Being from the Midwest (Chicago in case I didn’t say that loud enough earlier and no, I’ve never been involved in a drive by. You have no idea how many times I’ve been asked that), I find myself getting mildly annoyed when I hear every sort of mini burger one could think of (most quite yummy but that’s neither here nor there) being called sliders. THEY AREN’T SLIDERS! THEY AREN’T THEY AREN’T THEY AREN’T!!! Ok, that’s out of my system now. However,  “Sliders” can only be bought at White Castle and even then, one doesn’t go in and place an order saying “I want 315 sliders”. Do that and the employees and other customers will know you spend far too much time paying attention to weird media sources. They are just hamburgers… or maybe “White Castles” if you are in the middle of Chicago ordering them. But the mini, small, tiny, minute, teenie, call them what you will, burgers that get made at home are not sliders. Shhh…don’t argue. They aren’t. Just trust me.

That doesn’t mean they aren’t delicious and fun as hell to eat though. So make a big batch of these mini burgers ( Did you notice I didn’t call them sliders? Did ya see? Huh huh huh?) cover them with the tangy sweet onion relish and slather some extra cheese and the Cajun mayo and eat until you burst. Since these are mini, they have no calories. You knew that right? Small means no calories. The calories dissolve before they get to your stomach. Just a little FYI for you there.

CHEESY CHIPOTLE MINI BURGERS WITH AN ONION RELISH

&

A SPICY CAJUN MAYO

  • For the burgers-
  • 3 pounds ground chuck
  • 1/2 of a 7 ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
  • 12 ounces shredded Colby jack cheese (sub your favorite if Colby jack doesn’t do it for you)
  • 2 cloves minced garlic or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 12 packs of mini burger buns
  • For the onion relish-
  • 3 large onions, sliced thin
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • For the spicy Cajun mayo–
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
  • 2 tablespoons salt free cajun seasoning (if you only have salted, be more careful on amounts and taste as you go so it doesn’t end up over salted)
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 2 green onions, finely chopped
  • salt to taste if using the salt free seasoning
  1. For the mayo, mix all the ingredients together and then refrigerate until serving time. See how easy that was? 😛
  2. For the relish, add the olive oil and sliced onions to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently. Turn heat down to low (about 3 on an electric stove) and cover the pan, Stirring occasionally, cook the onions until they are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, salt and brown sugar. Stir well and cook over medium heat until the vinegar is totally absorbed, about five minutes. Set aside until ready to serve.
  3. For the burgers, mix all the burger ingredients together. Don’t over work it; just mix until combined. Shape the meat into 24 small burgers. Cook via your favorite method. I used my George Foreman grill. If you’re going to use a regular grill, I highly suggest using one of those wire grill pans that holds small things unless you LIKE digging through the coals for your food 😛


Curry Is Brain Food

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No. Really. It is. If you eat curry based foods, you will gain 75 IQ points. You’ll also lose copious amounts of weight. Unless you need to gain weight in which you’ll gain exactly what you need. Your sex life will improve, your skin will be brighter and clearer. Your husband will start complimenting everything you do, your kids will hang on your every word and be instantly obedient and your dog will stop peeing on the carpet. You’ll also win the lottery. Oh, the miracle that is curry.

If none of that happens though, I can at least promise you that your tongue will be happy. Wait… that sounds bad. Oh well. It will! It will it will it will!!! You HAVE to believe me! *Falls on the floor and has a temper tantrum worthy of a two year old* And I know my two years olds. I have one after all.

Ok, now that I have gotten all of that out of my system, I’ll just say that curry really does make your tongue happy. And your belly. And your toes. And your… ok, I’ll stop now.

I first started using curry powder and curry paste in my cooking about ten years ago. That was when I started slowly branching out in my food tastes from the chicken and dumpling type life I had been living before then. I was a sad sad woman food wise up until that point. Well, other than the Twinkie and Ho-Ho addiction. I will always get teary eyed and remember those days fondly.

I won’t tell you that the chicken curry I make is akin to what one will find in your favorite Indian restaurant. Yes, it is slightly Americanized and yes, it is personalized into how I like it. But isn’t that what cooking is all about really? Someone makes something, tells someone else, who then makes it their way, gives it to someone else who loves it but they also change it some to fit their personal tastes and so on and so forth.

I can however tell you that everyone who has tried chicken curry that I have made has loved it. I have converted people who thought they didn’t like spicy or even spiced (as in highly flavored) foods with this curry. I make mine fairly spicy but if you prefer a milder curry, just cut down on the Thai Chili Sauce or the red pepper flakes. If you actually like it spicier, just increase the red pepper flakes or use a hot curry powder rather than a mild one. Like I said, we try foods and then make them our own. That’s what makes cooking fun.

CHICKEN CURRY

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 small package boneless skinless chicken thighs (the thighs add moisture. Just using breasts is fine but the end product may be a bit dryer.)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves chopped garlic
  • 1/4 cup Pataks  (I have only used this brand because I loved it from day one. So I can’t vouch for other ones) mild (or medium) red curry paste
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder (yes, along with the paste. It adds another layer of flavor)
  • 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup Thai Chili Sauce
  • 2 cans Thai Kitchen coconut milk
  • 2 cans chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • juice and zest from one lime
  • For serving-  Basmati or Jasmine rice, Mango (or Cranberry) Chutney (will post my recipe for Mango Chutney at some point in time) and lime wedges
  1. In a large pot, brown your chicken breasts and thighs in batches. As with browning any meat, don’t overcrowd the pot or they will steam rather than brown. Put aside as you brown. When all are browned, drain off all but a little bit of the grease. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened.
  2. Add your curry paste, curry powder, masala and cinnamon to the pot. When spices are used dry, some can have a bitter edge, especially true for curry. Cooking it a little before adding the rest of the ingredients  leaches the bitterness, brings out flavors and also smells amazing. Stir and cook for about three minutes.
  3. Add the chicken back to the pot along with both cans of broth, one can of coconut milk, the red pepper flakes and the chili sauce. Put your other can of coconut milk in the fridge while you cook. Trust me on this. Also add the raisins & brown sugar. Cover and simmer until chicken is tender, about 90 minutes. Take chicken out and let cool until you can handle it without leaving blisters on your fingers. Leave pot of sauce cooking on low while the chicken cools. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and add back to pot. Open your other can of coconut milk and skim off and add to the pot only the solids, leaving behind the thin liquid. Simmer for two to three minutes; just long enough to heat the coconut milk up. Add in the lime juice and zest.
  4. Serve over Basmati rice with chutney and lime wedges.

On A Wing And A Prayer

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Back in 19…well, 19 something and lets just leave it at that shall we, I worked at T.J. Applebees which was the name the restaurant now known as Applebees went by back in the day. One of the Friday night specials they had was ten cent wings. Yes, ten cents. Now of course you feel blessed if you can find somewhere that does wings for 50 cents. But that’s neither here nor there. You don’t want me to get started on a rant over the state of the economy and how difficult it is for a person to get an inexpensive wings fix now do you?

I want to know who decided wings were trendy. I mean really? Wings? They have about 2 ounces of meat and that’s if you find a nice meaty one from a chicken who had weight issues and needed lap band surgery. Couldn’t the “theys” that decide these things have made drumsticks a fad instead? I don’t like drumsticks. I could have had a whole flock of wings all to myself.

The problem with wings (other than the now exorbitant price) is that up until fairly recently they came in three flavors:  mild, medium and “omg, I no longer have lips”. While I love me a good hot wing and have been known to court tongue blisters many times, I tend to crave variety. Mind you, even my variety tends to have some heat to it but it’s not of the Franks Red Hot Sauce kind (I do love that stuff though). So when I made wings for dinner last night, I wanted to try something different. I love Orange chicken but it is usually cloyingly sweet and has no bite to it at all. I also love Chipotle peppers but they have been done to death. So I played around and made my own fusion of the two flavors. I of course also had to use the glaze on boneless skinless chicken breasts because my husband won’t eat wings. Did I mention that I love him in spite of his obvious flaws? But… it worked well on the breast too though it was difficult getting them glazed well without a skin for it to stick to. If I do that again, I will marinade the breasts for some time before cooking them.

But if you like wings (or chicken breasts or any part of the feathered creature actually, especially the lips) or you like a bit of citrusy (yes, that is now a word) heat you may like these. They are sticky, sweet, spicy and with the tang of citrus.

ORANGE CHIPOTLE GLAZED WINGS

  1. 4 lbs chicken wings (whole, pieces; doesn’t matter. Use what you like)
  2. 1 12 ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
  3. 1 7 ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I used 5 peppers and some sauce)
  4. 1 cup honey
  5. 1/4 cup brown sugar
  6. 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  7. 1 teaspoon onion powder
  8. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  9. zest from one orange
  10. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • First, if you’ve decided to do this with boneless skinless breasts, I suggest putting the chicken and the marinade/glaze in a large plastic bag and letting it marinade for up to 24 hours. Otherwise, just continue as instructed.
  • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Put your wings in a single layer (or as close to it as you can get) in a large baking pan and put into the oven while you make the glaze.  This is to help render some of the excess fat off for obvious reasons and so it doesn’t thin out the glaze too much.
  • Take the rest of your ingredients and dump them into the blender or the bowl of a food processor.   Like I wrote in the ingredients, I used five peppers and some sauce in mine. If you are heat averse (you poor soul) use less. If you really like your heat, use more. I would have rated this about a 4. Next time, I will use more peppers.
  • Process this up until it is a nice puree. You may still have some small bits of peppers. That’s no problem.
  • After your wings have been in the oven for 30 minutes, turn the oven up to 400 and take the wings out. Drain off all the fat and pour your glaze over them. Turn them to coat both sides. Cook for about another 30 to 45 minutes until they are nicely glazed (you may want to turn them once more during cooking) and cooked through. Before you take them out, you can turn the oven to broil and put the wings under there to crisp up the skin a little.
  • If you have any extra sauce in the pan, it’s great over rice. Now go… shoo… cook some wings.

The Great Cornbread Debate

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Go look up recipes for cornbread. You will find 75k variations but the biggest difference has been a matter of debate for many many years. I would imagine the first two women, back thousands of years ago, ended up in a life long feud over cornbread. The issue? Whether or not to add sugar.

For some reason, with home cooks and chefs alike, that is one food that will never be agreed upon. Even in my own household, it’s up for debate. Well, my husband and kids think it is anyway but since I’m the one doing the cooking, there isn’t much debate. I make it the way I like it and that’s that hehe.

And how is that you ask? Oh, you didn’t ask? Well, I’m telling you anyway because otherwise this would be a really short paragraph and ruin my reputation for being long winded. I make it with sugar. BUT……. very very very little. I do NOT like sweet cornbread. To me, that’s just a yellow cake made with cornmeal (yellow cornmeal versus white cornmeal is another debate but we won’t go there because if you use white cornmeal you’re just strange 😛 ). My husband and kids prefer sweet but again, there’s that “I’m the cook” thing. When I’m feeling kind (or I spent too much on Amazon and am sucking up) I’ll make sweet, but rarely.

The cornbread here is neither of these. yes, there is a touch of sugar in it, but only as a foil for the bacon. Yes, more bacon. Expect it to be a recurring theme in my recipes :-D. This cornbread is a savory oh so tasty version made with bacon, green onions, cheddar-jack cheese and green chilies. Slather this bad boy with butter and have at it. You can of course serve it as a side dish but why bother? You can eat more of it if it’s all you’re having. Just sayin’ 😀

Bacon, Cheddar and Chile Cornbread

  1. 1 1/2 cups cornmeal ( yellow cornmeal darn it! Yellow!)
  2. 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  3. 4 teaspoons baking powder
  4. 2 tablespoons sugar
  5. 2 1/2 cups milk
  6. 1/2 cup oil
  7. 2 large eggs
  8. 1 7 ounce can chopped green chilies, drained
  9. 8 ounces cheddar- jack cheese (can use any sharp type of cheese you want really)
  10. 1 pound bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled (try to make sure 3/4 of it actually ends up in the bread 😛 )
  11. 1/4 cup sliced green onion (about 2 large green onions)
  12. 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  13. 1/2 teaspoon salt (careful with this if the bacon is really salty)
  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
  • Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and red pepper flakes (if using) and baking powder in a large bowl.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until until they are well combined. Don’t over mix; that’s what leads to tough cornbread.
  • Put into a greased 13×9 inch pan and bake at 400 degrees until top is golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Check after about 30 minutes because ovens heat differently.

Mine after my son got a hold of it when my back was turned. Grrrr....grrr I say!

 

Is there anything better than curry? Anything? Bueller? Anyone?

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I have a thing for curry. I need rehab. But I have no interest in being cured. If my kids wouldn’t tie me up and hang me by my toes from a clothesline, I would probably make every dinner something with Curry. Chicken curry for sure but why stop there? Curried hot dogs anyone? How about curried Twinkies? Ok, maybe not either one of those but still; curry is my life. Give me curry or give me death!!! I did NOT have sexual relations with that curry! When the going gets tough, the tough eat curry! And of course, from Red Dwarf, “But then I poured curry sauce all over it, and he just yummed it all up!” Ok, sorry. I’m done now. I got carried away on waves of curry. Champagne wishes and curried dreams! Ok, NOW I’m done. Maybe. But don’t gamble on it.

Well, today was a rare day because I was in the mood for something curried. Never would have guessed that was coming huh? But I didn’t want anything heavy. The guys decided they wanted fast food and since I’m not much on that, it left me with the chance to play. I’m pretty pleased with what I came up with. This can be a side dish to any sort of Indian, Middle eastern or Thai meal or even, as I’m having it, as a meal on it’s own. It has a lovely curry flavor and a mild sweetness as well as a subtle hint of coconut, pineapple and other fruits.  My house smelled amazing while this was cooking. The way I made it it has a bit of a bite but that is easily changed by leaving out the red pepper flakes.

FRUIT AND CURRY SPICED RICE

  1. 2 cups Basmati rice
  2. 1 13.66 ounce can coconut milk (I always use Thai Kitchen brand)
  3. 1 20 ounce can pineapple chunks in their own juice, drained, juice reserved
  4. 1/2 cup dried Apricots, chopped
  5. 1/2 cup raisins
  6. 1 green onion, thinly sliced (and a little more for garnish)
  7. 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  8. 1 2/3 cups water or chicken broth
  9. 2 tablespoons red curry paste
  10. 1 teaspoon mild curry powder (yes, both the paste & the powder. They add different levels of flavor)
  11. 1 teaspoon salt (add when done cooking if you’re using the broth in place of water because it may not need it)
  12. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  13. 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  14. 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • In a medium pot, put your rice, coconut milk, water (or broth) and the reserved liquid from the pineapple. Add the curry paste, curry powder, apricots, raisins,  green onion, salt if using, garlic powder, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Stir to mix well.
  • Put over medium heat and stir frequently until it comes to a simmer. Then put on a tight fitting lid, turn your heat down to medium low and let cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Check every five minutes or so and give this a quick thorough stir because it will stick because of the coconut milk. When almost done, add the pineapple chunks. Mix well.
  • When done, garnish with the toasted almonds and some green onions. Enjoy!
  • Note- To toast Almonds the easy way, take the slivered almonds, put on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for one minute. When the minute is up, stir them around, spread them back out and put back in the microwave for another 30 seconds (make sure to peek through the window to make sure they aren’t burning.) Do this as needed until they are a nice toasty brown. It took two and a half minutes in my microwave.

All we are sayyyyyingggggg is give curry a chanceeeeee! Ok, NOW I'm done

 

 

Chili Today Hot Tamale

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I remember when I was a kid there was a huge joke that went around everywhere, popular with kids and adults alike (hey, it was a more innocent time then; or at least that’s what I tell myself to cover up for the fact that we were all way too easily amused back in the day). Someone would walk up to you and say something to the effect of “hey; have you heard the weather report?” When you said no, they would reply “It’s chili today and hot tamale!”. They would then proceed to laugh hysterically and wait for you to join in. Being the sophisticated intelligent delusional child that I was, I would of course stick my nose in the air and reply with something pithy like “that’s so funny, I forgot to laugh” or the oldie but goodie that proved what a humor god you were, “last time I heard that one, I laughed so hard I fell off my dinosaur.” (No really… we did; Stegosaurus I think.). I was so ahead of my time when it came to witty comebacks. Still am… or something.

Bur regardless of my sparkling wit or lack thereof, I have been told I make one hell of a pot of chili. So that’s what you’re getting today; my chili recipe. I haven’t even given this to my grown kids yet. Well, I suppose I have now.  There goes their inheritance. I planned this yesterday when it was rainy, cold and windy. So what happens? It’s 67 degrees out now. Go figure.

Four Bean Chili

  • This sounds like a lot of ingredients but it goes together quickly and makes one  huge pot of chili; about eight nice sized servings. It can be cut in half or doubled easily. This is a somewhat spicy chili though in its defense my kids eat it and haven’t started breathing fire yet. But if you are spice biased, feel free to omit the chopped jalapeno. Leave the Chipotle though; it adds flavor, not just heat.
  1. 3 pounds ground chuck
  2. 1 1/2 cups chopped onions (about 2 medium)
  3. 1/2 cup chopped celery
  4. 1 1/4 cups chopped mixed peppers (I use a combo of red, green, orange and yellow. You can use your favorites)
  5. 1 large jalapeno pepper, finely minced
  6. 1/4 cup minced garlic (I used the kind from a jar;  so shoot me.)
  7. 2 15.5 ounce cans kidney beans
  8. 2 15.25 ounce cans black beans
  9. 1 15.5 ounce can pinto beans
  10. 1 15.5 ounce can chili beans (I vary spice level depending on mood; today’s was “medium”)
  11. 1 14.5 ounce can chili style diced tomatoes (I use Del Monte or Hunts)
  12. 1 10 ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes with lime and cilantro or the kind with green chiles (if they don’t have that in your area, just use another can of any style diced tomatoes you like.)
  13. 1/3 to 1/2 cup chili powder (yes; half a cup)
  14. 1 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper powder (I use McCormicks brand)
  15. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  16. 1/4 cup Franks Red Hot hot sauce
  17. 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate (you can sub 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder)
  18. 1/2 cup brown sugar
  19. 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  20. salt to taste ( I actually rarely use salt in it because the spices and canned products add enough salty flavor)

Garnishes- cheddar or jack cheese, red or green onions, finely chopped cilantro, sour cream.

  • Chop up your celery, onions and all the various peppers. Mix them with the ground chuck in a large (preferably heavy bottomed) pot. Over medium high heat (on my electric stove, I have it at about 7)  cook until the beef is browned and the veggies have begun to soften, stirring frequently. Drain well and put back into the pot.
  • Add the rest of your ingredients except for the vinegar and the garnishes. Mix well and put your heat on medium. I start out at about 5  (stirring frequently) until it comes to a simmer then I turn it down to 3. You need to watch it carefully and stir often or it will stick to the bottom of your pot.
  • See how easy this was so far? Now just bring it up to to a simmer, turn your heat down to medium low and let it cook. It can be eaten in about an hour if you prefer your chili soupier but we like it thicker and more stew like so mine simmers for about 3 hours. About 20 minutes before you’re ready to serve it, add the vinegar, stir it thoroughly then give it a taste. If it needs more of something, add it now. Too tart? Add a touch more brown sugar. Too sweet? Add some salt and maybe some more chili powder. Too spicy? Send it to me.
  • Ladle into bowls and serve with tons of garnishes. My favorites are a lot of cheese, either green or red onions, some sour cream and a bit of cilantro. We serve this with either cornbread, tortillas or the yummy and typical saltine crackers.

Herman the cow wanted to be in the picture. He loves chili... evil cannibal cow.