A Bowl of 'Chilly'
By JANIE HOLBROOK

Now that our daytime temperatures are cool (although sunny), the evenings are really cooling down and this chill in the air makes me think of raking leaves, campfires and a pot of chili on the stove (or in the crockpot). I've used this recipe for years; the final version was combination of others I'd tried

when first learning to cook. know, I know, there are seasoning packets and microwave chili makings out there for a quick meal, but this recipe is great and perfect for weekend cooking and tastes even better the next day.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, grated cheese, chopped scallions or chives on top of each individual serving or set out a toppings buffet. My brother makes this chili and serves it over rice for a hearty meal. I serve mexican corn bread, oyster crackers and/or corn chips of some sort with it.

Janie's Chili (with beans)

2 lbs. ground meat (hamburger,
ground chuck or turkey)
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 cup chopped bell pepper (use
green, red, or yellow or a combination)
2 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp basil
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 large can tomato sauce
2 cans chopped or stewed tomatoes
(15 oz.)
2 cans (15 1/2 oz) kidney beans
(drain away liquid from one can)
Of course, you may add more
tomatoes or tomato sauce if you
prefer a "soupier" type chili.

Brown the ground meat with the onions and garlic in a large pot. If using hamburger rather than ground chuck or ground turkey, you may need to drain off the grease before adding the other ingredients. Add green peppers, tomato sauce, tomatoes and beans. Add all the seasonings and simmer for about 2 hours. Works great in a crockpot also.

About Chili

Chili is one of America's favorite dishes; there are many variations such Hot and Spicy chili, Crockpot chili, Vegetarian chili, as well as many other famous chili recipes. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the origins of chili as well as how to make the dish.

Some people believe that in the 1840s Texas cowboys pounded beef fat and dried beef with chili peppers and salt to make a sort of trail food for their treks to the gold fields. They would boil this concoction to make instant chili.

A variation on the cowboy origins of chili recipes says that cowboys would plant oregano, chilies, and onions along their well travelled trails in patches of mesquite to keep foraging cattle from eating them. As they moved along the trails, they would harvest the spices, onions, and chilies and combine them with beef to make a dish called "Trail Drive Chili."

Another version of the origin of chili says that the first chili recipe was made in the Texas prison systems because only the cheapest meats were served in prison. To make the meats a little tastier and less tough, they were cut into very small pieces that were boiled with chilies and spices.

Yet another theory is that Canary Islanders who were transplanted into San Antonio as early as 1731 used peppers and onions combined with various meats to make early chili dishes. This theory also gives credit to Canary Islanders for first bringing cumin, an essential chili recipe spice, to the United States.

One largely disregarded theory is that chili was founded by the U.S. Army. The first Army chili recipe was published in 1896. Garlic and beans were added by World War I and tomatoes by World War II.

The most plausible origin of chili came in 1828 when J.C. Clopper observed the poor people in San Antonio cutting what little meat they could afford into a hash-like consistency and stewing it together with as many pieces of peppers as pieces of meat.

However chili was created, it is a dish enjoyed in many homes in America today and in many different ways.

Janie will be contributing to the recipe column biweekly with recipes of her own, recipes from her family members and beloved recipes submitted from community kitchens.