Chili for me is a very interesting dish.  Most people I come across seem to really like chili, but not the same chili.  Some people hate beans in their chili.  Some people only want beans in their chili.  Some people like a lot of beef flavor.  Some people like the meaty texture, but like using ground turkey instead.  Some people like it so spicy it would light a Thai on fire.  Some like it so mild an infant could eat it.  I could go on and on.

This chili does a great job of keeping everyone happy.  I can honestly say I’ve had both  a culinary adventurer and a four year old be very pleased at the same time with this chili.  While I’m obviously pleased with that result, this chili holds an even deeper place in my heart.

About 15 years ago I followed a recipe in a church cookbook called Chili 21.  There were 21 ingredients that made up the chili.  Many of the ingredients were prepackaged and I thought I could improve this.  So a long journey was born.

Over the years I would substitute this or that, trying to figure out what was at the heart of the recipe.  I would experiment.  I would succeed.  I would fail.  It would be too spicy.  It would be too thin.  I would burn it.  I think I made every possible error you could make with a chili at one point or another with this recipe.  Eventually I got it  right.  More importantly, the journey taught me a lot.  This chili recipe took me from someone who merely followed recipes to a confident cook.  Thank you Ladies of St. Bernard’s, you’ve helped more than you know.

Click here to see Chili for a Crowd.

Pasta with Mushroom Sauce

This week seemed a perfect time to post a mushroom recipe. If you are lucky enough to find local, wild mushrooms, maybe you need some new ideas on what to do with your bounty. If not, you can always forage for mushrooms at your local grocery store.

I am all for light meals, especially during the summer. But sometimes I just want a rich, satisfying, comforting plate of pasta. This dish was inspired by the campanelle pasta I saw at my local Kroger (but any short pasta will do). The shape of the pasta reminded me of a gourmet mushroom. So, I went and bought gourmet mushrooms. I think I’m like the mouse in Give a Mouse a Cookie. Show me a mushroom shaped noodle, and chances are I’ll want a mushroom sauce to go with it.

I’ve bumped the mushroom flavor with a little truffle oil. Excellent, if you like and have it, but not essential to the dish. Actually, the sauce is so good, you could eat it by itself. It’s really nothing more than homemade cream of mushroom soup. There is also a little thyme in the dish, and a hint of white wine. I think thyme and mushrooms were meant for each other. They are both so earthy. And the wine . . . well what isn’t improved with a little vino?

And chances are . . . if you open a bottle of wine for the sauce, you’ll probably want a glass or two with dinner.

Click here for the recipe.

Grilled Onions with a Curry Mustard Glaze

If you’re new to grilling vegetables I really think onions are a perfect start.  They are firm by nature, easy to cut into a flat surface, and generally can go with a variety of dishes.  There are some pitfalls to be avoided, however, and after more than a few less than stellar outcomes over the years I think I’ve hit them all.

One, the bigger the onion the better.  Smaller onions have a habit of ending up vertical and falling through the grates.

Two, when in doubt slice thicker, not thinner.  Thin onions have a habit of becoming not so tightly packed together at the end of the grilling process.

Three, if you’re a big onion fan, like myself, almost any onion variety will be a treat.  However, in general, I have found that the sweeter the onion the better.  If you can score a bunch of Vidalia onions in season, definitely use them.

For the recipe this week, some people will debate on whether the spices should be blended with the mustard, or applied after the mustard is already on.  The latter group will claim it leaves a crust.  The former will claim they are “chalky”.  Click here, and I’ll let you decide.

Gazpacho

I think gazpacho is the reason we have tomatoes. It is a classic Spanish tomato soup that is served chilled. It is only made with perfectly vine-ripened tomatoes. So, this is the best time of year for it. Make it now, because you’ll love it so much you will want to make it again before the tomatoes are gone.

My version of this soup uses bread to give it some body. It’s a traditional Mediterranean technique, which probably just got started because they were so frugal. But it turns out that it also gives the soup a nice mouth-feel. That and the olive oil. If you have some good Sherry vinegar, be sure to use it instead of the red wine vinegar called for in the recipe. And, don’t be put off by all the pureeing in batches. If you really want to make the soup, but don’t want the effort, just chuck all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and give it a whirl. It will still taste delicious.

For more on gazpacho, just click here.