Today, I'm making chili

[CatWoman]

:P

I can't wait for GOPisEvil to visit Atlanta.

I'm gonna tie him up in the kitchen.

He's always posting about good stuff that he's cooking :D

[GOPisEvil]

1. Heh!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x4556500

I'm more than willing to be lazy and eat other people's food. :)

[CatWoman]

2. BS!!!

You're a marked man, David :D

[GOPisEvil]

3. I wish it were cold enough to make chili here.

I've been wanting to make some for a while now. x(

Bring it on! :D

[CatWoman]

4. It got real cold yesterday

that's when I got the idea.

However, today it's supposed to go up into the 60's.

Right now our nights are real cold, but the days are warmer.

[GOPisEvil]

5. Yeah, we have the same thing here.

But I want to make chili on a cold gray afternoon. Maybe in February.

[Zomby Woof]

6. Does your chili go well with...

A baked potato? :D

[CatWoman]

8. *yum* *smack* *drool*

:D

[davsand]

7. Chili GOOD! How many gallons are you making?

Last time I made a big batch I made about 15 gallons...

We gave it all away in about 45 minutes. I ate a bunch while it was cooking.

:evilgrin:

Annually I sign up for a chili cook-off and enter it under the moniker of the local Dem party. I have a couple of buddies that come help me cook and we make a huge party out of the entire day.

We start the chili at about 10 am. We then cook lunch (hot dogs and brats) and hand it out to anybody that wanders by, and we drink a LOT of beer. All the while we are partying in a booth decorated with Dem signs and walk literature.

When the chili is ready we hand it out to people to taste it. Every year we invite Dem candidates or elected Dems to come and hand it out to the crowd--usually a couple thousand people. It has been a great event for us and a WHOLE lotta fun to do. Every year I have more and more people who show up to help cook or just hang out.

We also do ok in the cook-off. My chili has taken a First place with the judges the last two years in a row, tied for First in the People's Choice category the year before, and I had a second place finish my first year out (We lost out to a guy who gets paid to represent the Pork Producers' Association at chili cook-offs.)

Oddly enough, this started out when we entered as a cheap campaign event for a candidate I was managing. It has become somewhat of a big deal since then, with several candidates coming out for the free exposure.

After this last year, I actually got an offer of sponsorship from a produce supplier. He wants me to go to some big event over on the other side of the state. I'm considering it--he even offered to pay my hotel expenses AND let me keep any prize money, simply because he wants the publicity...

I LIKE chili!


Laura

[CatWoman]

9. LOLOLOLOLOL

GALLONS????

I want to make enough to last the week (to take to lunch, etc.), but come on Laura, GALLONS????

:hi:

Man, oh man, I'd love to taste some of your chili!!!!

[davsand]

10. The secret is don't start drinking until the chili is cooking.

If you start too early, you run a risk of getting too bombed to remember to keep it stirred. We learned that little trick the first year. (Thank GOODNESS that we had somebody show up that didn't drink...)

Frankly, I make my chili to about restaurant level hot. I'll put out hot sauce for those who want a real mule kick, but I try to make it flavorful but not terribly hot. You can taste the spices, but it won't char your palate.

I use about three different chili powders along with Anchote Chilies and some peppers. I put in a LOT of garlic, cumin, allspice, oregano, some cocoa, and even some allspice. I only use Beef Chuck that is diced in about half an inch cubes, and I use both red and black beans* (Oh--and a lot of onion and cilantro.)

This recipe was helped a GREAT deal by the feedback from DUers after that first year. I directly attribute the success of the chili to the cooks here at DU who were willing to offer advice.

I was asked by that same produce distributor if I wanted to go commercial with my chili--he offered to distribute for me--but I declined that because the cost to produce the chili will make it too expensive for most restaurants to sell. I may just GIVE him the recipe and let him do it--hell, I do this for fun--but I want to go one more year in competition.

Like I said, it is a hoot to do. I keep hoping that one day we'll do a DU meetup outdoors and THEN I'll come and make chili for everybody!



Laura

*This particular competition expects that you will use beans and make a red chili. It isn't like Texas where beans are BAD.

[CatWoman]

11. Cocoa!!!!!

I was thumbing thru one of Justin Wilson's cookbooks, and he puts cocoa in his chili, too.

Er, make that "put".

[trof]

12. Ever tried Wick Fowler's 2 Alarm Chili?

I used to make it from scratch.
It was about a half a day operation.
And I prided myself that it was pretty good.

Then a Texas brother-in-law gave me a package of Wick Fowler's.
It's a half dozen spice packets.
Use the meat of your choice; beans if you like.
I can not beat it, so I hung up my spurs.

For a hilarious read, see if your library has H. Allen Smith's "The Great Chili Confrontation".
It's all about the first chili cookoff in Terlingua, Texas and tells the tale of Wick Fowler.
Bon appetit.
:-)

[CatWoman]

13. Trof

never heard of it, but I will try to find some.

sounds delicious

:hi:

[trof]

14. Used to find it locally, but no more.

Luizianne corp. now owns the company.
You can google it and order online.
About 2 bucks a package, case of 12.
Pretty quick and very easy.
And DAMN good.