The first chili of the season, back in September, was so insanely spicy it was almost inedible. It caused our dinner guests to request hair dryers and towels, they were sweating so profusely. It was accidental burn-your-face-off chili because I had never used chipotles before, and added in about twelve of them. Yeah.
I decided it was time for another batch of chili this week. The temperatures have been below freezing for the past 2 weeks, and tomorrow we’re supposed to be hit by the first monster storm of the winter. Even without the chipotle overdose, my chili tends to be on the hotter side, and this time around I wanted to see if I was even capable of toning it down a bit. I also tried out a new secret ingredient, and went 100% vegetarian, so housemate #2, Alex, could indulge and warm up with us. I have to say, I think this is one of my better versions–without the excess of spice, you could actually taste the other things in there! Of course, I’m sure I’ll never reproduce it exactly this way again. I don’t think I’ve ever made the same chili twice. But this one will go down in my memory as one of the best.
My usual secret ingredient is about a cup of strongly brewed black coffee. I have been putting coffee in my chili since I started making chili, way back in high school. It adds a kind of smoky, meaty taste, which is especially nice for vegetarian chili. But a month or so ago I started thinking that an unsweetened dark cocoa might be worth trying. And it was. In future, I’d probably use more–maybe 2-3 tablespoons, instead of teaspoons. And I’ve heard tell that you can actually throw in pieces of dark chocolate and let it melt, but that just seems like crazy talk to me.
I love chili because it’s about the easiest thing in the world, there are endless variations, and there is maybe nothing more comforting in the cold, nasty winter. This held true even when I was growing up in San Diego, and we didn’t really have cold, nasty winters. It was a staple dinner of my childhood, a camping trip regular, a dependable addition to parties. Now I probably make it at least two or three times every winter, and out here in Boston, it is certainly more of a winter necessity than it was in my southern California childhood.
[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:9]