"chili powder" news and stories

The last thing to add to Slow Cooker Chili before you turn the dial and set it on its long slow journey to chili awesomeness is seasoning. Like any slow cooked dish, using fresh herbs to season is a waste of fresh herbs. Stick with dried herbs and spices, which have more concentrated flavor.

I will be frank with you. If I am making chili during the week when I am busy with life, then I resort to store-bought chili powder along with an extra hit of ground cumin. I realize that there could be all kinds of strange and unusual ingredients that have been ground into that bottle of chili powder, but I don't mind being ignorant to them for the sake of convenience. If I'm making chili on a lazy weekend afternoon, then I add dried spices individually. If you're ambitious, you can grind the spices yourself and make your own chili powder to use in the future. Chili powders include, but are not limited to: ground chili, oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.

Seasoning the Chili:
Add ½ c chili powder to the beef, vegetables (and beans if you added them) in the crock pot. I like heat in my chili, so I throw in some additional cayenne pepper (about 2-3 additional Tbsp) as well as cumin (additional 1 tsp) for a smokier flavor. Add salt and pepper to taste, though salt is something you can always add when you serve it.

Writer and editor Jade Walker posts a favorite recipe on her web site every once in a while, and this month it's the Buffalo Wing Sandwich.

Buffalo Wing Sandwiches

1 pkg (9 oz) southwestern chicken strips
1 cup butter, softened and divided
2 tbsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp bbq sauce
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp parsley, minced and fresh
4 cups shredded lettuce
2 tbsp celery, chopped fine
2 tbsp blue cheese dressing (on the side)
salt and pepper
4 hoagie buns

I guess I got a few of you a tad riled up over what "should" go in chili with my recipe for my version of (Portland, Oregon-based) Nick's Famous Coney Island Chili. A lot of commenters said, "where's the chili powder?"

I had to laugh, because my recipe is based around a spice blend. And what is chili powder? It's a spice blend. It turns out that the ingredients in chili powder were all present in my spice blend. Most chili powders include cumin, paprika, cayenne, oregano and garlic powder. Chili powder is no more a must-have ingredient in chili than is curry powder in Indian food. Where's the chili powder? Right here, in its custom-blended glory.

[Photo Sarah Gilbert]