"chili recipe" news and stories

When it comes to chef Marcus Samuelsson's chili, I feel like Liz Lemon on 30 Rock: "I want to go to there!" Samuelsson has a natural instinct for this southwestern classic, which he makes meaty with ground beef chuck and thickens with masa harina. The elegant touch is Mexican chocolate, which gives the big bowl depth, and chipotle chiles for a smoky undertone. Turn on the tube to the snowboarding half-pipe competition and grab a spoon. This is curl-up-and-stay-warm food.

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Having a few friends over this weekend? If you usually make the standard chili from the recipe on the back of the can, this is the year to ramp up the richness and complexity with these unexpected additions -- the crowd will roar.

Rich Chocolate
Just a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa or solid unsweetened baking chocolate will add body and depth and is an essential ingredient in Mexican mole sauce. Add the chocolate toward the end of cooking, starting with one teaspoon and tasting before adding more.

Hit Them with Heat
Chipotle chile adds smokiness and heat at once, so start with just half a chipotle pepper, plus a tablespoon of the adobo sauce straight from the can. Add it after you sauté your onions and garlic and cook for one more minute. I recommend the Morena brand for its mouthwatering adobo.

• Chili may be the truly all-American dish. Read on for the reason -- and the recipes.
• Now that you're making chili, how about some cornbread to go with it?
• Mexican restaurant Antojitos Carmen, a veteran of street fairs, now has a proper home (but still sets up a sidewalk cart for old time's sake).
• Allagash Brewing ages its Belgian-style tripel ale in bourbon barrels. Curieux? Check it out.
• The Vinoteque on Melrose rounds out a revitalized neighborhood restaurant scene. As the name suggests, go for the vino.

It was September 2003, the eve of my little sister's birthday. She was living with us at the time, and my husband and I were definitely on the poor end of the spectrum. It was my husband who came up with the concept of doing a hot dog bar to celebrate on-the-cheap. And it was I who thought, well, then, we'll need some Coney Island chili to go with the dogs! But I'd never made it. I'd never so much as tasted it.

So, naturally, I Googled. And I didn't find much. (Since then, however, Sandra Lee has cooked up her Semi-Homemade version - let's just say this isn't a recommended option.) What to do? My husband said he had the answer. He took me to Nick's Famous Coney Island, the hot dog joint legendary for its authentic New York-style chili here in Portland.

They wouldn't sell their chili a la carte, nor would they give me the recipe. So we ordered two hot dogs, and I tasted it slowly, savoring the spices and dissecting the dish in my mind. Soon, I knew what I needed to do.

And I went home, and cooked this chili. It quickly became the most-requested recipe in my family's repertoire (with the possible exception of a few no-bake cookie recipes, but that's a story for another day). It's good either on the stove or in a slow cooker; either way, though, I suggest you cook it for 2-4 hours total.