But even with all of that I still adore Fall. I love the colors, the foods, the decorations, and especially the fact that it’s the beginning of the Holiday season. I know many people hate the fact that there are already Christmas displays up or holiday decoration hours on QVC, but I don’t. In fact, it makes me really happy. Anyways, while I have yet to officially decorate for Fall ( I know, shame on me) I started my version of Fall with a pot of Chili. Don’t you just love Chili? I mean, what a great comfort food we have in chili. It’s all warm and homey and just plain delicious. But, one thing that has changed about me since I got married is how I eat chili. I love my mom’s chili, to some it might be bland, but to me, it’s perfection. We always ate it over elbow macaroni with cheese and onion on top. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. My husband’s version of chili is different than mine, because he likes it the way his mom made it. (Sound familiar?) The truth is that both chili’s are good, it’s just a matter of what you are used to. He’s used to chunky onions and peppers in his, while mine is a streamlined version with just meat, beans ( beans left over from Kentucky soup beans, but that’s another post entirely) and tomatoes. Simple and good.
As I was making my list for chili, I began to list the ingredients for “his” version of chili. Why? Well, because I know how much he enjoys it and I can eat it either way. Although there is one thing I can’t budge on and that is eating my chili with macaroni. He prefers rice. I began thinking that the way I was making chili is kind of a metaphor for marriage. You come into a marriage doing things your way, and to you, that’s the right way. But your spouse also has his or her way of doing things that to them is also the right way. So, which way is the right way? I guess it’s somewhere in the middle. Somewhere that both people are happy and feel that there way is still there; just maybe it’s tweaked a little with peppers and onions. It also made me think about the future, about how our kids will like their chili. Will they like it mom’s way or dad’s way? Or will there not be two ways by then, just one way that’s “our” way? I know that might sound silly but it’s true. Most people come into marriages from different backgrounds, cultures, religions that have very different way of doing things. My parents are a perfect example of this. One is an All- American girl from Kentucky, the other a Greek immigrant who came to this country at 26. They both had very different ways of doing things, and somehow they managed to make it work. If I had just grown up “mom’s” way or “dad’s” way I would be lopsided and skewed. But, because they both had their ways, I turned out somewhere in the middle…A girl who eats grilled octopus and ham hocks with pinto beans. What a combination!
After 5 years or marriage, ( or it will be five years in a few weeks) I have come to realize that being married is about making your own version of what you grew up with and know to be “right.” I put the word right in quotation marks because who really decides what the right way is? That’s been a journey for me because for so long all I had was my families way of doing things, but somewhere along the way we managed to find the middle point which is no longer "my" way or "your" way but " our way.” And I have to say our way feels pretty great. I’ve learned to like curry and he’s learned to not eat lamb with mint sauce. I’m sure there are many other things that we’ve learned that aren’t food related but I tend to stick with food related themes.
Now that I have all of that physco-analayzing out of the way, let’s get down to business. Here’s the recipe for “his” or should I say “ His mom’s chili”...
Ingredients:
3 TBS Vegetable Oil
2 Lbs Ground Chuck
3 onions ( chopped roughly)
3 Green peppers ( chopped roughly)
3 large cloves of garlic, chopped finely
2 cants tomatoes ( 14.5 oz size)
1 can tomato paste
2 cans kidney beans, drained
3 TBS Chili powder
1 TBS sugar
3 TSP salt
Dash of pepper and paprika
2 large bay leaves
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp basil
Pinch of cayenne powder
Brown ground beef in separate pan. Heat oil in large sauce pan, sauté onions, peppers and garlic until soft. Drain beef and add to onion mix. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder and rest of herbs. Simmer all until good and thick, about half an hour. Then add kidney beans and simmer until ready to serve. Serve over rice, add chopped onions and cheese on top if desired.
Browning the meat separate from the onion, another difference in our chilis
The finished product:
And now here’s mine…
My version: Leave out of the green peppers, finely chop the onions and brown them with the ground beef. Drain the beef, add beans, diced tomatoes, chili powder ( to your liking) and plain tomato sauce and let simmer all day. Serve over macaroni, garnish with cheddar cheese, onion and sour cream. Serve with cornbread, crackers and a relish tray. (Sliced tomatoes, onion, pickes, pickled okra and olives to pass and share).
I leave you with just one question; how do you like your chili?
The dilemma:Rice or elbow macaroni?
Cheers and Happy Cooking,
Rosie
