What did you cook or eat today (October 2020)?

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Yorky said:
To that I would add at least this:

CCC chilies s.jpg

CCC chilies s.jpg

Chillis for chilli con carne.
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I grow cayenne peppers, and they look exactly like that. For chili, I slice them lengthwise, leaving the stem end intact, and put them in my chille whole. That way I can fish them out of the chili later. Basically, I use them as you would a bay leaf. I tend to make my chili a little on the mild side, and put some hot sauce on the table, so people can add as much heat as they want.

CD
 
Yorky said:
To that I would add at least this:

CCC chilies s.jpg

CCC chilies s.jpg

Chillis for chilli con carne.
Click to expand...

Those look delicious. I love spicy food and wouldn't hesitate to add some if I was the only one eating a dish. Sometimes, I leave a bit out to make it just how I like it, but not always.

P.S. Did you grow those peppers? I would be arrested for crimes against seeds/seedlings if anyone ever reported all the times I attempted to grow something. I do NOT have a green thumb at all! ;-)
 
caseydog said:
Having lived in Texas since 1974, the flatlander chili recipe looks okay. I was surprised to see the cajun "holy trinity" used in it (onion, celery, green bell pepper), I would substitute the tomato juice and sauce for canned whole tomatoes, squished up by hand. That gives you some pieces of tomato. Lose the sugar! Try pinto beans instead of kidneys -- we never use kidney beans in chili here. Look for Ranch Style beans, and try them, if you can get them. The herbs and spices look good. Cornbread is an excellent side, or you can crumble it up in the bowl, and serve the chili on top.

Here is a chili where I used squished whole tomatoes, and Ranch Style beans.

View attachment 48498

CD
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I think we cook quite a bit alike. I almost always use pinto beans but didn't mention it because it's not really "universal". Personally, I like them better. I just made a batch a few days ago. Yum! I don't care for canned tomatoes but will use them in a pinch. It's almost always fresh.

Do you have any other tips and tweaks for your chili recipe(s)? Your photo looks delicious. I always feel hungry when I'm on this site. It doesn't even matter if I just ate something. ;-)
 
caseydog, I am curious about the sugar in the chili. I have never used it before I found this recipe but about half of the people I've served have said that it needs it to break up the acidity of the tomatoes. What do you use to counterbalance that?
 
mjd-lovescooking said:
I think we cook quite a bit alike. I almost always use pinto beans but didn't mention it because it's not really "universal". Personally, I like them better. I just made a batch a few days ago. Yum! I don't care for canned tomatoes but will use them in a pinch. It's almost always fresh.

Do you have any other tips and tweaks for your chili recipe(s)? Your photo looks delicious. I always feel hungry when I'm on this site. It doesn't even matter if I just ate something. ;-)
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The fresh tomatoes available here are terrible. The have very little flavor. So, I almost always use canned tomatoes. For whole tomatoes in a can, I buy Cento San Marzano tomatoes (D.O.P). They have enough sweetness to make sugar completely unnecessary.

As for chili tips, I find that using very course grind ground beef is closer to the original chili that used diced beef. But, like I said, your recipe looks okay to me.

CD
 
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mjd-lovescooking said:
caseydog, I am curious about the sugar in the chili. I have never used it before I found this recipe but about half of the people I've served have said that it needs it to break up the acidity of the tomatoes. What do you use to counterbalance that?
Click to expand...

As mentioned above, I try to use sweet tomatoes, Like San Marzano tomatoes. At least in Texas, chili is never sweet, anyway. The spices overpower any acidity, IMO. Comino/cumin is what I have to be careful with, and add a little at a time. That stuff is potent, and can overpower everything else in your chili if you are not careful.

CD
 
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caseydog said:
The fresh tomatoes available here are terrible. The have very little flavor. So, I almost always use canned tomatoes. For whole tomatoes in a can, I buy Cento San Marzano tomatoes (D.O.P). They have enough sweetness to make sugar completely unnecessary.

As for chili tips, I find that using very course grind ground beef is closer to the original chili that used diced beef. But, like I said, your recipe looks okay to me.

CD
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I have never tried Cento San Marzano. I will look for it and check it out.

I have never used diced beef for chili. I prefer ground beef solely because that's what I grew up with (silly, I know). I try to get the 93%/7% but will settle for 80%/20% if it's all I can get. We only have one WalMart and one Aldi in our town so it's slim pickings. I usually boil the beef to drain more of the fat to avoid that layer of grease but put in just enough to make it have that "homemade" taste. LOL I mostly cared about it because both my parents have high blood pressure and my mother has had a couple of heart attacks. Now, in spite of eating right, maintaining a healthy weight and minimizing stress, I have high blood pressure too so I don't worry about it! ;-0

I would be interested in any Mexican-style recipes you post. I love Mexican food but the two restaurants here are just awful. I feel bad because I compare everything to the amazing food and grocery options we have in Chicago. I used to travel for work and got to try all kinds of foods. Chicago's is still the best! <yes, I know I'm a teeny bit biased ;-)>

P.S. I miss chicken flautas and real tamales the most.
 
caseydog said:
As mentioned above, I try to use sweet tomatoes, Like San Marzano tomatoes. At least in Texas, chili is never sweet, anyway. The spices overpower any acidity, IMO. Comino/cumin is what I have to be careful with, and add a little at a time. That stuff is potent, and can overpower everything else in your chili if you are not careful.

CD
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Yep. I just saw your other response. I'm going to look for that brand of tomatoes. I don't really have a problem with the chili without the sugar. It's just something I add if I'm feeding someone outside my family or close friends that prefer it not be there. I also think there is enough sugar in the golden cornbread recipe to counterbalance without the addition of sugar.

Thanks for talking to me about this. It's fun to learn about how others do things. I'm learning quite a bit!
 
mjd-lovescooking said:
I have never tried Cento San Marzano. I will look for it and check it out.

I have never used diced beef for chili. I prefer ground beef solely because that's what I grew up with (silly, I know). I try to get the 93%/7% but will settle for 80%/20% if it's all I can get. We only have one WalMart and one Aldi in our town so it's slim pickings. I usually boil the beef to drain more of the fat to avoid that layer of grease but put in just enough to make it have that "homemade" taste. LOL I mostly cared about it because both my parents have high blood pressure and my mother has had a couple of heart attacks. Now, in spite of eating right, maintaining a healthy weight and minimizing stress, I have high blood pressure too so I don't worry about it! ;-0

I would be interested in any Mexican-style recipes you post. I love Mexican food but the two restaurants here are just awful. I feel bad because I compare everything to the amazing food and grocery options we have in Chicago. I used to travel for work and got to try all kinds of foods. Chicago's is still the best! <yes, I know I'm a teeny bit biased ;-)>

P.S. I miss chicken flautas and real tamales the most.
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80/20 is a good mix for chili, but if someone has health issues (especially two heart attacks), you gotta' do what you gotta' do.

As for Mexican food in Chicago, you have Rick Bayless in Chicago. His Frontera Grill is true Mexican food, and one of the best Mexican restaurants in the US. Most "Mexican" food in the US is based on Tex-Mex.

Rick Bayless | Frontera Grill

He owns several restaurants in Chicago.

Rick Bayless | Restaurants

As for my kitchen, I make and eat a lot of tacos/fajitas. They are quick and easy. I mostly use flour tortillas, because corn tortillas really need to be made right before you use them, or they dry out and fall apart while you are eating your tacos. I can make corn tortillas, but tacos are a quick weekday meal for me, so I don't usually want to take the time to make them.

By the way, my go-to place for Tex-Mex is Frisco Menus - Mariano's

CD
 
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caseydog said:
80/20 is a good mix for chili, but if someone has health issues (especially two heart attacks), you gotta' do what you gotta' do.

As for Mexican food in Chicago, you have Rick Bayless in Chicago. His Frontera Grill is true Mexican food, and one of the best Mexican restaurants in the US. Most "Mexican" food in the US is based on Tex-Mex.

Rick Bayless | Frontera Grill

He owns several restaurants in Chicago.

Rick Bayless | Restaurants

As for my kitchen, I make and eat a lot of tacos/fajitas. They are quick and easy. I mostly use flour tortillas, because corn tortillas really need to be made right before you use them, or they dry out and fall apart while you are eating your tacos. I can make corn tortillas, but tacos are a quick weekday meal for me, so I don't usually want to take the time to make them.

By the way, my go-to place for Tex-Mex is Frisco Menus - Mariano's

CD
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Well, technically, I'm not in Chicago. I am about two hours away now but I was born and raised there. I moved to the suburbs of Chicago when I married and then here after my divorce (after 25 years together). The population is about 9K, so you can imagine we don't have many restaurants. The area couldn't support a movie theatre or bowling alley. Those closed before I arrived in 2018. But, it's safe and it's home as I rebuild my life.

Are you willing to share how you make flour tortillas? I've never tried to make them but also prefer them over corn tortillas. I lost touch with the only person I knew that could make them from scratch. Those were delicious. It's kind of bizarre living in a more rural area because the people aren't very keen on "ethnic" foods. One of my neighbors refuses to try Italian, Chinese or Mexican food. ;-( Let's just say I'm the "weirdo" in the bunch. Ha Ha.

P.S. I'm going to check out those restaurants next time I'm in the city! ;-) Thanks!
 
mjd-lovescooking said:
Well, technically, I'm not in Chicago. I am about two hours away now but I was born and raised there. I moved to the suburbs of Chicago when I married and then here after my divorce (after 25 years together). The population is about 9K, so you can imagine we don't have many restaurants. The area couldn't support a movie theatre or bowling alley. Those closed before I arrived in 2018. But, it's safe and it's home as I rebuild my life.

Are you willing to share how you make flour tortillas? I've never tried to make them but also prefer them over corn tortillas. I lost touch with the only person I knew that could make them from scratch. Those were delicious. It's kind of bizarre living in a more rural area because the people aren't very keen on "ethnic" foods. One of my neighbors refuses to try Italian, Chinese or Mexican food. ;-( Let's just say I'm the "weirdo" in the bunch. Ha Ha.

P.S. I'm going to check out those restaurants next time I'm in the city! ;-) Thanks!
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I don't actually make my own flour tortillas. There are plenty of places I can buy them fresh, and they last better than corn tortillas. However, I don't think they are hard to make. If I make corn tortillas, it is because (as I mentioned) they need to be used right after cooking them.

CD
 
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whole hog seafood bash.... fresh Atlantic salmon, salmon wrapped mega scallops, fried oysters, garden corn
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