THE CHILI MAVENS

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That recent Strange Fusion chili actually moved up a notch to grade C after an overnight meld. I didn't "dice" the peppers, to be persnickety about it. Dicing is more something one would do to onions and tomatoes, or even the yellow squash I have in the mix. What I did is pared the peppers, de-arching/de-seeding them lengthwise, and then cut the lengthwise pieces into rectangles and squares.

There are kernels of fresh corn added in as well, adding a bit of crispness. The fennel flavor is still there, but the beer I drank prior to sampling the chili most likely influenced the ol' taste buds.

That chili you described sounds good, Doug. There is a lot to be said for various peppers adding some heat. My most recent chili is probably too unfocused, bordering on minestrone or stew, yet ground green pepper and cayenne (the little guys) are there also.

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Green peppercorns, that is.

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THE GREENERY FACTOR

Feel free to add many green elements into your homemade chili. You may want to consider firmness / texture of the vegetable and whether you want melding or separation in the mix. An example of this would be a deep melding of celery and green peppers in the chili (possibly fried with onions and set aside briefly, but eventually added to the base ingredients, which for me would be a beef and bean stock) followed by a low cook of jalapeños and all of this topped with fresh cilantro right atop each serving.

The frying of the celery and green peppers can give you a bit of tasty carmelizing on the edges of the vegetables, yet with the flavor of jalapeños infused throughout the chili. The full "greenery separation" would be of fresh cilantro and, yeah sure, why not, some lime drizzle as garnish.

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TWO-BEAN CHILI

This weekend I'll be fixin' up a two-bean chili of organic kidneys and either pinto or Great Northerns in an electric crock pot:

1) this will be the bubbling bean base

2) added to this will be skillet fried (in grapeseed oil) white onion, celery and poblano peppers

3) next comes crushed cumin seed that has been fired up in a broiler pan for about five minutes

4) once that simmering gets under way for a while, in comes skillet fried lean ground beef and crushed red pepper

5) wedges of fresh vine tomatoes are added lastly to the crock

The first single-serving bowl will be topped with shredded Monterey Jack cheese, chopped cilantro and a few shakes of black pepper.

[Ezra Lb.]

6) And you will expect guests to arrive when?

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7) Howdy Ezra! Any time is great as long as you bring along some cerveza fria.
I recall telling a neighbor years back that chili should be accompanied with fresh hot cornbread, but a couple of tall cool ones would suffice, preferably Carta Blanca or Bohemia.

[Lori Koonce]

8. If I bring a 12 pack of Pacifico, can I come? I could bring some cheddar cornbread as well...

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10) Howdy Lori, that sure sounds good. I'll be firing up a new chili soon. With cheddar cornbread, are there little chunks of cheddar throughout the bread, all melted and yummy?
Now that you mention it, I don't recall ever having had some Pacifico. That must be a good pairing.

I've had some coriander seed in a small plastic tub for a few years, and may mill it to "sniff-test" to check if there is still some flavor locked inside. That could be broiler pan-browned and added into a new chili.

You're all invited over!

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9) I seem to have jumped a step there, so I think I'll add that a Mexican or Texas beer along with cornbread, appetizers and toppings all contribute to the chili making experience. I am starting to notice Manchego cheese in the various shops.

Cheese 'n' beer around a bowl of chili -- ya can't go wrong, really.

[Rick Keeney]

Cheese 'n' beer around a bowl of chili -- ya can't go wrong, really.

My girls all disagreed with that line of thought until I discovered Beano.

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Silent but deadly, Rick?

Out here on the range, where the deer and the antelope play, I'll be opening a 30 oz. can of La Preferida black beans and rinsing out quite a bit of the goop, which I think may be a lot of the sodium. Will take note of the gas factor, however.

[FinderDoug]

When adding Texas beer, choose wisely. Some of it is very good. Some of it is Lone Star.

[Lori Koonce]

When adding Texas beer, choose wisely. Some of it is very good. Some of it is Lone Star.

As out local connection to all things Texas, what would you reccomend?

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Thanks Doug. After getting through all eight episodes of True Detective, I sort of had a craving for Lone Star -- although I've never had it before. Sounds like it can be a real head-pounder, which to me would be a few too many Pabst Blue Ribbons. Earlier this year I had an IPA by Summit of Minnesota called Saga. It shocked me as odd as a stand alone beverage, because it exudes its components of mango and passion fruit. It might pair nicely with a spicy chili, however.

http://www.summitbrewing.com/brews/saga-ipa

Talked to a guy at the supermarket about his special ingredient in his chili: dark chocolate. I've picked up a bar of Hershey's Dark for my next chili.

[Tim Raven]

Lone Star is the worst domestic beer in America, followed by a close second in Voodoo Lager from New Orleans, which has the coolest fucking packaging but tastes like ass.

I snuck a six pack of Lone Star in my luggage back in the 90's. What a disappointment. It has such a cool name!

Tim