Chili perfect on a cold day with a touch of chocolate

It is chili again. Actually, at this moment in the outside world, it is chilly as coastal Maine often is in June. So here is a warm-you-up chili for supper, or, if it is already warm when you get around to cooking this, put it on the hot dogs you are grilling outside for a very good sort of chili dog. Even better, since this makes a whole honking gallon, divvy it up among a few containers and put it in the freezer for quick lunches to take to work or to feed the kids, to take on a camping or boating trip or to serve a crowd for a cookout.

We did chili back along, and I offered you Leslie Fuller’s very fine recipe. A short while after Leslie’s recipe appeared, Sandra Boguen in Belfast sent me this recipe, saying that it had come with her JennAir range back in 1983. “My daughter won the chili contest at her workplace with it recently,” Sandra wrote, “Wish we had heard of your chili search earlier, but thought this might be added to your collection.” So I stuck it away because I knew it would come in handy sometime.

This one is a bit more involved than Leslie’s, but it delicious and definitely worth the effort. You have a lot of control over the seasonings because you add so many of them individually, so depending on your opinion of each you can go lightly or more heavily on them. The square of chocolate is in the Department of Secret Ingredients; its job is to smooth things out. Don’t omit it; at least try it once.

Chili

Yields a gallon

2 to 3 pounds of lean ground beef

4 cups of chopped onion

12 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

3-4 tablespoons of chili powder

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon flour

4 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves

1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

2 16-ounce cans whole tomatoes, chopped

1 15-ounce can tomato sauce plus 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

3 16-ounce cans red kidney beans

1 square of unsweetened chocolate (optional)

In a large pot, cook the ground beef, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add onion, garlic and green pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender. Add chili powder, flour, salt, sugar, spices, whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Reduce heat and simmer covered for an hour. Stir occasionally. Stir in beans and chocolate. Simmer, covered for about 20 to 30 minutes. Stir again before serving.

Looking for…

Phillida Mirk of Camden wrote recently recounting a frustrating experience she had had trying to concoct a white chocolate frosting for a cake. White chocolate doesn’t work like the dark stuff, and she ended up with a grainy, un-appetizing frosting. Does anyone have a recipe for a white chocolate frosting?

Send queries or answers to Sandy Oliver, 1061 Main Road, Islesboro 04848. E-mail: tastebuds@prexar.com. For recipes, tell us where they came from. List ingredients, specify number of servings and do not abbreviate measurements. Include name, address and daytime phone number.