Diva’s Chili

Chili

I don’t have a long story to tell with this recipe. It doesn’t have any kind of generational history. Admittedly, I originally learned to cook chili from my mom’s recipe, which I’m pretty sure is based on this. But mom got me started cooking her recipe when I was a child. I’ve never been one to stick to a recipe. I like to get creative. And so, my version has changed and evolved, and now, it’s most definitely my own creation.

I’ve won two chili cook-offs with this recipe. Although they were small contests, I don’t think there’s anyone who is going to deny that this is some damned amazing chili. By publishing the recipe, in some way, I feel like I’m giving away the family jewels. However, I believe in sharing the source and so, I will….

• 1 splash olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 large onion (white, yellow or red are all fine)
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 jalapeño
• 1 habañero
• 1 handful crimini mushrooms
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 16 oz kidney beans
• 24 oz tomato sauce
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped oregano
• 1 large tomato
• salt
• pepper

Method

Chop an onion and heat up a very large skillet. Add olive oil to skillet. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Stir and sweat until onion is translucent.

Chop bell peppers and toss into skillet. Chop garlic, jalapeño and habañero very finely and add to pan. Stir. Then add chopped mushrooms.

Stir in ground beef and add salt, pepper, garlic and 1 tbsp of chili powder. Brown mixture.

Drain kidney beans and add beans, tomato sauce, red wine and other ingredients except for tomato. Taste and add more spices if needed. Simmer for ten minutes and add chopped tomato. Simmer another fifteen minutes or so.

Cool and serve with a few strands of grated cheddar and maybe a dollop of sour cream. Buttered french bread is great with this too!

Cook + Prep Time: 45-60 min
Feeds: 6-8
Notes: This is really spicy. For those of you that like things milder, cut out the jalapeño, habañero and cut the chili powder down to about 2 tbsp. For those of you that like it hot, try adding in chipotles.

Arroz Con Pollo

Grandma Abuela and Arroz con Pollo

Luisa Garcia, my "Grandma Abuela"

Although she died when I was five or six, I still have vivid memories of my great grandmother. She was a short, fat, old Spanish lady and I called her “Grandma Abuela”. When you think of elderly women from “the old country” she’s it!

Despite the fact that both of her young daughters looked like pin-ups, even in Luisa’s wedding picture, she was a stern looking woman.

She moved to the United States from Spain during Spain’s war in Haiti in 1920. My great grandfather was avoiding the draft and moved to the U.S. in 1918. Once he had saved up enough money, he sent for her.

By the time I came around, in the early 70’s, Luisa was an old woman living on a farm in Fontana, California. For years, she and José had raised conejos at the “Rabbitree”. I think they retired and closed the farm in the late sixties. But when I was a child, they still raised enough poultry for themselves. She used to take me out to the chicken coup to see the gallinas.

I never remember her calling me by my first name. It was always niña. In fact, I also never remember her speaking a word of English.

Luisa and José's Wedding Picture

My first memories of Christmas Day were at Grandpa Abuelo and Grandma Abuela’s house. The old house was full of funny Spanish odds and ends –I remember a figurine of a bull with picadores sticking out and lots of dolls of Spanish beauties dancing the Flamenco.

Among the piles of food would be turron candy in round metal tins. But the most exciting thing would be the arroz con pollo. Abuela would make a recipe that had by then been in the family for generations.

When she passed on in the early eighties, my grandmother continued the tradition for the next fifteen years or so. And when Grandma passed on, my mom made Arroz every Christmas. Now I, too, make Arroz each year. I can’t imagine Christmas without it.

The 40 lb Turkey

In my life, four generations have made this meal—all were slightly different reflections the women who made it and their environments.

Getting the recipe for this on paper wasn’t easy. The old lady measured things by handfuls and timed things by when it looks about right. My mother stood over my grandmother measuring out the eyeballed amounts and trying to get it right. (Mom is not from the Spanish side of the family, so she didn’t grow up making this recipe, but she still makes a damned good rendition!)

Very important to note is that z in arroz is pronounced like the th in thought.

Ingredients

• 10 cloves of garlic
• Olive oil
• 1 lb chicken thighs or drumettes
• 1 lb pork roast cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 green bell peppers
• 2 white onions
• Spanish red paprika
• Spanish cooking chorizo
• Bomba rice
• Saffron
• Bay Leaves

Instructions

In a large pan (I tend to use a turkey roaster pan over two burners), toast ten cloves of garlic in olive oil. Take the cloves out of the oil and set them aside. Remove the garlic and place in bowl for future use.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until golden color in same oil. Place chicken on paper towel covered dish.

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Cube pork and brown in same oil.

Return chicken to pan with pork. Cover chicken and pork and let simmer until tender. Approximately 45 minutes.

Chop bell peppers and onion. Add to chicken/pork.

In a bowl, mix garlic, salt, pepper, and red paprika with two cups of water.

Pour the paprika mixture over the chicken/pork and let simmer for at least 30 minutes to allow the meat to soak up the flavors.

Boil chorizo for half hour. Take out and drain on paper towel. Cut chorizo lengthwise. Place under broiler until slightly crispy. Cut into small pieces and add to chicken/pork mixture.

Pour six cups of rice into the meat/oil/spices mixture. Swish the rice around so that it can soak up the flavorful oil mixture. Add twelve cups of water.

Add a few strings of saffron. Stir everything all around.

Cover and cook over low flame until rice is soft and tender. Besides the spices and tender meat, the most important thing in making good arroz is making sure the rice is cooked all the way through. Crunchy rice is not a good thing.

Time in the kitchen: about half a day
Feeds: about 10 —This makes amazing leftovers!