Chili Chill Chill

Hey winter! Quit being such an asshole.

Honestly. Why the bitter, biting pellets of snow? The foot-numbing temps? The insistence on having me wear tights under my pants? I look like Julia Sweeney playing "Pat." Enough. The only good thing to come out of you is that your snow covers up the dog droppings of inconsiderate, non-curbing slobs. And my chilled ruby cheeks look kinda cute before they give way to chapping and eczema. And oh! The food you inspire. That's good. Like this Smokey Slow Cooker chili pictured above.

Fred found it in the back of this month's Cooking Light recipe. I know! I know! I had it out with this magazine too. I gave in because it sounded like a new take on chili to me, with tomatillos and porky goodness. I had to substitute a few ingredients, like ground beef for ground pork, but it turned out pretty great. And I loved the cute condiments.

It's easy being green with lime, green onions and cilantro.

It was a little spicier than planned, and I think that messed with the smokiness. Since I didn't have the "Mexican tomato sauce" listed in the recipe, I subbed some salsa loaded with jalapenos. Nice for clearing sinuses, not-so-nice for canker sores. But with lots of queso fresco and tart lime juice, it went down easy. Tangy and rich, with hearty hunks of meat and glossy vegetables to spoon up. I baked corn muffins with leftover bacon grease. A great accessory for swiping the last remnants of tomato bits and ground beef from the bottom of the bowl.


In the end, though, it was chili. And all chili tends to taste alike to me. Some may be a little milder or sweeter, others tangy and hot. But it's hard to be distinctive when you have the powerful spices of cumin, paprika, cayenne and the like. It's not a bad thing, I love these flavors. Their bright heat helps warm the soul, making winter a tad less jerky. At least until I have to go outside again.

You can find the recipe here.