-=> Ben Collver wrote to Dave Drum <=-

 BC> Thanks for the chilli critique and suggestions.

 BC> Your recipe "The Recipe" looks similar but not identical to another
 BC> recipe of yours, "Chilli Supper: The Recipe".  They both refer to
 BC> your friend Les Eastep.

That's because I developed "The Recipe" from Les' "Chilli Supper: The 
Recipe". I dunno if you were on the echo last time I told the story - 
but a good yarn bears repition.  Bv)=

For several years I helped Les prepare the chilli for fund-raising
functions. Doing so has provided me with many good memories, some really
decent tag-lines and anecdotes. We were making chilli one fine Saturday
morningn in the basement of St. Patrick's church for a benifit event to
aid the Boys & Girls Club when I commented, after tasting the product,
"This would probably win a chilli cook-off if you left the beans out."

Les went over to his notebook and retrieved a sheet of paper and saud 
"Here y'go. Knock yourself out."

At the very next chilli cook-off I tied for 1st place using that recipe
as a base and Les took fifth place - which is still nothing to sneeze
at with 60+ cooks competing. His comment? "Damn. Beat by my own recipe!"

Here's a chilli recipe from my very first echo picnic in 1998.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Alabama Picnic Chilli
 Categories: Chilli, Vegetables, Herbs, Chilies, Stews
      Yield: 12 Servings
 
      5 lb Coarse-ground beef
      1 lg Onion; diced fairly fine
    1/2 c  Green bell pepper; diced
      2 tb GFS or Minor's beef base
      1 ts Cocoa (Nestle or Hershey) *
      5 ts Garlic granules
      1 tb Ground cumin
     48 oz Can tomato juice
      5 tb + (3 ts) chilli spice
    1/2 ts Fresh black pepper
 
  * NOT the hot chocolate drink mix with sugar and other
  nasties that don't go well in my chilli.
  
  Here is one of mine that is a good starting point for
  experimenting. I use my own chilli mix... but Gebhardt's,
  Mexene or Chilli Man will work pretty well. Ray's Chilli
  owner says he is bringing out a line of chilli mix as soon
  as he finds a spice company to mix and package to his
  recipe. Apparently it has different requirements from using
  spices to can chilli.
  
  Combine the beef base, tomato juice, chopped veggies, cocoa
  and 4 teaspoons of powdered garlic in a dutch oven over a low
  (simmer) flame.
  
  Divide the hamburger into three more-or-less equal batches
  and brown it in a separate skillet. Add 1 teaspoon of chilli
  spice per batch. When browned and crumbled drain excess fat
  and add to dutch oven. Repeat until all ground beef is in
  the chilli pot. Add the black pepper to the chilli pot.
  
  Stir in 1 tablespoon per pound of meat of the chilli powder
  (5 Tb for this batch). Cover pot and let simmer, stirring
  once in a while. When the onions and peppers are cooked
  (about 1 1/2 hr) taste the pot.
  
  You will probably find that you'll need to add the remaining
  tablespoon of garlic powder and the tablespoon of ground
  cumin. You may also want to add an additional tablespoon of
  chilli powder at this time. Trust me on the garlic and
  cumin. It adds the final kick.
  
  For those desiring a hotter product add cayenne until your
  lips turn numb and your sinuses drain if you like. I made
  this batch extra-mild in deference to picnic attendees who
  don't handle heat real well. Sadly, Maya Houston thought it
  was still too hot after she tasted a spoonful.
  
  As noted - this recipe starts extra mild as a base line in
  deference to the non chile heads for whom I made it. Add
  heat or chipotles to suit yourself. Black or pinto beans
  will work - add them AFTER the chilli is cooked.
  
  From: Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen
  Posted By: Dave Drum, xrated@cityscape.net
  Post Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999
  
  From: http://www.pepperfool.com
 
MMMMM

... "There is no such thing as too much garlic." -- Dave Drum, September 1969
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