Chili

[Dr. Otis Lansa]

I'll PM you that recipe for the miso hoisen sauce when I get it transliterated (remind me). You may even be able to track it down at Epicurious.com, as I think it was in Gourmet magazine or some such. I use a Koreanized version.

The hot lime pickle... this is the brand I use. Good stuff.. it's lime with the rind on salted and spiced. It makes a nice sauce for mussels with coconut milk (and garlic and the usual).

[Dr. Otis Lansa]

Yummy... I figured out what Mole was, but not how to make.
Most of the ingredients are going to need some tracking down, though.

[KidDirty]

Dr. O, All the products from that Indian site seem pretty cool. I had no Idea people pickled limes.

Dee, I just buy Mole, I had never even considered making it! Damn, How many varieties are there?

[Dr. Otis Lansa]

It's the dried peppers that I'll have to hunt down... I assume when I find them I'll find Mexican chocolate as well.

Patak's makes some great curry pastes, though quite mild compared to the Thai styles. Try the Madras curry paste with chicken breast and dried cranberries (use some broth or other liquid to thin it to a sauce), if you can find it. All the supermarkets carry that brand here, and according to the Canadian site they're available in the US.

[OZ_Nick]

Measures are for people with no sense of adventure.

One reason I am sorta difficult to get a recipe out of is that I don't use 'em.

That's how it might have STARTED...the actual construction of any dish will vary depending on what's on hand.

I agree.

When I make up recipes - which I do all the time - I usually just list the ingredients, if I'm doing it for myself. Generally I will work out some quantities if I'm doing it for other people.

The thing is, just how big is a large onion? How hot is your chilli? How much flavour do your particular ingredients have this week? This changes all the time, so I don't consider cooking to be, for the most part, an exact science. I taste it as I go and make adjustments, maybe a bit of oyster sauce, perhaps some ground coriander, may a bit of cardamon, who knows? Worchestershire sauce is always a good standby if something needds a bit of zip. I often add a few drops of Tobasco, not enough to taste the heat. For example a couple of drops of Tobasco absolute does wonders for scrambled eggs or an omelette. If I want to flour something before cooking I almost always add mustard powder in the ratio of one teaspoon of mustard powder to a tablespoon of plain flour - just fantastic on delicately flavoured fish!

I say, always buy good quality ingredients, if cooking Indian, buy your ingredients from an Indian grocer, same for Asian cooking etc. Try the funny little bottles that do not have any English on the label - ask the shop owner what it is, then give it a try!

Cooking is so much fun, it really is too bad if you allow yourself to be bound in by recipes. I reckon a recipe is really are only a guide.

Nick

[Dr. Otis Lansa]

Aye, but to convey a dish without seeing it or tasting it, one needs a recipe of some degree, and hopes that the receiver is experienced enought to glance over it and then forge on ahead without it. It's kind of like a hand-drawn map; and experienced navigator will draw their own directions from it, but a neophyte trying to follow it exactly will be hopelessly lost.

So if I ask for a recipe... "little bit", "lots", "handfull" and "pinch" are the standard measurements.

[Capellini]

The keys to an excellent chili:

I personally always use beef. I know some people think turkey is a good, healthy alternative, but I scoff at that ridiculousness.

I ALWAYS start with finely chopped onion, green pepper, and garlic, sauteed, and then brown the meat in that mixture. After that, however thick or thin you like it, beans or not, etc, that's up to you, but when it comes to seasoning, you MUST use curry, cumin, paprika, and red chili powder (not ancho or chipotle). It doesn't have to be a lot of curry, as I know a lot of people don't like it, but trust me, just a little makes ALL the difference.

I also like to serve it over white rice, with cheddar cheese on top.

[kat]

I use buffalo in my chili.


And I buy mole sauce in a jar...dona maria. add it to my chipotle lime salsa and voila.

...buy some yereself: http://www.mexgrocer.com/catagories-salsas-mole.html

[anthrobabe]

Mexican chocolate for Mole etc is getting easier to find... try
www.preciousprovisions.com
or
www.mexgrocer.com(kat listed them I think)

now a chili recipe

quick and easy

Vegan:

Does not taste like "fake" meat

1/2 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup uncooked bulgur wheat
1 cup whole corn
1 & 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped( or more and roast it first for extra special flavor)
1 can (28 oz ) tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

Heat tomato juice to boiling and add bulgur wheat. Cover and let stand 30 to 60 minutes or until juice is absorbed. Mix remaining ingredients in nonstick pan, breaking up tomatoes. Cook over med-high heat , stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender. Stir in bulgur; heat through.

About 200 calories per serving, 1 gram fat(no sat fat)

Serves 8