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i'll give you stemors address for where to send the retsina....

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Good call on stemor and the retsina. What a natural match.

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HEY! Here I am, minding my own business and drinking an innocent bottle of '99 Angeli Cuvee, and *WHAM!* I get named as the lucky recipient of a bottle of ret-freakin'-SINA! I don't know if I should thank you for thinking of me, or curse you for the vile liquid!

Happy Chili dining. The recipes sound so good, I think I know what we're having for dinner tomorrow night!

I make it from scratch but it varies each time I make it. I use 3/4 ground beef and 1/4 sausage meat. Instead of water or beer, I use chicken broth.

stemor, hope you're enjoying the '99 Angeli--I think it's a great bottle. Look, if you want your share of the retsina, you better come-up with a chili recipe, pronto. I'm waitin'.

Mine looks real close to WIML's, with a Tennessee touch. I pour a bit of Jack Daniels in with my Shiner Bock. Otherwise, the course grind, the cumin, the garlic, the tomatoes & tomato paste ... yup, it's the same recipe.

Dang it, I forgot to post the recipe last night. I will try to remember -- it's called Havana Moon Chili. It is pretty mild and quite unusual, IMO.

OK, here is that recipe I was talking about. Please bear in mind that this is an unusual chili. I cannot take credit for this recipe as I got it out of the 'Florida' chapter of Jane & Michael Stern's book 'Chili Nation' --

Havana Moon Chili

Ingredients
2 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 minced garlic gloves
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground chuck
14 oz beef broth
28 oz canned whole peeled tmatoes (drained)
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup raisins
2 tbs chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon (ground)
1 tsp cumin (ground)
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tbs salt
1/4 cup olives (they say pimiento-stuffed green - I say do what you like)
1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds
black beans & rice (optional serving base for chili)

Heat oil, cook onion and garlic until soft
Add pork and beef and cook until browned -- drain off excess fat
Add beef broth and tomatoes (squash each tomato by hand before adding it)
stir in vinegar, raisins, spices and salt
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes partially covered
Uncover and cook for 30 more minutes
Add olives and almonds and cook 5 more minutes

Serve over your favorite base (beans & rice, spaghetti, fritos, plain, whatever).

It, like all chili, gets better if you let it sit overnight and reheat.

It is a unique and very flavorful mild chili.

where's the pumpkin?

just kidding! sounds great!

Olives have no place in chili. Thus sayeth a Texan.

Raisins do?

I told you all it was unusual.

Seriously though, don't knock it til you try it. And don't go in thinking of it as chili either. It's different.

wineismylife seems to have a good recipe. My only addition is some diced, fresh cilantro added to the chili as it simmers.


That’s the not so secret ingredient in Chuy's Comida Delux's TexMex sauce.

OK mletson. Lets hear it. Post the recipe you used and how it turned out.

yeah, i wanna hear how WE won!!

Bad news, guys: We didn't win. However, we came close and I received quite a few compliments--much better than in year's past.

For the most part, I used T-Birds Pumkin recipe with the following changes/additions:

1/2 Hot Italian pork sausage; 1/2 ground beef (no turkey)
Added one can of Rotel tomatoes
1/3 cup bourbon
1/2 cup Casa de la Ermita Jumilla red wine
2 serrano peppers
2 jalapeno peppers
1 cup cilantro
1 lime
2 bay leaves
1/2 bar of Hershey's milk chocolate

Turned out to be a great batch of chili. I really liked the consistency that the pumpkin added.

The winning chili was a well-marketed white chili called "White Lightening" made with chicken. The lady who made the chili made a real fancy sign to help showcase her offering. I never had a chance!

Thanks to everyone for sharing your recipes--they all look delicious!

White chili?



I think someone needs to come up with a Mr. Hanky chili.

Here is another one from 'Chili Nation'--

'Serious Capital Punishment Chili'

1 tbs dried Mexican oregano
1 tbs paprika
4 tbs chli powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbs (2 cubes) beef bouillon
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tbs hot red pepper flakes
1 12-oz bottle of pager lager
1 tbs ground coriander
One 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes w/roasted garlic
1 cup chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 lb lean beef round cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 lb lean ground chuck
1/2 lb lean ground pork
2 tbs masa harina dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water

Combine oregano, paprika, chili powder, cumin, beef bouillon, sugar, hot sauce, cocoa, pepper flakes, ale, coriander, tomatoes and one cut water. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

In a large skillet, fry the onions and garlic in the vegetable oil; add beef cubes, ground beef, ground pork; brown and remove from heat. Drain excess fat. Add meat to the 'seasoning soup' made prior. Stir well and cook, partially covered, for 75 minutes at a low boil. Remove from heat, add masa harina mixture and cook 2 more minutes over low heat.

Honestly, I don't know what the heck masa harina is, so I have always skipped that step and it's been fine. I also added more garlic and onions, too.

Pretty good chili...

Donde esta frijoles, senor?

Chili no tiene frijoles mi amigo.