I used to prefer my chili so hot that it had to be registered with the Defense Department.
Now, I prefer my chili have a deep, complex flavor.
I’m evolving, is what I’m doing.
When I was young and single I used to make chili with loads of jalapeno peppers, hot sauce, chili powder, white pepper and TNT. My friend Gary Bandy said my chili once made a certain part of his body hurt for two weeks. The chili I used to make wouldn’t be allowed on airplanes today.
It was hot, is what it was.
Then I got married and things changed. Although my wife did enjoy a bit of heat in her chili she didn’t enjoy my level of heat. So I started making chili with a bit less bite. Then our daughter Emma was born and things changed again. I backed way off the heat in my chili. As Emma got older and her tastes evolved, I was able to add a bit more heat but the chili I make today is a mere shell of the chili I used to make.
Sometimes I will make chili on my grill and then smoke it for several hours. And when I say “smoke it,” I mean on the grill. I’m pretty sure that smoking chili like a cigarette would be illegal at the most and messy at the least.
My wife makes a chili with a hint of lime. The chili my wife makes is mild with a bit of sweetness. Emma makes a chili that falls somewhere between my chili and my wife’s.
I like all three.
What has happened over the years is that I have become a chili connoisseur. By the way, when I typed in the word “connoisseur,” the spell check on my computer knew right away what I meant and spelled it correctly for me. Usually, if I typed a word like “connoisseur,” it would be so far from the correct spelling that spell check would say, “You’re going to have to give me some more help than that.”
There is one chili that I’m having trouble getting used to and that’s white chili. I like white chili — usually made with chicken — but I’m still not sure white chili is really chili. But, since I am a sophisticated connoisseur, there is a good chance that I will eventually come around to white chili.
On May 17, some of the area’s best chefs will get a chance to see how their chili stacks up with some of their peers. The Emancipation Days committee — the same group that bring us the annual King of Wings contest — is sponsoring a chili cook-off. Jim West, a member of the committee, said the contest will be held at JB’s Piano Bar, 112 S. Main St. The contest will be held in conjunction with the monthly downtown Third Thursday event
A contest is only as good as its contestants and Jim is looking to add some folks to spice up (ha) the competition. If you own or operate an area restaurant and would like to enter your chili, call (417) 782-0055 or (417) 483-1752.
Jim also asked me if I would like to help judge the contest.
“Does a chicken have bones?” I said by way of answering Jim’s question.
I think I’ll make a great chili judge.
I’m evolving, remember?
Local News
Mike Pound: The evolution of a chili connoisseur
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