Cooks regard spices, ingredients with pride

With or without beans of one kind or another, each region has a specialty.
By KATHIE SMITH
SCRIPPS HOWARD
People take chili seriously.
Whether they make classic chili con carne, Cincinnati-style chili or a white chili, cooks become possessive about their methods, ingredients, spices and resulting flavor.
Chili con carne is Spanish for "chili with meat," which is diced or ground beef and chiles or chili powder. Almost everyone agrees that chili con carne originated in the Lone Star State with Texans, who commonly refer to it as "a bowl of red"; they often don't add beans to the mixture, as many of us do.
If they add beans, they use pinto beans -- which produce a whole different flavor and texture -- and the dish is called chili con carne with beans.
The first time I had chili con carne was as a teenager in Texas. The dish contained terra-cotta-colored pinto beans, and I was shocked. In my mind, the dish should have had deep-red/brown kidney beans.
And through the years, as I developed my recipe for chili, I never deviated: Chili was ground beef, chopped onion, chopped tomatoes, kidney beans and my secret blend of spices.
(All I will say about the spices is that I finally got the right combination some years ago when I was in Dallas and had an interview with Chef Dean Fearing at the Mansion on Turtle Creek. Listening to how he combined spices, I interpreted my own spice chest, which begins with -- no surprise -- chili powder.)
Another chili experience in my teenage life occurred while on a family vacation in southern Indiana. A relative served traditional chili with kidney beans and spaghetti in the bowl. A decade later, I realized that version was based on the Cincinnati influence, which ranges throughout the Ohio River Valley extending west.
Seasonings
Cincinnati chili is often seasoned with cardamom, chocolate, cinnamon, cloves and coffee. It is served on top of spaghetti, under a thick layer of cheese, kidney beans and onions. According to the Bean Education and Awareness Network, the Cincinnati-chili tradition began more than 50 years ago when a family brought a special recipe from Greece.
That concept can be found commercially in Skyline Chili's signature meat sauce, which is used at the restaurant chain and is sold in the can.
White chili is increasingly popular as a healthier alternative to traditional chili dishes. Turkey or chicken is combined with great northern beans, cumin and lime juice.
To make vegetarian chili, use onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, diced tomatoes, vegetable bouillon cubes, beans and tomato paste spiced to taste.
You wouldn't call chili fancy food, and yet some folks start adding all kinds of ingredients to yield a subtle nuance of heat, texture, flavor and aroma.
The Bean Network created Greek Chili using garbanzo beans and kidney beans, with garnishes of green onions, feta cheese and Greek olives.
Chipotle Olive Turkey Chili is easy to prepare and great for entertaining. It's a white chili using a combination of classic Texas pinto beans, ground turkey, amber beer and assorted spices.
The most exotic spice in the recipe is chipotle chili powder, which is available in small amounts at specialty shops. Although this is a white chili, it looks more traditional in color.
America's chili preferences are as unique as each person holding the spoon. Top it with cheese, spice it with hot sauce or add a secret ingredient. Make it sweet with sugar or add spaghetti.
For many people, it's the ultimate one-dish meal.
GREEK CHILI
12 ounces lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried mint leaves
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, undrained
1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons honey
6 cups cooked macaroni, warm
Sliced green onions and tops, crumbled feta cheese and sliced Greek olives, as garnish
Saut & eacute; ground beef, onion and garlic in large saucepan until ground beef is browned, about 5 minutes; add spices, herbs, and cocoa and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer.
Stir in tomatoes, beans and honey; heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15 minutes; uncover and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes.
Spoon chili over macaroni in bowls; garnish with green onions, feta cheese and olives.
Yield: 8 servings.
Source: Bean Education and Awareness Network
CHIPOTLE OLIVE TURKEY CHILI
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
11/2 cups diced green bell peppers
1 tablespoon minced garlic
21/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup ripe jumbo olives, halved
1 cup amber beer
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and onions and cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally and breaking up meat until crumbled and lightly browned. Mix in green peppers and garlic and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in chicken broth, beans, olives, beer, tomato paste, chile powder, cumin, salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover, stir in cilantro and cook 5 more minutes.
Yield: 6 servings.