How did this come out so good?

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

This batch (very small batch) of chili was a throw-together meal made specifically for my son who had to work late last night. I didn't have much to work with, but gave it a shot. It came out right tasty, and my son complemented me on it, even saying that it was very good.

Now you have to understand that chili is something I'm fairly passionate about, and generally use a host of ingredients to tweak it just right. I had neither the time, or ingredients for that kind of chili. Here's what I used:

12 can dark red kidney beans, with can liquor
1/2 cup coarse cut yellow onion
1/2 cup Raos brand marinara sauce
1/4 cup store bought medium hot salsa
2 tbs. generic chili powder
t tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbs. ground cumin
3/4 pack of cooked kielbasa, sliced into thin rounds

I didn't even bloom the herbs or spices in oil first. i simply threw it all into a pot. and let it simmer for about 40 minutes.

I tasted it and it tasted not only like chili, but really good chili. Sometimes, you just get lucky. This was one of those times. Of course, knowing how the flavors would play together helops.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the Morth

 

[Just Cooking]

Reinforces my long held belief that good food does not have to be difficult.

Dare I say, it doesn't have to be authentic either. [emoji6]

Ross

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Good, even great food can be as simple as a well made PBJ. With your favorite bread, PB, and jam, or jelly, on toast, grilled (takes it to a whole upper level), or adding whatever you like, it can be as good as any other recipe you might care to make.

I agree with you J.C.; good cook can use whatever is available, and make something worth eating. And authentic, who wants to be authentic anyways? New and wonderful recipes would never get created if we all simply copied recipes verbatim.

Why are there so many great chili recipes, because someone took the basic recipe, and altered it to their own tastes.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Just Cooking]

Good, even great food can be as simple as a well made PBJ. With your favorite bread, PB, and jam, or jelly, on toast, grilled (takes it to a whole upper level), or adding whatever you like, it can be as good as any other recipe you might care to make.

I agree with you J.C.; good cook can use whatever is available, and make something worth eating. And authentic, who wants to be authentic anyways? New and wonderful recipes would never get created if we all simply copied recipes verbatim.

Why are there so many great chili recipes, because someone took the basic recipe, and altered it to their own tastes.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

I, totally agree with you.

I brought up "authentic" because I have chuckled @ comments I've read by a few members. There have been/are a few who chastise others if a recipe has a hint of not being as a chef or region originally introduced a food item.

I don't believe that anything I cook is exactly as when I first discovered it.
The key is that it is accepted by my taste buds and by those I may cook for.

Food snobs amuse me.

Ross

 

[cookwewill]

There have been/are a few who chastise others if a recipe has a hint of not being as a chef or region originally introduced a food item.

I don't believe that anything I cook is exactly as when I first discovered it.
The key is that it is accepted by my taste buds and by those I may cook for.

Food snobs amuse me.

Ross

This is something I don't understand either... the constant battles over where a dish originated and what is the only AUTHENTIC way of preparing it

Without innovation and experiments, we would still be eating bread with butter

Even some very specific dishes that kind of represent a country still have several variations of it being cooked in various regions of the country.

 

[karadekoolaid]

This is something I don't understand either... the constant battles over where a dish originated and what is the only AUTHENTIC way of preparing it
Without innovation and experiments, we would still be eating bread with butter .

I totally agree - and I totally disagree.
On the "agree" side, a dish like bolognese sauce, or ragú, or what ever you call it, was evidently developed with what was available, so of course there will be variations.
"Chile Con Carne" is another one. It probably grew from SW USA, but whether you put the meat in chunks, or minced, or whether it has beans - it´s irrelevant!
On the "disagree" side. Take a super-simple dish like Carpaccio. Thinly sliced beef with a special mayo. That´s it. it doesn´t NEED anything else. It´s simplicity is perfect . so WHY do we have to add pesto, mushrooms, rocket leaves? Not necessary.
Or the famous "Fettucine Alfredo". Fettucine with butter and parmesan cheese, nothing else - that was the original recipe. Now we have fettucine with cream, sour cream,mushrooms, chicken, pork scratchings, bacon bits - hey, what happened?? Why change something that is simple and perfect, just for the sake of changing it??