I started making chili when I was in college. I love hot foods and chili is one of the cornerstones of my sustenance. This chili is absolutely excellent in my opinion, and I prefer it very beany. Because chili is so personal, you should absolutely experiment; add or subtract anything you want. Heck, reject this recipe totally if you prefer... but if you were going to do that, you probably shouldn't be reading this page. ;)

Not to pat myself on my back too much, but I do get a lot of compliments for this chili and I'm reguarly asked to make some for events. Heck, I get asked to make it for X-mas parties, if you can imagine. Most people prefer something a bit hotter than the "mild" version but I find that I have to make both a mild and a slightly hotter version to please everyone at a party. I prefer it at the arse-in-the-icebox level because I eat a smaller plateful, and it lasts longer.

P.S. I know they say that a chili master never gives his recipe away... neither do I, this is just a skeleton. Every chili I make differs in some way, and small changes sometimes make large differences.

Remember, experiment with this. My chili changes with my mood.

• lots of cans of whole tomatoes, skinned, sometimes fresh
• lots of beans, I like kidney + black (canned or soaked)
• at least one full clump of fresh garlic, season to taste
• two tablespoons of mexican cornstarch (masa harina)
• quality ancho, new mexico and other chili powders, to taste
• mexican oregano, season to taste - use regular in a pinch
• overcooked medium chopped beef, seasoned in the pan
• at least one whole large white onion, chopped fine
• at least two large green bell peppers, chopped fine
• two fresh jalapeno peppers, chopped fine (use with caution)
• 1/2 pound of old cheddar, chopped fine
• a dash of Joe's Hot Stuff or other cajun spice late in the game
• a few teaspoons of quality cumin, season to taste
• a few dashes of whatever habanero hot sauce I have around
• fresh celery sticks, usually two or three
• lots of mushrooms, they're best from a can believe it or not
• white sugar to cut any bitterness, to taste (tablespoon?)
• chickpeas if you like them, I use a can of them

I boil down the tomatoes, the onion, garlic and chili powder helps the process, so I get all that stuff in early. When it boils down just a bit, I usually get the beans and mushrooms in there to get them acclimatized as much as I can. I chop one of the green bell peppers and one of the red and get them in early, they kind of melt in and add to the flavour - later, I'll put in the other green pepper, chickpeas and the fresh celery sticks in a few minutes (max) before the heat goes off, so they'll be slightly crunchy and fresh-tasting. I get the cheese in mid-game and it goes in with the beef. The beef is important, you want to overcook it a bit because when it's in the acidic chili mixture, it'll turn to mush if you don't cook it well. The cornstarch goes in after the meat, it binds the fats from the meat and makes the whole pot taste better... just be careful that you don't overdo it. I usually make two pounds of beef when I make this, so you can judge how much beans and tomatoes I need (3-5 gallons of chili when I'm done).

Simple, delicious chili. It takes longer because you have to boil down the tomatoes, but IMHO, it's worth the time invested because every bite is a little different this way.

This one really steps it up. But really, it's just a variation on the "mild" chili above. It will make your skin smell like garlic & onions, turn your insides to liquid and set off small fires in your immediate vicinity. This one got a "too hot to be rated" recommendation from a panel of Chilifest judges - I kid you not. Be warned.

Add these ingredients to my standard chili:

• one fresh chopped habanero
• an extra hot white onion
• one fresh chopped scotch bonnet for bite
• two teaspoons 600K+ scoville capsaicin oil (Blair's 2am)
• four teaspoons of a habanero mash hot sauce (pick one)
• four teaspoons of a garlic mash or another fresh clove

I guarantee that you will suffer greatly with these additions. You can add more fresh habanero instead of mash or capsaicin oil, but I find that it has less overall heat; more importantly, the upfront bite will limit your ability to eat the chili. With the cap oil, the heat builds as you eat until your whole body comes alive. Endorphins are addictive!