Putting The "Chill" Back In Chili...See Katie Cook On The Early Show!

Katie appeared on CBS' The Early Show this morning to talk about making holiday breakfasts. Watch here:

When I was growing up, Sunday dinners were somewhat of a ritual around our house. My grandmother had comfort down to a science. Formalities were nowhere to be found in her kitchen, and there was always a hearty meal on the stove ready for us to help ourselves. The food tasted as good on the first time around as the second (or third).

The last few dinner parties that I've thrown have been more on the conventional side -- cocktails and hors d'houvres, then a sit-down dinner, dessert and after-dinner drinks. A couple of weeks ago, I started planning a Sunday night get-together that started as a few friends and migrated into a full-on party of 17. I knew with that many people it was time to forget the prim and proper and take a page from my grandmother's casual style of entertaining.

I decided to make the night as relaxed as possible and create a very comfortable, cozy environment. I lit a fire, softened the lighting, and decorated the house with autumnal flowers and bouquets of rosemary. Some of my guests were coming at different times throughout the evening, so instead of serving dinner at a specified time, I made two big pots of chili, one beef and one vegetable, and two batches of cornbread, one sweet and one spicy. I left the chili to simmer on the stove and created a toppings-bar of pickled jalapenos, cilantro, sour cream, cheese, and green onions, allowing my guests to serve themselves whenever they felt like eating. I also made a buffet of pimento cheese spread paninis, deviled eggs, spinach-artichoke dip, and guacamole and set up a self-service bar of various Spanish wines and filled a cooler with bottled beers and sodas.

After everyone had eaten their chili, it was time for dessert. Earlier in the day, I had stopped at one of my favorite spots, the City Bakery, and picked up some over-sized chocolate chip cookies and brownies. My girlfriend Gail brought chocolate-covered Oreos and marshmallows from Li-Lac, one of New York's best chocolatiers. In addition to all of those yummy treats, I made chocolate and brie paninis, a recipe of one of my party guests, Giada de Laurentiis. The unusual combination of chocolate and cheese was so rich and decadent, and proved to be the highlight of the night. (Find the recipe here).

Chocolate and cheese panini, From TheFoodNetwork.com

We often get caught up in the idea that holiday parties must be a fancy festivity, but with the pressures of shopping for gifts, end-of-year work, and a busy social calendar, an extravagant affair can be out of the question. Instead of burdening yourself with the anxiety of throwing an elaborate bash, celebrate with a laid-back, stress-free gathering like my chili party.

My Chili

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 serrano pepper, minced
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 pound ground sirloin
1/2 pound ground pork
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1 packet taco seasoning
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Heineken
1 bay leaf
1 10-ounce bag of frozen corn, thawed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes with juice, tomatoes chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, Serrano, and green pepper. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the sirloin and pork and cook until browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the chipotle, taco seasoning, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon. Stir until blended. Add the Heineken and bay leaf and cook until the beer has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the corn, kidney beans, and tomatoes. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for an hour. Stir in tomato paste, salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Transfer to individual serving bowls and serve with desired garnishes.

Suggested garnishes: pickled jalapenos, sour cream, cilantro, and cheddar cheese.

Come back every other Thursday for more entertaining and eating tips from Katie Lee Joel.

Comments

[zeldaM]

Hamburger meat, canned beans, frozen corn and other prepared goods is not cooking - its preparing. UGH

[kimmiebeck]

Chili (as with any other dish) should be prepared to one's liking. To say that a recipe must follow a certain criteria to be considered authentic is narrow-minded and limits oneself to exploring new flavor combinations. I prefer tomatoes and beans in chili as opposed to eating spiced beef. I've made it with cooked beans as well as canned and have found there to be no difference. There are as many ways to enjoy chili as there are variations in preparing any other food. Chili afficianados don't have the last word when it comes to what tastes good.

[wheat01]

I've been a fan of Katie Lee Joel since she appeared as a host on Top Chef. Beyond her physical beauty, she exudes kindness and integrity. I graduated from the same college as her, though years before she did, otherwise I would have given Billy a run his money..
I wish the Joels a very happy holiday! More Katie in 2008!!

[Zentomato]

Brown 2lbs of grd beef chuck. drain fat if you want. (it aint health food)
add 1 14oz can of Swanson's Beef broth.
1tsp of beef builion granules
1 tsp of chicken buillion granules
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
Float two jalapeno peppers
8 oz of water/ or beer.
**bring to a boil and then add**
I TBS onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 TBS of Ft Worth Chili powder
2 TBS of San Antonio Chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 packet of Sazon Goya
**Simmer, partially covered for about an hour.
add,... 1 tsp of Mexican oregano
1 TSP onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
Simmer for 30 minutes
add: 1 TBS of ground cumin
1/2 packet of Sazon Goya
**Simmer for about 10 minutes more...***
Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and fresh chopped green onions and a dollup of sour cream on top if desired. This is Texas Chili.
Enjoy.

[slobone]

There are so many things wrong with this recipe I don't know where to begin. Tomatoes? Bell pepper? Ground beef? TACO SEASONING?

Chili is chopped beef (no pork), suet, dried chile peppers, and spices. That's it. You can serve beans on the side, but not in the chili itself.

Store-bought chili powder is especially offensive. Why should you put your chili in the hands of Durkee or whoever? You might as well just go out to Taco Bell in the first place and save yourself a lot of trouble.

[SeconLine]

My secret ingredient for Chili is Thai red curry paste.

You'd never know it from the taste.

[NABNYC]

Okay, here's mine, but nothing is written down:

2 lbs extra-lean ground round, fried. Spoon out any grease. Then add dried onion, garlic powder, cumin, cumin seed, chili powder, to taste.

Put hamburger into large stove-top pot. (Or crockpot). Add 2 large cans of whole tomatoes (break up the tomatoes with your hands), 2 cans of chili beans (which are pintos with some seasoning already added), 1 can kidney beans drained, several slugs of green taco sauce. Cook low on stove, medium in crockpot, add water to maintain desired thickness. After 1 hour on the stove, maybe 2-3 hours in the crockpot, add 1 can whole black olives without liquid from can. Take 1-2 Tablespoons of masa flour, mix with warm water, mix into the chili to add a nice corn flavor. Serve with grated cheddar cheese and sour cream as toppings, corn muffins.

[spinstahbabe]

Great idea. My sisters and I are taking over XMas dinner from my parents for the first time this year, and are nixing the sit down prime rib dinner for football games, board games, jigsaw puzzles, drinks and...you guessed it...Chili (with tomatos AND beans, thank you very much). We took a lot of grief initially, but everyone is totally on board now and looking forward to a relaxing day after a crazy holiday season.

[InquisitiveRaven]

This would never pass for chile in New Mexico...must be one of them "up north" recipes.

My husband makes something he calls Cincinnati "Chili" and that is not chile either.

It's all good, don't get me wrong...but it ain't chile!

[ostergroup]

Can you also include the vegetarian chili recipe?
thanks

[Izadora]

This recipe is not for "CHILI" but kind of

Spaghetti Tomato Sauce with vegetables.

[vayama]

DonaldQ2: Yes, you can get them in the Mexican section at your local supermarket. It is essentially just a smoked red jalapeno marinated in a sauce of tomatoes and onions.

They are the incredibly awesome ingredient you have been looking for to make all your spicy dishes great.

And KLJ: Good for you for mentioning Spanish wine. I think Spanish wines are currently the best red wines in the world.

[sassafra]

if the chili's got tomatos in it, it's not chili it's spaghetti sauce. i refuse to be drawn into a bean discussion!

[DonaldQ2]

Where do I get a "chipotle pepper in adobo sauce"? Are they in supermarkets?