Chili weather: spice up the winter with a dish that brings the heat.

"Chili today and hot tamale ..." This distant but catchy phrase from my childhood is possibly the most accurate weather forecast for Mississippians from October to February in any given year. Except, perhaps, for the month of January--this month alone can somehow produce relatively cold temperatures every day.

Colder weather instinctively inspires Southerners to create dishes that are warm and comforting. And no other dish evokes this more than a large pot of chili simmering on the stove. The fall and winter months preceding January can be tricky where chili is concerned. If you have ever eaten a bowl of spicy chili that is producing beads of sweat on your forehead because of the serrano or jalapeno peppers, combined with an unseasonably warm and muggy day in November that is making everything seem sticky, you know this is not a good combination. Crisp, almost "see your breath" cold weather is a necessary element for cooking chili. Or you can build a fire, set the air conditioning at approximately 60 degrees, and pretend that a blizzard is coming at any given moment. My family has been known to do this sort of thing because the chili was already in the works and, well, we didn't want to perspire through the entire "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve."

Homemade chili is one of those great dishes that is very simple to prepare, easy on the pocketbook, can feed a crowd, and can be made way in advance. Warm and tender cornbread nibbled alongside or crumbled on top is the perfect accompaniment to a spicy bowl of chili, and not much else is needed for this honest, one-dish meal. Chili is most certainly better the day after it is made and can easily be frozen.

Learning to top fiery chili with a chilling, lime-infused dollop of sour cream should be taught alongside the basics of making toast or hot chocolate. The combination is amazing and should never be forgotten. The additions of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, chopped red or green onions, jalapenos, chopped fresh cilantro, ripe avocados, black olives, and crunchy fried tortilla strips as other toppings are perfect in contrast to the rich, smoky flavors of cumin, paprika, and ancho chili seasonings that simmer in the pot for a couple of hours with ground beef and tomatoes.

Chili can vary from the mild and simple flavors for the faint of heart--or shall we say "faint of stomach"--to the bold and spicy, layered with dangerously fiery concoctions of tomatoes and meats and laced with various Mexican peppers that bite like a serpent. Brave chili aficionados who want to take their taste buds to a higher level will appreciate the infusion of hand-chopped peppers and smoked paprika and chili powder blends that now can easily be found in markets everywhere.

One day while listening to "Hidden Kitchens" on public radio, the story of the Chili Queens of San Antonio caught my attention. Having never been crowned queen of anything, except for maybe the "queen of wing" (given by my sisters for my uncanny ability to pull off almost anything at any given moment), I became quite intrigued by these women, especially since they had been crowned in the name of such a delicious, spicy dish.

For more than a century, the Chili Queens reigned over evenings at the Alamo Plaza in San Antonio, Texas, serving simmering pots of chili cooked onsite over open fires. The plaza was filled with music, laughter, and, of course, gunshots and all sorts of interesting characters. Among them were soldiers, cowboys, cattlemen, derelicts, and musicians, and they all wanted to glean from these glorious tables, heavy laden with the queens' spicy chili, tacos, empanadas, coffee, and bread. These women, who were wives and mothers, earned their livings here as well as their place in Texas history. One particular chili queen in 1942 was photographed donating her chili pot to the war scrap metal drive, and the caption under the photograph was "Chili Con Hitler." The chili queens were eventually run out of the plaza, due to health department regulations, but I think their stories are definitely worth remembering, as are their recipes. The chili queens also served deep-fried chili rellenos alongside their steaming bowls of chili, and I've included that recipe as well, as it was making my mouth water and my forehead sweat just thinking about it.

January is a great month, if not the only month, to get in your kitchen and stir up a great pot of chili for your friends and family. Make it seriously spicy or mild and kind. Feed the multitudes with my friend Gail's Chili for a Crowd or entertain just a few vegan pals with Vegetarian Vegetable Chili from one of my favorite books, Once Upon a Tart. Cradle your biggest wooden spoon in your arms as your scepter, wave to your fans, and be the chili queen of your own kitchen if you want to!

CHILI QUEENS
OF SAN ANTONIO CHILI

2 pounds beef shoulder, cut into
  1/2-inch cubes
1 pound pork shoulder, cut into cubes
Flour
1/4 cup pork fat or oil
3 medium onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups water
4 ancho chilies, chopped
1 serrano chili, chopped
6 dried red chilies, chopped
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground
2 tablespoon oregano
Salt to taste

Lightly flour beef and pork; place in a
heavy-bottomed chili pot with oil, and
cook quickly, stirring often. Add onions
and garlic, and cook until tender
and limp. Add water and seasonings to
mixture, and simmer slowly for 2 hours.
Yield: 8 servings.

CHIPOTLE BEEF CHILI
WITH LIME CREMA

3 pounds ground beef
3 cups onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup chili powder
2 (14-ounce) cans beef broth
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons chipotle chilies, minced
1/2 cup beer (or non-alcoholic beer or water)
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
2 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained

Heat a pot over medium heat, and
add beef. Saute until cooked through,
and transfer to large bowl. Place onion
and garlic in the same pan; cook until
tender. Add chili powder; cook until fragrant,
about 3 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes,
chilies, and beer, and cover. Cook
for about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Stir in
cornmeal and beans. Simmer until heated
through. Ladle into a bowl, and top with
Lime Crema (recipe on page 41). Yield: 68
servings.

LIME CREMA:

2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1 1/2 cups sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Stir lime juice and zest into sour cream,
and season with salt and pepper.

Bon Appetit September 1999

TERRY'S WHITE CHILI

1 pound white beans, rinsed
2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (4-ounce) cans chopped mild green chilies
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 cups chicken stock
3 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream, salsa, and chopped green onion
  and cilantro for garnish

Place beans in a heavy, large pot. Add
enough cold water to cover by at least 3
inches, and soak overnight.

Place chicken in a large saucepan. Add
cold water to cover, and bring to a simmer.
Cook until just tender, about 15 minutes.
Drain and cool. Remove skin. Cut chicken
into cubes, or tear into pieces.

Drain beans, and set aside in a bowl.
Heat oil in the same pot over medium-high
heat. Add onions, and saute until
translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in
garlic, then chilies, cumin, oregano,
cloves, and cayenne, and saute for 2
minutes. Add beans and stock, and bring
to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until
beans are very tender, stirring occasionally,
about 2 hours.

Add chicken and I cup cheese to chili,
and stir until cheese melts. Season to
taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chili
into bowls. Serve with remaining cheese,
sour cream, salsa, and cilantro. Yield:
8 servings.

VEGETARIAN VEGETABLE CHILI

2 cups dried black beans, rinsed and
  soaked overnight
8 cups water
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
4 stalks celery, chopped
3 red bell peppers, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and stem
  removed, minced
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1/3 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 (28-ounce) can Italian-style
   tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, cored and diced
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1 bay leaf
Sour cream, grated cheddar cheese,
  and chopped red onions or scallions
  for garnish

Drain and rinse black beans, and
bring to a boil with water over high heat.
Reduce heat, and simmer. Add kidney
beans. Saute garlic and remaining vegetables
in oil until tender. Add seasonings,
and cook for another 10 minutes.
Stir beans, tomatoes, hot sauce, and bay
leaf into soup pot. Bring chili to a boil
over high heat. Lower heat, and simmer
for an hour or more or until chili thickens.
Serve warm with sour cream, grated
cheddar cheese, and chopped red onions
or scallions. Yield: 8 servings.

Once Upon A Tart

Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau

Alfred A. Knopf Publishing Co.

New York, New York

HONEY CORN MUFFINS

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup corn flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon baking
  powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups cold milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Smear
6 muffin tin cups with a little butter,
or grease a small cast-iron skillet.
Whisk together flours, cornmeal, sugar,
baking powder, and salt in a medium
bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs to
break up yolks. Whisk in milk, butter,
oil, honey, and vanilla. Gradually add
dry ingredients to wet, stirring gently
with a whisk until there's not a trace
of flour left. Fill the muffin tin or
skillet with batter. Place on the center
rack in the oven, and bake for 30-35
minutes. Serve warm. Yield: 6 muffins
or 1 small pone.

GAIL'S CHILI FOR A CROWD

1/2 cup olive oil
1 3/4 pounds yellow onion, chopped
2 pounds sweet Italian sausage,
  casings removed
8 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ground pepper
2 (12-ounce) cans tomato paste
3 tablespoons garlic, minced
4 ounces chili powder
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons dried basil
4 tablespoons dried oregano
6 pounds canned Italian plum tomatoes,
  drained (about 5 cans)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
3 cans dark red kidney beans, drained

Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed
pot, and saute onions, sausage, and
beef. Drain and return to pot. Add remaining
ingredients, and simmer for
2 hours. Yield: 35-40 servings.

CHILI RELLENOS

4 chili peppers
1 cup cooked chili
1 potato, cooked and chopped
2 eggs, separated
Flour
Oil for frying

Roast peppers over a flame or
under the broiler, and peel blackened
skins off. Split each pepper,
and remove seeds and stem. Mix
chili with potato, and fill each
pepper with 1/4 of mixture. Beat
egg yolks and whites separately,
and fold yolks into whites. Dredge
each pepper in flour, then dip
in yolk-white mixture. Fry in
hot oil until golden. Drain on
paper towels, and serve warm.
Yield: 4 servings.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG CAMPBELL