HEARTY ONE-ACT MEALS

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MOTHER'S KITCHEN

Stews and Chilies to Chase the Chills

By Mary Karenou

Stews and chilies have always been a favorite in my family. While none of the men have ever expended any real time or energy in the kitchen (raiding the fridge at 3 a.m. notwithstanding), all seem to have a good recipe up their sleeves.

And with good reason. What better on a cold day that a steaming pot of flavorful meat, fresh vegetables, and a rich stock that melds like slow-simmered gravy. Ladled over rice or noodles, stews and chilies are hearty fillers that require minimal time and effort.

When my father and his wife came to visit recently, I threw on a pot of my chili (I say "my" with some significance, as every chili served in our family has many variations, depending who stocked the pot) in the morning and left it to simmer while we spent the afternoon skating on the pond.

Chilies and stews stand on their own, with such a commanding presence that it takes only a hearty starch to make a full meal. (I used to serve a green salad with my stews and chilies for Sunday supper—only to realize, four or five times into this routine, that my lovely greens sat mostly untouched.)

So grab your biggest pot, dash to the root cellar, and throw a loaf into the oven. Then head outside and sled down the hill while dinner slow-cooks to simmered perfection.

My Chili

4 cups water
3 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
2 5-ounce cans tomato paste
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
2 bay leaves
4 minced garlic cloves
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 pounds ground beef
4 cups kidney beans Toppings: grated cheddar cheese chopped onion sour cream saltines

In a stockpot, combine all of the ingredients except the ground beef and the beans. Cover and bring to a boil. In a frying pan, brown the beef and crumble with a spatula.

Drain off the fat and add the meat to the stockpot. Bring to a boil again. Add the beans and bring to a boil once more. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours. Discard the bay leaves. Ladle into shallow soup bowls.

Pass the cheese, onions, sour cream, and saltines. (Proper layering order of toppings in our family was always cheese, onion, sour cream, with crumbled saltines over each individual file or, as I used to do when I was a kid—requiring more patience than it's worth—piling a bite of chili onto each saltine). Serves 8 generously.

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