It's a chilly, rainy autumn day...Comfort Food time! Friends, homemade chili and cornbread!

I have possibly my last batch of garden tomatoes. I love when you can cook down the last batch of garden tomatoes to make the first batch of chili for the cooler weather. I know you can preserve tomatoes; can them or freeze them and have garden tomatoes throughout the winter.There's just something tastier about straight from the garden into the sauce. The tomatoes seem brighter, meatier and more tantalizing to the taste buds.when you cook them down and use them right away for sauces, soup or chili.

Chili was never one of my favorite foods but we ate it pretty regularly throughout the winter when I was growing up. .I use to love to come home to the smell of chili and cornbread mingled together. It warmed your nose and prepared your tastebuds. Favorite or not I'd be hungry for chili by dinnertime.

My Mom always encouraged my friends to visit our home. There's was always plenty of food for dinner. One evening my friend Karen was visiting. The table was set and Karen sat down to eat with us.The menu was chili and cornbread. Karen ate all the chili. She proclaimed with gusto that it was the best she had ever eaten. My Mom thanked her. My Dad smiled at Karen across the table and said, "But Karen, you don't like chili.". She smiled back and said, "But if I did this would be the best." My Dad still has his quirky sense of humor and Karen still would eat food she dislikes to save the cook's feelings. And my Mom, she made sure we never again had chili when Karen was visiting!

Chili has some fun history.

Chili in the 19th Century
Some Spanish priests were said to be wary of the passion inspired by chile peppers, assuming they were aphrodisiacs. A few preached sermons against indulgence in a food which they said was almost as "hot as hell's brimstone" and "Soup of the Devil." The priest's warning probably contributed to the dish's popularity.

Chili in the 20th Century

Around the turn of the century, chili joints appeared in Texas. By the 1920s, they were familiar all over the West, and by the depression years, there was hardly a town that didn't have a chili parlor. The chili joints were usually no more than a shed or a room with a counter and some stools. Usually a blanket was hung up to separate the kitchen. By the depression years, the chili joints meant the difference between starvation and staying alive. Chili was cheap and crackers were free. At the time, chili was said to have saved more people from starvation than the Red Cross. The Dictionary of American Regional English describes chili joints as: "A small cheap restaurant, particularly one that served poor quality food."

I found these facts on www.chili.com. They have plenty more facts and recipes on their site.

Simple Chili Recipe

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons oil

1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

1 large can tomatoes, (28 ounces)

1 can (15 ounces) small red beans, drain liquid

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

In large saucepan brown ground beef with onions in hot oil. Drain off excess fat. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer.

This is a basic recipe. Corn, garlic, celery and peppers can be added. Its fun to top chili off with diced tomatoes, sour cream and cheddar cheese.