I have really been craving chili. It is that time of year when having nice bowl of soup or chili is a great way to stay warm - especially when it is snowing outside. There's just one problem, I cannot eat tomatoes right now. I am doing an elimination diet under the supervision of my doctor and tomatoes are off limits until the end of January, along with a whole plethora of other food - we can touch on that later. In addition to a tomato-less chili, it will be a bean-less chili as eating paleo I do not eat beans. I have had chili without beans before and it has been just as good!
So, I sat down last night on my computer and began the search for a "tomato-less chili." I came upon some allergy blogs that had some good ideas but nothing spectacular. Then I landed on a conversation thread on chowhound.com titled "Tomato-less Chili?" My goodness was I glad I stumbled on this. I began reading and learned very quickly that true Texan-Chili does NOT tomatoes or beans in it. WHO KNEW! This was so informative. One poster even wrote:
"Putting tomatoes in chili is punishable by life without parole where I'm from.
Putting beans in chili is a hanging offense.
Do both and you're up from something cruel and unusual."
So, yesterday I learned I must not put tomatoes or beans in my chili, especially if I want to avoid being hung.
I went to bed last night so excited to make a true-texan chili. Upon waking up to a light dusting of snow here in Seattle, I thought it would be a great day for chili. My day was perfectly planned out:
1. Coffee with recipe browsing and meal planning in the morning.
2. 11am crossfit
3. Post-crossfit: head home to finalize my grocery list.
4. Grocery store - preferably Whole Foods and/or the Co-op
5. Return home and start chili.
6. Hop on bike trainer and watch Pretty Woman (which I have never seen) for 2 hours while chili sloooowly cooks.
7. Enjoy some true texan-chili with my roommate!
Sounds perfect, right?
Welp, after an hour at crossfit I came out to snow dumping down. I made it back up to my apartment very slowly and in one piece. So far I had made it through step 3 on my plan. On to step 4. There was going to be no more driving for me, so Whole Foods and the co-op were off limits. I actually could walk to the co-op, but I think I probably would have slipped and broken something walking there. I finalized my grocery list and figured out which store, within walking distance, would be the best for my ingredients. The toughest thing on the list: a variety of dried chilies, because true texan-chili does not use powder, and remember I do now want to be hung!
I threw on my boots and walked up to QFC. I walked in and the power was out, luckily they had a few generators running. I found everything on my list except - you guessed it - chilies. ugh! I checked out and marched on over to Safeway. I walked straight back to the "Ethnic" section where I had seen chilies before. Safeway did have some, except it was only one kind and true texan-chili uses a variety of chilies - and remember I do not want to be hung. In disbelief, I walked out of the store. darn snow! My texan chili makin' plans are postponed until tomorrow, I hope! I now have to modify steps 5, 6 and 7 - but the bike trainer and enjoying dinner with my roommate will still happen, it'll just be something different on the menu.
I suppose I've actually learned two things: I learned how true texan-chili is supposed to be AND that it can be extremely hard to find a variety of dried chilies (especially in the snow, in Seattle!).
Putting beans in chili is a hanging offense.
Do both and you're up from something cruel and unusual."
So, yesterday I learned I must not put tomatoes or beans in my chili, especially if I want to avoid being hung.
I went to bed last night so excited to make a true-texan chili. Upon waking up to a light dusting of snow here in Seattle, I thought it would be a great day for chili. My day was perfectly planned out:
1. Coffee with recipe browsing and meal planning in the morning.
2. 11am crossfit
3. Post-crossfit: head home to finalize my grocery list.
4. Grocery store - preferably Whole Foods and/or the Co-op
5. Return home and start chili.
6. Hop on bike trainer and watch Pretty Woman (which I have never seen) for 2 hours while chili sloooowly cooks.
7. Enjoy some true texan-chili with my roommate!
Sounds perfect, right?
Welp, after an hour at crossfit I came out to snow dumping down. I made it back up to my apartment very slowly and in one piece. So far I had made it through step 3 on my plan. On to step 4. There was going to be no more driving for me, so Whole Foods and the co-op were off limits. I actually could walk to the co-op, but I think I probably would have slipped and broken something walking there. I finalized my grocery list and figured out which store, within walking distance, would be the best for my ingredients. The toughest thing on the list: a variety of dried chilies, because true texan-chili does not use powder, and remember I do now want to be hung!
 | |
| On my walk back from the store. |
I suppose I've actually learned two things: I learned how true texan-chili is supposed to be AND that it can be extremely hard to find a variety of dried chilies (especially in the snow, in Seattle!).
Time to hop on the trainer. Let's hope for a true-texan chili for tomorrow!
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