Chili is a dish that is known for its southwestern flavors, and quite often its spice. Cumin, chili powder, tomato sauce, beans and ground meat are common ingredients. The more adventurous chili cooks add spice to their chili, sometimes in large proportions. If you cook up a batch and realize you have added too much for your guests or yourself, try a few troubleshooting tips to cool it down before tossing it out. Add this to my Recipe Box.

• Squeeze the juice of a couple limes into your chili, and stir it into the sauce. Acids can help to neutralize heat and lime goes well with southwest flavors. Limes don't have seeds like lemons, so straining is unnecessary.


• Add a half can of crushed pineapple and stir it in until it is dissolved. The cumin and chili taste should mask any pineapple flavor, but the heat may be reduced. Add the full can if your chili requires more taming.


• Add a dairy product like sour cream or plain yogurt and stir it in. Add 1 or 2 tbsp. at a time, depending on how much chili is in the pot. Stir for a few minutes, then taste before adding more. Offer sour cream and shredded cheddar at the table to help cut some of the spice.


• Increase the amount of other ingredients to lessen the ratio of hot ingredients. This may include canned tomatoes, beans or ground beef. Use this method only if you want to increase the overall dish by a significant amount.

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Chili is a delicious hearty meal that's simple to make. At times, though, the cook gets carried away and can make the chili too spicy for some people to tolerate. There's a way to make mild chili that's easier on the taste buds. Add this to my Recipe Box.

• Cook the ground meat, either turkey or beef, thoroughly in a large, deep pan. Drain off any fat. The meat is done when it is no longer pink. Turn the heat to low.


• Add seasoning to the meat. Seasoning does not always mean hot and spicy. Chop up fresh garlic cloves and mild onions and stir them into the pan. Throw in cumin spice for an authentic Mexican flavor, and, of course, chili powder.


• Choose beans for the chili. There are quite a few beans that taste great in chili, including dark or light red kidney beans, black beans or even chili beans. Drain half the liquid from the can of beans and add to the mild chili mixture in the pan.


• Open a can of stewed tomatoes. These will add a lot of flavor to the chili but still keep it mild. Stewed tomatoes often come with seasoning already added, so it's up to the cook's preference as to which type of tomatoes will make the best chili.


• Let the mild chili simmer for 30 minutes or so to allow the flavors to blend.


• Serve the chili while hot and let everyone add their favorite toppings like shredded cheese or sour cream. Include hot sauce and chopped jalapeno peppers for those who'd like to make their chili spicy.

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This chili has such rich flavor that it will fool any nonvegetarian. Serves six. Add this to my Recipe Box.

• Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium heat.


• Add the bell peppers, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the peppers start to soften.


• Add the cumin, oregano, coriander, paprika, chili powder and pepper and cook for a minute.


• Place the tomatoes and their juice in a large bowl. Crush with your fingers or cut them with kitchen scissors until they're in chunks.


• Add the tomato sauce, beer and tomatoes with their juice to the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil.


• Add the beans and salt, reduce the heat to low and cover.


• Let simmer for an hour.


• Remove from heat and taste for seasoning and texture.


• Add salt and more black pepper to taste.

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The key to making chili is for the flavors of the meat, vegetables and spices to meld. Unless you like your chili especially spicy, the flavors should be well-balanced. To create that balance, some chili recipes call for adding chocolate or other sweeteners. Tomatoes and onions can increase the sweetness level as well. But too much sweetness can throw your chili's balance out of whack. You can employ a few tricks to lower the sweetness level. Add this to my Recipe Box.

• One of the easiest ways to balance out too much sweetness in your chili is to make extra. Creating a second batch of chili, then mixing the overly sweet batch with a batch that has not been sweetened, will restore the balance of flavors to your dish. Chili is easily frozen; keep it in a sealed container and remove excess air to prevent freezer burn. Chili can be kept frozen for up to four months with no noticeable loss of flavor or texture.


• A common tactic to counteract sweetness is to increase the level of acid in a dish. In many cases, such as with pastries, this is done using citrus, such as lime juice or lemon juice. With chili, the best option is to use vinegar. Any number of vinegars can be used, such as white or apple cider vinegar. Especially good to pair with chili is red wine vinegar, which offers flavor notes comparable to chili. Vinegar adds little sodium to the dish and is a good source of iron and manganese. It can also be cooked off easily, leaving only the flavor behind to balance out the sweetness of your chili.


• Another way to mask too much sweetness is to increase the other spices and seasonings in the chili. Common spices and seasonings used in chili include ground black pepper, paprika, chili powder, ground oregano, ground cumin and cayenne pepper. Add each spice in small amounts, such as one-quarter teaspoon, at a time to maintain a good flavor balance. Make sure that the spices are fully incorporated. Continue to add the seasonings until the sweetness is counteracted.


• Certain foods can absorb liquids while cooking, and they can also absorb excess flavors. A common trick to remove too much salt, ground black pepper and other seasonings from broth-based dishes is to use potatoes. This works well for removing excess sweetness as well. Use a couple of large russet of white potatoes that have been peeled and cut into quarters. Add them to your chili with about an hour to go in the cooking process. Remove the potatoes from the chili with a slotted spoon when cooking is finished and you should see the sweetness dissipate. Beans can also absorb sweetness when added to your chili. Although though you leave the beans in the chili, the sweetness dissipates when absorbed and masked by the flavor of the beans.

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White chili, made with cannellini beans and chicken, is a delicious alternative to beefy chilies, and is a hearty winter meal. Cooking the beans and chicken alone, however, can result in a thin, watery chili. There are three main ways to thicken the chili, depending on how much time and effort you want to spend. You can thicken it through simmering, thicken it through adding masa or cornmeal, or thicken it by pureeing some of the beans. Add this to my Recipe Box.

• Add the beans to the chili.


• Raise the heat to bring the chili to a simmer.


• Allow the chili to simmer until the beans break down and thicken it.


• When the chili is cooked, stir 2 tbsp. of masa -- or corn flour -- or cornmeal into a cup of whole milk.


• Add the milk/masa mixture to the chili.


• Simmer the chili over medium heat until it thickens.


• Before adding canned beans to the chili, puree half of the canned beans with 1 cup of chicken broth in a food processor or blender.


• Add the pureed beans and remaining whole beans to the chili.


• Simmer the chili until it thickens.

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Many chili recipes call for the addition of white or brown sugar to give the dish a slightly sweet taste. However, if you overdo it with the sugar in your chili, your creation can taste too sweet. Chili should have a spicy zip to it rather than a prominent sugary sweetness. If your chili tastes too sweet, you don't have throw out the batch. You can remedy the problem with one or more simple fixes. Add this to my Recipe Box.

• Increase the ingredients (other than sugar) in your chili according to their proportions. For instance, if your recipe calls for one can of tomatoes, add another can. Increase all of the ingredients as well so the recipe remains balanced.


• Add 1 tsp. of white vinegar per quart of chili. Stir and taste the chili to see if the sweetness has faded. Gradually add more vinegar, if necessary.


• Add 1/2 tsp. dry mustard per quart of chili. Stir it in and taste the chili to see if you need to add more gradually.


• Pour 1 tsp. of lemon juice per quart of chili. Stir and sample to see if the sweetness is gone. Add more if necessary.

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You're probably not going to want to make a batch of chili just for this recipe, but if you have some leftover, this is a great use for it. Also, feel free to buy chili in a can. Serves one. Add this to my Recipe Box.

• Combine eggs, water and pepper in a mixing bowl.


• Beat with a fork until combined, but not frothy.


• Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat.


• When the butter stops foaming, add egg mixture to skillet.


• Allow eggs to set for a few seconds, then start running a spatula around the edges of the skillet, lifting the set eggs so the uncooked portion can run underneath and make direct contact with the hot skillet.


• When eggs are set but still shiny, remove from heat.


• Spoon a few tablespoons of chili across the center of the omelette. Sprinkle cheese over the chili.


• Fold omelette in half and slide onto a warm plate. Add some more chili on top. Serve.

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A good chili should be thicker than soup, no matter what ingredients you're using. In some cases, though, you may have cooked the chili too long or not started with enough liquid in the recipe, leaving you with a chili that's too thick for your liking. You don't have to throw out the batch and start over from scratch. You can easily thin chili that's too thick using some of the ingredients that you started your recipe with. Add this to my Recipe Box.

• Add a quarter cup of liquid to the chili. You can use water, but it might decrease your chili's "punch." Soup stock is a better choice. Match the type of stock to the type of chili that you're making. If you have beef crumbles in the chili, use a beef stock. If you've made chicken chili, use chicken stock. Vegetable stock works well in a vegetarian chili, as does the liquid reserved from a can of beans.


• Stir the chili with a large spoon to evenly distribute the new liquid.


• Add more liquid if necessary. Keep adding liquid a quarter cup at a time until it reaches the right consistency.

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Chili is a versatile dish in which you can add, substitute, mix and pretty much create anything you can imagine or have on hand. Basic chili includes a combination of meat, either turkey, beef or pork, and a variety of beans, either black, pinto, chickpea or kidney. Focusing on red kidney beans rather than white beans or any other bean does not change any ingredient or cooking method. Cooking chili with red kidney beans results in a thick, hearty chili perfect to eat out of the bowl or over a hot dog or plate of fries. Add this to my Recipe Box.

• Prepare your beans. You can either use dry kidney beans or already cooked beans in a can. The result is virtually the same, however with the canned beans there is extra salt added, so make sure to take care and not add too much additional salt. If using dry beans, soak the beans in a bowl of water overnight; you will need to soak for eight to 12 hours to remove dangerous toxins. (Canned kidney beans are safe for immediate use.) Strain, rinse, and place dry beans in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for about 1 ½ to two hours. Drain the beans and set aside.


• Cook your meat. You do not have to use meat; if you prefer to make vegetarian chili, increase the amount of beans or add other beans such as black or white beans. If using meat, brown in a large skillet over medium heat, cook on each side and use a wooden spoon or spatula to turn and break into pieces. It should be crumbly when done, about 15 minutes cooking time. Tilt the pan to drain off excess grease. Set aside.


• Chop the onions, bell pepper, chili pepper and garlic. In a large chili pot, heat a 1 to 2 tbsp. olive oil and lightly sauté the vegetables and garlic. Reduce heat to simmer, and add the already cooked meat, beans, 1 can tomatoes, 1 can tomato paste, 1 cup water, 2 tbsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. cumin, ½ tsp. cayenne pepper, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. black pepper. Allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve. If the chili seems too thick, add extra water to make it more soup like. Also taste test to adjust spice level.


• Ladle into bowls and top with grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, chives, fried tortilla strips or bread rolls. If you're feeling adventurous with your chili, scoop it into a hot dog or ladle on top of fries. Chili is an American comfort food; dress it up any way you like.

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Whether your chili recipe is meat or vegetarian, spicy or mild, white or red, the reception can be completely thrown off if it is presented as soup. Texture and visual are partners to taste in all gastronomic experiences. If you've accidentally added too much water or forgot to drain that can of tomatoes, don't sweat it, there are a variety of ways in which you can thicken up the pot, either by adding a thickener, cooking out the moisture, or adding more "chili" to counterbalance the liquid. Add this to my Recipe Box.

• Cook longer. If your chili is too thin, it is because there is too much water in it. Most chili calls for an added 1 cup of water-based liquid like beer; however if you have also added canned or undrained stewed tomatoes, you are adding a lot more water to the pot. If you like the flavor of your chili exactly as it is, the most unobtrusive method to thicken it is to allow some of the water to cook off. To do so, cook uncovered over a medium to low heat for 30 minutes to an hour more. Don't let it boil or you will turn the beans to a mush, but you do want it hot enough to see steam. More steam means more water is evaporating.


• Add more beans or meat. If you've added too much liquid, counter it by adding more solids. If your chili contains meat and or beans, consider adding more, such as one more can of beans, to make the mix a little thicker in proportion to the liquid.


• Stir in a thickener such as corn starch, flour, or masa harina. Cornstarch and flour thicken whatever they are put into. Cornstarch is commonly used as a gravy thickener and is fine enough in texture to not be noticed. Mix the cornstarch or flour in a little dish with a few tablespoons of water before adding it to the chili to avoid clumps. Masa harina, or corn flour (the same type used for tortillas) is a common additive to chili because not only does it thicken the chili, but the corn flour taste enhances the chili flavor for the better. Chili is often served with cornbread or tortilla chips.


• Crush tortilla chips or even flour tortilla shells and allow to hydrate. If you are somewhat desperate and need to use what's on hand, throwing anything into the chili pot that will absorb the liquid is a bona fide way to thicken it. Crushed tortilla chips, crumbled cornbread, or ripped tortillas stirred in and cooked for a few minutes will soak up the water and give the chili more structure.

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