Allison Cafe

Recently I started digging deeper into the history of chili. I wanted to use our new Dutch oven that we received as a wedding gift last year to make a rich soup for fall. Immediately I thought of chili. But then what recipe to make? As I began searching through my many cookbooks and online resources, I was surprised to learn of just how many variations there are of the dish. Hundreds!

Chili seems to have originated in the southwestern United States, specifically along the “Texas Trail” back in the days of cowboys and cattle drives across the western U.S. I say “seems” because no one really knows when the first bowl of chili was actually served. And although the recipe can vary, it usually consists of a few basic ingredients: meat (although there are now vegetarian versions as well), beans, peppers and spices with no ingredient dominating the mix, but rather creating a blend of flavors.

To get the full scoop on chili, I (more…)