Turkey Chili

Hello Everyone

The past few weeks have been pretty busy with holiday parties and work that I have not found the time to put together a RecipePhile. Today has been a little different for me. I made it a point to spend time at home in my little New York cocoon and cook some comfort food. Chili has always been a favorite of mine, mostly because I can make a big pot of it and keep it in the refrigerator for the week. It also freezes very well and warms my belly.

My absolute favorite chili is turkey chili. Not only is turkey lower in fat than ground beef, it also has a sweeter flavor to it. This helps provide a wonderfully flavorful contrast to the heat that chili is most popular for. Another departure from traditional chili is my use of both kidney and cannellini beans. The cannellinis provide a beautiful color contrast (1) and also have a different texture than the red kidneys.

I hope you enjoy this week's RecipePhile and please let me know how your food turns out.

Have a great week.

Michael
"Always remember that food is about more than eating...it is about thinking, buying, preparing, enjoying and most importantly... sharing."

Turkey Chili

Olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp Turkish pepper (urf-a-biber) (2)
1 tbsp fennel seed
1 whole yellow onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
5 celery stalks, chopped
1 can of red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can of cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cans of Hunts whole tomatoes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Tabasco

Start by smashing the fennel seed and Turkish pepper together using a mortar and pestle (3). Next, cover the bottom of a sauté pan with olive oil and turn the stove on medium heat. Add some (but not all) of the minced garlic and sweat (4). Take off of the heat to keep the garlic from burning and add the chili powder, cumin and Turkish pepper mixture and mix well. Place back on the heat, add the meat and thoroughly cook. Set aside.

Over medium heat, cover the bottom of a large stock pot with Olive oil, add the remaining garlic and cook being careful not to burn the garlic. Next add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the carrots and the celery and cook until al dente. Add the meat, cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

Now place your tomatoes into a blender and blend until chunky (not smooth) and add this to the stock pot. Let simmer again for about 20 minutes over medium heat.

Taste the chili and then add salt and pepper to your liking. You should also add Tabasco or any other brand of hot sauce you like at this point, keeping in mind that you can always add more heat, but you can never take it away.

Serve this delicious chili with sharp cheddar cheese, crusty bread and a hearty Cabernet.

FoodNoteworthies

(1) Color contrast in cooking? Please people, if you are going to serve food to family and friends you have to make it look good. Food that looks fabulous, often tastes fabulous and is a direct reflection on the love that went into the dish. Keep this in mind with every meal, platter or bowl you plate for guests and even yourself.

(2) Turkish pepper, or urf-a-biber, is a gorgeous dark brown color with hints of red. It is hot and sweet and a wonderful accompaniment to many meat dishes. This stuff is hard to find, but for New Yorkers, you can visit Kalustyan's spice shop at 123 Lexington Avenue at 29th street. This is the place to go when you need spices. Not only are they cheap, but they are of the finest quality. The store also has over 600 different spices. For everyone else, you can order online from the store or calling 1-800-352-3451.

(3) I use a mortar and pestle to help bring the oils out of dried spices. If you have a coffee grinder you can use it as well. Either method works, just make sure to clean out the coffee grinder after you use it or your coffee will taste like fennel and Turkish pepper.

(4) According to Craig Claiborne, the word sweat in cooking is a translation
of a commonly used term in France. The French is suer les oignons. It means adding the onions to a sauce pan, generally using butter or oil and cooking the onions without browning them. The onions are generally cooked over very low heat. The reason for this is a question of taste. Onions cooked until brown have a different flavor than those that have been cooked in a gentler fashion.