CHILI HISTORY help wanted

I had a huge amount of Chili John's history and photos and wanted to do something with them so I web paged them. That project grew and I've started adding to it. Someone suggested Chili My Soul in Encino as a good place to eat and I loved the walls and had to photo them so that went up also on the web. Found Taylor's 1904 pix's and emailed him and he let me add them as well.

Started a small pepper garden and decided to post progress while I figure out growing peppers.

Anyway, if you all have some links and tips to great places, old and new, wanna let me know what's worthly of adding? Just add the www and the .com to my name (ChiliPepperPot) and the Table of Contents leads to all of the above.

I'll be writing up sauces soon.

Oh - and the story of the small Oyster cracker is up along with the 1964 newspaper article as well.

Help Wanted - send me info!

Christine

So Christine----who do you think has the best chili in L A?

Very interesting and well-done website---looking forward to the "coming soon" areas!

Well Ed, I have learned one thing over the years, the best chili will be partially influenced by what one has grown up with, some folks love the spaghetti and/or beans added to the chili (such as both Cincinnatti Chili and Chili John's do with Cin chili being sweeter) and others want a more stew-like with underlying tomato flavor some of those no beans allowed, etc.

If you read the Mickey section of Chili John's (1969-1990) you'll see that in 1975 Los Angeles Magazine voted Chili John's, Chasen's and the Rangoon Racket Club (owned by CV Wood of Chili Championship fame). CV often bought chili from Mickey to serve at home - he liked it. I definately agree with the article.

But, growing up on that chili I am naturally influenced by that chili, that and Ernie's before Mickey, as having been the best (they were the same). I recently had some Chili John's California and it was very, very good but I have to say there were times before that when I didn't like it, so if you've been there before you might want to give it a new try but ask for the original. (And they close for 2 months starting the day before 4th of July or so.)

I recently ordered some Green Bay Chili John's and tried adding a teaspoon of cayenne to it but you just can't add cayenee as if it were salt - the flavor has to be cooked in. To say the least I found theirs to be bland and maybe ok for the top of a hot dog.

That said, I am just now really venturing out and trying other folks chili. And as I do I'm writing about it. I'm still making my own at home, including rendering my own suet and grinding my meat, etc., but I am coming out of my prejudice mold and trying new stuff. I found Chili My Soul a bit pricy, very different, but what I had good. My husband liked his hickory flavored whatever but I didn't like his. I really liked being able to taste the 10 of the day offered before I ordered.

I'm going to order some canned Skyline as I've never had that. I'm going to try Chilis and whatever else is near that gets written about by someone else and is close enough to drive to. I would some day like to travel to Illinois and really explore back there.

What have you found to be the best of what you've tried?

Christine

Ed, I forgot to say thank you for the web page encouragement.

Christine

Christine,
I grew up eating Bob's Big Boy Chili and Spaghetti and Chili Sizes. Since then, I've made a lot of my own-----won one chili cookoff and searched for one that would knock my socks off. My feelings about chili My Soul are about the same as yours-----good but pricy. I haven't been to Chili John's in years-----went a lot during the 80's when I worked in Burbank. I liked it then and should really go back some time to try it again. Chuy's, a small chain throughout SoCal, Nevada and Arizona, makes a good bowl of tri-tip chili. I'm still searching--------even the worst chili at a cookoff is much more satisfying to me.

I'll look for a Chuy's, never heard of them. I love tri-tip.

When and where is your next cook off?

Off to Google Chuy's....

Christine

Try the chicken too at Chuy's-----big rotisseries of their "Killer Chicken".

http://www.bajachuys.com/

Welcome to the wonderful world of chileheads. Are the Chili Appreciation Society international, or the International Chili Society active in your area? Attending or competing in cook offs is a blast, and the people that frequent them are an amazing source of information concerning all things chili.
Check out chili.org and chilicookoff.com for more info.

Here is a link I think you will find very helpful.

http://www.fiery-foods.com/dave/ndx_chili.asp

ChiliPepper, don't forget Shanghai Jimmy and Benny Binion, both made some famous long gone chili. Info about both hear if you do the search thing. I am still on the hunt for Jimmy's recipe, but I am geting close.

How do you find your site?
Joe

http://www.mfbb.net/chiliforum/?mforum=chiliforum
This might help also...

Wolf Brand chili comes w/ or w/o beans. And..... my sweety puts ketchup in her Wolf Brand. Does chili have Ketchup in it? At my house it does. Some smart persomn here compaired chili to Jazz. No tellin what direction it might take. Every pot has it's own soal. Jazz it up!!!!!!!! That is the history of chili. Long live our right to make it like we want. It's an American thing.
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by Parses6

One question: does chili have beans in it?

One other question: does chili have 2 different types of ketchup in it?..Or just Monarch.

If you would like some further history of chili,you might google Chili Queens of San Antonio.In the early days these women would set up in the market place tables at which they would sell meat with chilies that was cooked together,tacos,and other street food.After enforcement of public health laws,they graadually disappeared from the scene in downtown San Antonio.
I would never dream of putting ketchup in chili.Only thing at home momma put in her chili was kidney beans,and sometimes tomatoes finely cut up(canned) but that was the extent of it.

Holly, have you read the "weird things" chili thread?

I saw a recipe for the Chili Queen's chili somewhere. Sounded real good is all I can remember.
Joe

ChiliPepperPot


I had a huge amount of Chili John's history and photos and wanted to do something with them so I web paged them. That project grew and I've started adding to it. Someone suggested Chili My Soul in Encino as a good place to eat and I loved the walls and had to photo them so that went up also on the web. Found Taylor's 1904 pix's and emailed him and he let me add them as well.

Started a small pepper garden and decided to post progress while I figure out growing peppers.

Anyway, if you all have some links and tips to great places, old and new, wanna let me know what's worthly of adding? Just add the www and the .com to my name (ChiliPepperPot) and the Table of Contents leads to all of the above.

I'll be writing up sauces soon.

Oh - and the story of the small Oyster cracker is up along with the 1964 newspaper article as well.

Help Wanted - send me info!

Christine

If you haven't already, Contact Jane Butel, author of 18 books on Southwestrn cooking and all things Chili History. www.janebutelcooking.com She's on a book tour now pimping her updated 2nd printing of "Chili Madness". She has people who will respond to you who are very helpful. 

Check out info on history of Hormel Chili as it was introduced in 1935 to parts of US that never had tasted chili. I would google Hormel chili .

Roossy, you can use just one kind of ketchup and just add some pineapple. :~)
Joe

Oh, the chilipepperpot.com web site appears to be available, hmmm?