So I made some chlii tonight. I guess you can call it fitting, as it is quite cold outside with the windchill. In any case, tonight’s chili was a combination of my mother’s world-famous chili and the Joy of Cooking chili recipe, thrown in with a little bit of improvisation. Did I mention I used my crockpot for this recipe too?

It was my first time using the Rival Crock Pot, and I have to say, it was very convenient. My stoneware is one of those Versaware types where I can use it on the stovetop, and then directly transfer it to the crock pot. It was great as I lightly browned the onions and meat in it first, then mixed in the rest of the ingredients, and then transferred it to the crock pot. With no mess, no fuss, and no cleaning of extra pots, I found it to be quite the handy item.

Now for the chili. My mother’s recipe called for using a quick and dirty method of spicing up the dish. I opted to spice it up myself without using any canned chili mixes. I managed to get part of the chili factor in the dish, but I’m still missing that umph factor. You know, that moment when you taste the chili and realize that that is what chili is all about.

It’s not too late to add more ingredients to the dish, but I’m not quite sure what else to put in there that would increase my chili umph factor. With already plenty of cumin, oregano, and cayenne peppers in there, I’m at a standstill right now.

Do you know the ingredients that make a chili world-class? Have you ever experienced an out-of-this-world chili sensation? Do tell me what you put in to make it that much better tasting.

With high hopes that my chili will taste better in the morning, I rest my tired eyes for this evening… mmm… chili…