Why hasn't a sculptor paid homage to chili? - includes recipes

Sunset, March, 1989

The love affair between chili and the Chef of the West continues to smolder (and occasionally flare into a case of heartburn). It's a wonder that no artistic or literary monument-a painting, a statue, an opera, a play, or a sonnet cycle-exists to celebrate this pure passion. But there are problems: what would a statue of chili look like in bronze, marble, or wood? And what would rhyme with garlic or cilantro? Perhaps the easiest way out would be a painting-part historical and part allegorical-of The Birth of Chili. It might best be done in the style of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema's classical processions-with appropriate adjustments for time (the present) and place (the Southwest): maidens in shawls lead a sacrificial steer toward a temple; the steer is decked in chili pods, which garland his neck and drape in a swag between his horns; and from crowded balconies people pelt the

participants with cilantro sprigs.

At the left, wearing his chef's hat and holding a knife, stands the priest, flanked by a cauldron and an altar, and holding a can of tomatoes and a can of beer. If the beer strikes you as a discordant element here, don't tell Jack Carmody. His chili employs a can of beer as its liquid ingredient-and to very good effect. Have-a-Beer Chili

1 pound mild or hot Italian sausages, casings removed

1 pound boneless lean beef chuck, cut into 1 -inch cubes

1 pound boneless lean pork shoulder or butt, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 medium-size onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes

1/4 cup dehydrated masa flour (corn tortilla flour)

1 can (12 oz., or 1-1/2 cups) beer

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon each dry oregano leaves and ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 can (7 oz.) green chili salsa

1 medium-size fresh jalapeno chili, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

Condiments (suggestions follow)

Coarsely chop or crumble sausages and put into a 6- to 8-quart pan. Stirring often, cook over medium-high heat until sausages are well browned, about 15 minutes; lift out meat and set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings. Add beef and pork to pan, a portion at a time, and stir often until browned, about 20 minutes; set aside as browned. Add onions and garlic to pan and stir often until onions are limp, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes (break up with a spoon) and their liquid, masa, beer, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, cayenne, cilantro, lemon juice, salsa, jalapeno, and bell pepper.

Return meats and any juice to pan. Bring to a boil over high beat; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meats are very tender when pierced, about 2 hours. Stir occasionally.

Skim off any fat, then ladle chili into serving bowl. Offer condiments to add to individual servings. Makes about 10 servings, 1- cup size.

Per serving without condiments: 371 cal.; 25 g protein; 12 g carbo.; 24 g fat; 92 mg chol.; 660 mg sodium.

Condiments. Offer in separate bowls: I or 2 large avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced; about 1 cup sour cream; 1 to 1-1/2 cups (4 to 6 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese.

Mountain View, Calif.

Some little masochistic streak in our taste buds makes them want to live dangerously, to seek thrills by daring fire. Why else would we try the incredibly sour, salty, and hot Indian pickled limes, the sour and salty Japanese pickled plums, the corrosive horseradish and jalapeno? John Endresen has a relish that will satisfy the thrill seeker's tongue without disabling it.

Try this on sausages or hamburgers.

Piquant Relish

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 to 3 tablespoons minced jalapeno chilies

1/3 cup finely chopped mild onion

1 tablespoon lemon juice Grilled sausages, frankfurters, or hamburgers

In a small bowl, stir together mustard, jalapenos, onion, and lemon juice. Serve, or cover and chill up to 2 days. Spoon onto meats tO taste. Makes about 2/3 CUP. Per tablespoon: 8.2 caL; 0. 1 g protein; 1.2 g carbo.; 0.3 g fat; 0 mg chol.; 135 mg sodium.

Bothelt Wash.

Quick breads biscuits, cornbread, muffins, and their kin have always been favorites of mainstream America. Homey and comforting, as opposed to haute cuisine, they are not likely to appear with your average $45 prix fixe dinner. Nevertheless, muffins have recently become rather fashionable--not as a mainstay but rather as a less sweet, less caloric alternative to dessert cakes with tea or coffee. Muffin shops sell them in a wide variety of flavors and seem to vie with each other for the largest possible muffins with the highest, broadest hats.

Richard Schock's Oat Bran Muffins are high in flavor and fiber, relatively low in sugar and cholesterol.

Oat Bran Muffins

2-1/2 cups oat bran

2 cups buttermilk

1 cup nonfat milk

1/2 cup raisins

1 large egg

1/2 cup olive oil or salad oil

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1-1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon each baking soda, baking powder, and ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice