European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 09, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Modem living the stars and stripes it s called cd and everybody is an expert stories by Craig Claiborne new York times hat americans love to argue about food there can be no ques Tion. New englander can expound for hours on the Virtues or vices of a Well made or poorly made Clam chowder or pot of Boston baked Beans. Arguments As to the merits or demerits of using lard. Crisco or butter As the proper Tat for frying Chicken Are sufficient unto themselves to Render asunder close tics in the South. But these Are regional arguments. On the National scene there is one dish that has within the last decade inspired More controversy than any other in the unite states Chili con came. And what is to account for this National preoccupation with a dish whose origins Are so obscure a dish that varies from Kitchen to Kitchen yet whose Appeal is almost Universal what inspires such extraordinary enthusiasm for a dish so thoroughly Basic unsophisticated and Down to Earth we think we have arrived at a answer. Instinctively one knows that Chili originated in the Southwest was of mexican inspiration and that it moved eastward to the Southern states in the Early part of Thi Century. Although american indians used for one dish or another such chillies As could be found in various parts of America Chili con came was not an Indian invention. Frank x. Tolbert a columnist for the Dallas news and perhaps the nation s Lead ing historian on the subject of Chili Indi Cates in his Book a bowl of red Doubleday 1972 his Assurance that Chili originated in san Antonio Tex. Incidentally a bowl of red. For the enlightenment of non Chilli Heads is a Texas term for a bowl of chill last year according to a spokes Man for the american spice Trade association americans consumed More than 8 million poems of dried chill peppers in one form or another the vast majority of them covered into powder for the nation s Chili kettles. The initial Large scale hoisting of Chili con came into the National consciousness came about through he efforts no matter How unwittingly of three men. The first of these was h. Allen Smith the late humorist and author Best known for his Book Low Man on a totem  he ignited the fires beneath the Chili pot in 1966 with an article in Holiday Magazine titled nobody knows More about Chi Lithan i  although Smith was a native of Illinois by the Lime the article was published he had Long been a new yorker and this bit of Eastern bombast and self Praise was More than a couple of texans namely Frank Tol Bert and one Wickford Wick Fowler a Newspaperman and celebrated locally at least As the grand Texas aficionado of Chili making could tolerate. Olbett termed Smith s Chili a Chili Fla voted Low torque beef and vegetable  the recipe did Call for tomatoes onions Green Pepper and sacrilege of sacrilege canned Pinto Beans. With Tolbert s encouragement Fowler pitted his talents against Smith s. The event took place in 1967 and attracted Only a thousand spectators but it made a few Hundred headlines around the country. The contest ended in a draw but Texas Chil Cook offs became an annual event. Chill cooking contest no Are held annually in 34 tales. In the interest of chill research i accepted an invitation to act As a judge at the world championship chill Cook off at an old abandoned Gold mine near Rosamond calif., about 90 Miles North of los an Geles. This contest is a spin off on the Texas original and it is generally conceded to be the principal Chili event in the United states. 1 did not regret my decision. Various groups walked around carrying signs with such slogans As bad Chili is  and Chili today and hot  Macho Type males wearing Stetson and sombreros roamed the grounds and the cast was awash in a sea of leather boots and Levi s. On arrival at the Cook off grounds around 9 a.m., the Chili Pepper eating con test one of the weirdest endurance con tests Ever conceived was under Way. There were 24 contestants three women and 21 men chewing and Swal lowing chillies scaled from the relatively mild to the hideously ultimate a Small Green Chili known As bahamian. The chillies were in ascending order of hotness Sandia Cayenne mexican improved new Mexico native a Lapello Mirasol. Santana and the bahamian. At the end of 55 minutes half the fire caters had withdrawn and the contest was eventually won by a never say die participant named Don Homer who had consumed 26 peppers. He was being loudly cheered As an ambulance arrived to cart away one of his col leagues on a Stretcher. Inspiration at a Chili Cook off truly knows no Bounds. A fellow from Tennessee named Jack Powell made his Chili of freshly skinned Racoon which he assured us. Is one animal whose flesh is particularly suited to the dish. There Are no limit to the kinds of meat that May be used to make chill including armadillo Bear Buffalo meat Coyote Kangaroo and Moose. The published rules and regulations Tor Cook off define True Chili As any kind of meat or combination of meats cooked with Chili peppers various other spices and other ingredients with the exception of thickening agents such As Beans Spaghetti and so Forth. The Winner of this year s Chili Roundup was Rufus Valdez. The contender from the Indian nations. Valdez. A full blooded Etc. Had earned the right to compete when he won the Indian nations Cook off at Gallup. N.m., last Yammer. The principals behind what might be called the Chili wars of the West seem to some onlookers like youngsters playing King of the Mountain. The current King is most assuredly . Wood who came to his throne As the undefeated world Cham Pion Chili Cook four years ago. He had won the championship in Texas in 1969 to the apparent Dingru Nelement of Frank Tolbert then acting As the major Domo of Chilidog. He also won in 1971 and thenceforth retired and assumed the undefeated title. Wood s recipe for Chili is by the  the most tediously written and most elaborate recipe for a single dish that has Ever crossed my  to say it starts out with a Stew ing Chicks. Diced flank Steak Center Cut pork chops tomatoes celery onions Vari Ous chillies. Green peppers garlic oregano. Cumin Black Pepper Salt fresh coriander Beer cheese and the juice of one  the most famous bowl of restau rant Chili in the world comes fro the Kitchen of Chasen s dining spot in los Angeles. It achieved world wide notoriety due to the enthusiasm for it shared by Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. When in Rome they did As the texans do they dispatched a Cable to Chasen s and ordered 10 quarts Frozen to be sent to their address on the via Appi Pignatelli. Chasen s Chili in t bad but then again we esteem no Chili to be bad provided it is honestly made with decent ingredients. Which brings us Back to our original thought of Why such a Basic and unsophisticated dish As Chili can have such Universal Appeal. It is quite simple. It is a dish that almost anyone including a reasonably intelligent 6-year-old, can make with Pride and pleasure and the thought that his or hers is the Best dam Chili in the land. Some of the bowls of chill at the Rook off were prepared from scratch which is to say the Cooks started with whole dried Chili pods that were boiled and squeezed through a food Mill to extract the chill pulp. Many of them resorted to the much simpler chill powder. Chili powder is not. As a few Hundred thousand people seem to think if they think about it at All made of ground up dried chillies Only that and nothing More. Almost All the Chili powder bottled commercially today is composed of pulverized chillies plus dried garlic cumin oregano cloves coriander and flaked or powdered dried onion. The Chili itself lends heat plus a Subtle flavor. What most people think of As the Chili flavor is actually that of pow dered cumin. Although there is excellent source mate rial in Tolbert s Book we believe the finest essay on Chili Ever written came some years Back from the pen of Carter Roche Lac in his criticism of a newly published Tome the Chili  the authors were John Rae Earl and James Mccormick and Rochelle s commentary appeared in the Houston chronicle. A part of his review Fol lows a preposterous Little presumption called the Chili Cook Book " Rochelle writes has just been published in los an Geles for the enrichment of a couple of Chi cagians the further bewilderment of the unenlightened and the incredulous irritation of people who know what Chili really is. Johnrae Earl and James Mccormick who stirred up this agglomeration claim the 100 recipe in the Book Are selected from More than 600 they tested and tasted from around to world. The mind boggles. The Diges Tion  Rochelle is marvellously outraged to think that what the authors list As hous ton s Best Chili contains flour paprika to Matoes and Tomato juice. And among other indignities Rochelle discovers Mutton scallops currant Jelly Cocoa White bread Corn starch and Tomato soup plus Maca Rone. Chicken Gumbo soup onion soup pickling spices Chicken fat. Barley Rai sins sour Cream and obscenity of obscenities potatoes. Noted Rochelle there Aren t 100 ways to make Chili. There is but one and since we be gone through All this together i m going to give it to you  there follows Rochelle s True Texas Chili. We have substituted beef Broth for his water and Bouillon cubes and we Hope the gentleman will find it passably forgivable. Real Texas Chili 3 pounds Boneless Chuck or round Steak 4 Pound beef suet cloves garlic finely minced 4 to 6 Tablespoons chill powder Salt and freshly ground Pepper to taste 1 Tablespoon Masa Barina be note 6 to t cups hot Rich beef Broth see note 2 Tablespoons vinegar 2 or More hot dried red Chule or Accord big to taste 1. Cut the meat into half Inch or even smaller cubes. 2. Cut the suet into cube and add it to a heavy Skillet or casserole. Cook stirring to Render the suet of fat. Remove and Dis card the solid rendered suet. Use All the liquid suet or pour off some of it if you wish. 3. Heat the fat and add meat and Cook stirring until lightly browned. Add the garlic Chili powder Salt and Pepper. Add the Salt sparingly. 4. Cook stirring about two minutes and Sprinkle in the Masa Harina. Stir to distribute the Masa Harina evenly. Add six cups of the beef Broth and keen the remainder hot to add As needed. Add the vinegar and chillies. 5. Cook partly covered about two hours. Stir the Chili occasionally and skim off surface fat As desired. If the chill be comes too thick add More Broth As Neces sary. Yield about six Servings. Note Masa Harina is available in Span ish and mexican markets in most metro Politan areas of the United states. It is Corn flour a form of finely ground com meal. In Roche us recipe the liquid use Dis water combined with two Teaspoons in Stant beef Bouillon or two cubes of Bouillon. Rufus Valdez world Champion ship Chili 4 Large Green cube 1  fun Elf Fak 2 pounds Center cat pork chops 1 Teaspoon ground cumin 1 Teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or the same amount dried continued on Page 201