From what the weather forecasters are predicting for this weekend, it sounds like we might be done with the unseasonably dry and warm weather. At long last. It’s that time of year where I want to keep warm — by drinking hot tea, making tasty soups and piling soft blankets on the bed.
With a return to cooler temperatures and gray skies, I can now get excited about promoting National Chili Month. Believe it or not, but I have a favorite childhood memory related to chili. Every Halloween my mom would make a big pot of chili which I would gobble down before going out for trick-or-treating. It was delicious and filling, and it kept me warm the whole time I traipsed around the neighborhood wearing my Halloween costume.
Flash forward to 2022. Now that I’ve been married to my hubby/personal chef for almost 30 years, I have an even greater appreciation for chili recipes. His tasty recipes include a traditional chili con carne (with meat) dish much like my mom prepared; a white chili using chicken instead of beef; a very vegetarian chili filled with beans and veggies; and then my personal chef’s super yummy chicken chili verde soup using fire-roasted chilis, tomatillos and a whole lotta love. In other words, chili is good food no matter the ingredients or the audience.
- “The Complete Chile Pepper Book: A Gardener’s Guide to Choosing, Growing, Preserving, and Cooking” by Dave DeWitt and Paul W. Bosland.
- “The Devil’s Dinner: A Gastronomic and Cultural History of Chili Peppers” by Stuart Walton.
- “How Chile Came to New Mexico = Como IIego el Chile a Nuevo Mexico” written by Rudolfo A. Anaya, illustrated by Otero Nicolas. (call number E ANAYA)
- “Queso!: Regional Recipes for the World’s Favorite Chile-Cheese Dip” by Lisa Fain.
- “The Seven Culinary Wonders of the World: A History of Honey, Salt, Chile, Rice, Cacao, and Tomato: Featuring 63 International Recipes” written by Jenny Linford, illustrated by Alice Pattullo.
- “Zombie Gut Chili and Other Horrifying Dinners” by Ali Vega. (call number J641,54 VEGA)
Jan Johnston is the collection development coordinator for the Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries. Email her at readingforfun@fvrl.org.
